Watching Shawn’s retreating figure, Sadie felt her anger boiling over.

She snapped at the folks in the dressing room, “Why are you all still here? Shoo! I need peace and

quiet.”

Everyone exchanged a “what just happened” look and swiftly exited. It was just Sadie and Adele left in

the room.

Sadie sat there, a volcano about to erupt, while Adele hung back, sensing the danger. All that rage

inside Sadie? It used to be taken out on Adele, and today was no different.

With a frosty stare, she instructed Adele, “Go. Lean against that wall and do a handstand.”

Adele hesitated, which seemed to be the wrong move because Sadie’s eyes flashed in anger. Rising

from her seat, she approached the young girl, who, sensing the imminent threat, shuffled to the wall

and tried the handstand.

Sinking back into her chair, Sadie remarked, “Don’t stop until I say so.”

But kids could only hold out for so long. After what felt like forever but was probably only minutes,

Adele’s face was a bright shade of red. Out of breath, she whispered a desperate plea, saying, “Mom,

please.”

Sadie barely glanced Adele’s way, instead choosing to admire her nails. Grinning with a hint of cruelty,

she teased, “What was that?

You’ll need to raise your voice.”

With every ounce of strength, Adele tried to steady herself, her voice breaking.

“Mom, please!”

That seemed to appease Sadie, who waved a dismissive hand.

“Fine, get up.”

Angela’s Library

She had her ways to make Adele miserable, and this method, being discreet, gave her a wicked sense

of pleasure. It sure lifted her spirits.

But catching sight of Adele’s exhausted face, Sadie was reminded of the day Adele had clung to

Ariana. Her rage returned in a flash. She lightly tapped Adele’s cheek, her tone dripping with malice.

“Always be good, alright? Parents only love good little girls. Otherwise, who knows, we might just leave

you behind.”

Adele stood there, a quivering mess, and couldn’t muster a word.

Seeming satisfied with her little tirade, Sadie headed out, Adele in tow.

Soon after, a crew entered to spruce up the dressing room. Among them, a newbie stared wide-eyed at

the luxurious dresses on the floor and the sparkling jewelry. She whispered, a touch of envy in her

voice, “One of these necklaces could set me up for years.”

Another cleaner, a seasoned one, warned her, “Eyes straight ahead.

This room’s watched by cameras. One cleaner thought they could slack off and got caught. Lost their

job.”

Taking the hint, the new cleaner dove into her work, the earlier longing replaced by caution.

Holden made his way to West City with a document needing his signature. After he had scribbled his

name on it, a nagging feeling made him pause. The thought of returning to Sadie wasn’t appealing at

the moment.

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