The Phantom Heiress: Rising From The Shadows - Chapter 1164

Chapter 1164:

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About thirty minutes later, a knock at the door forced her to abandon her spot outside Alec’s room. Ruby and Mack arrived together, stepping inside. Alec emerged from his bedroom, shooting a frosty look in Ruby’s direction. “I’ve already explained it to you.”

“Isabella, you can’t freeload here. If you want to stay, you’ll earn your keep—cooking, cleaning, laundry, every bit of housework.” Ruby didn’t bother to hide her irritation. “No need to remind me what you want, Alec, I know exactly what to expect.”

Mack tried to cut through the tension, his voice gentle. “Mom, Dad, could you both just stop arguing? We finally have a roof over our heads together. Can we at least try to talk like a family?”

Isabella couldn’t stay silent any longer; she had to warn Alec about Rosie. Without dancing around the issue, she asked, “Dad, was that Rosie you were on the phone with just now?”

Fury flashed in Alec’s eyes. “You little spy! Eavesdropping on my calls now?”

She owned up to it without flinching. “I did. But honestly, Dad, after all these years, don’t you realize how manipulative some people are? You just spilled every detail about us to her. That was foolish!”

Alec’s temper snapped, his voice sharp. “What do you know, Isabella? If it weren’t for Miss Harper, we’d have had no place to live now! You should be grateful for what she’s done for us!”

Ruby and Mack exchanged a long look—neither disagreed with Isabella’s warning.

With zero hesitation, Ruby said, “Alec, do you have any idea how we ended up broke and working jobs no one else wanted?”

Alec gave a dismissive snort. “Isn’t it because you’re all incompetent? Messing things up and making Miss Harper angry?”

Fury blazed in Ruby’s eyes. “That’s not true, and you know it! Isabella is talented—there’s nothing she can’t do. But Rosie, with all her schemes, tried to force our daughter into sleeping with some old man. When Isabella refused, Rosie snatched back everything she’d ever given us and made sure no one would hire any of us. We had to take whatever work we could find just to survive. She manipulates everyone around her. Keep helping her, and you’ll wind up worse off than me.”

Backing her up, Mack said, “Exactly, Dad. Rosie’s the one who ruined us. Think about it—what’s going to happen if she finds out we’re here?”

Alec only shrugged, unbothered. “Doesn’t matter to me. I have food, a roof over my head, and a bed. That’s enough. None of you helped me when I hit rock bottom. Remember? I’ve already been kind enough to let you stay here. I will not concern myself with anything else.”

𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢: ⳑ𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗍𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒𝖼𝗈𝗺

Isabella couldn’t hide her frustration. “You really think you’re more clever than us? Rosie’s nothing but trouble. Please, stop telling her everything.”

Alec was defiant. “Don’t act like Brenna is any different. You work for her, and she’s just as bad as Rosie. The Harper family has always brought us misery; don’t forget how our family went bankrupt in the first place.”

Isabella’s patience finally snapped. “Brenna might not be perfect, but she’s better than Rosie. From now on, you’re not to say a word to Rosie about us. If she kicks you out and you end up on the street, don’t expect any help from us.”

Reluctant though he was to admit it, Alec had to concede that Isabella made a good point. After what happened to Isabella and Ruby, he had no reason to trust Rosie.

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