Chapter 192
After crying herself to sleep, Thalassa woke up feeling refreshed. The storm of emotions that had overwhelmed her last night seemed to have passed, and now she felt calm and composed.
She vowed not to let herself be that vulnerable again. Last night had been a moment of weakness, and she didn’t plan to repeat it.
She reached for her phone, dialing a number before rolling out of bed. After a quick conversation, she made her way to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face and brushing out her hair. Her reflection in the mirror showed the tear patches on her cheeks, bags beneath her eyes, and her touched head, evidence of her breakdown last night.
She looked away and proceeded to freshen up. Done, she headed downstairs, spotting Luisa setting the dining table.
“There you are,” Luisa said, glancing up. “I was just about to come get you.”
Thalassa gave her a small, apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I’ve been leaving everything to you lately. You’re the one making our meals every day.”
Luisa waved her off. “Oh, please. You know I love cooking. I feel itchy every time you’re cooking and I’m doing nothing.”
They both chuckled. Thalassa sat down at the table as Luisa finished setting out a breakfast of scrambled eggs, avocado toast, and fresh fruit juice. It smelled heavenly, and it made Thalassa feel more relaxed. They began eating in comfortable silence.
Luisa took a sip of her orange juice before setting the glass down excitedly. “I did a little internet scouting earlier, but I didn’t have to go far. Linda’s arrest has gone super–duper viral. The videos of her ranting when they were, taking her away are everywhere.”
Thalassa raised an eyebrow, intrigued but not surprised. “Is that so?”
“Of course.” Luisa nodded, her eyes widening slightly. “And get this–our stock prices surged another 20% after that news hit. People are loving that we took her down. But Linda’s company? It’s an absolute disaster. Their stocks plummeted. They’re down to ten cents a share. Can you believe it? Less than a dollar. All the investors that were still linked to her company have publicly revoked.”
“Good.”
A slow, satisfied smile spread across Thalassa’s face. Last night, her emotions had been so frazzled after her conversation with Kris that she hadn’t allowed herself to savour the significance of Linda’s arrest.
“But…” Luisa hesitated, picking at her food. “There’s a problem. Linda’s mess is spilling over to Kris. It has hit Miller Textiles pretty hard. The value has dropped nearly 12% since last night.”
Thalassa’s expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, taking a sip of her juice. ” Anything else?”
Luisa looked at her. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What do you want me to say?” Thalassa asked, her tone even.
“You could at least show some concern for Kris.” Luisa’s pointed out in disbelief. “He exposed his own mother. His company is taking a hit too. That must be hard for him.”
Thalassa’s eyes hardened. “Kris knew this would happen. He knew that exposing his mother would damage his
Chapter 192
family’s reputation, but he did it anyway.”
Luisa shook her head, leaning forward. “He did it for you, Lassa.”
Thalassa’s nostrils flared, “No, he didn’t. He spent years defending her, refusing to believe she was behind the death of our child. He didn’t do it for me. If anything, he did it to redeem himself.”
Luisa stared at her, her mouth open in bewilderment. “How can you be so cold? I thought… I thought now that everything is over and Linda’s behind bars, you’d finally let go of all that resentment and allow yourself to move on.”
Thalassa’s jaw tightened. “It’s not over yet, Luisa. Not until Linda has been sentenced. But…”
She swallowed. “You’re right. I need to allow myself to move on. That’s why I’m ready to give love a chance again.”
A smile touched Luisa’s lips. “With Kris?”
Thalassa tensed, her fingers curling around her fork. “No.”
Luisa’s smile faded. “But… why? I thought after everything-
“Have you forgotten he saw me in his mother’s room?” Thalassa questioned.
Luisa frowned. “Yes, but I thought he would understand. What happened after you filed the report against his mother?”
The earbuds had disconnected around the time Thalassa had been giving her statement, so Luisa didn’t hear any of what happened afterwards.
Thalassa’s throat tightened as she recalled Kris’s last words at the station. “He told me he’s going to leave me alone from now on. That I deserve to be with someone who’s worthy of me.”
Luisa slowly nodded. “I see. I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“I understand why you’re acting so cold,” Luisa said softly “You feel guilty, don’t you? You feel guilty for using
you don’t care–so you won’t feel so bad.” Kris to get to his mother. That’s why you’re
Thalassa’s eyes narrowed. “I have no reason to feel guilty.
Luisa didn’t push, simply tilting her head as she changed the subject. “When you said you were ready to give love a chance again… who were you talking about, if not Kris?”
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