NovelFinishChapter 279 The iron gates of the prison slid open from both sides.
Carla stepped out, her clothes threadbare, her face pale and drawn. Clutched in her hand was a canvas bag so worn it looked like it might fall apart at any moment.
Not far away, a car waited, its horn blaring impatiently.
A moment later, Pearl Vaughan pulled the car up right in front of her, lowered the window, and barked, "Get in." Carla's eyes, dull with exhaustion, flickered with a brief spark when she recognized Pearl.
She rubbed her hands together nervously, then carefully opened the car door and climbed inside.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Pearl, what are you doing here?" As Carla settled in, Pearl caught a whiff of something unpleasant in the air. Maybe she was imagining it, but the stench seemed to grow stronger.
A look of distaste flashed across Pearl's face. She couldn't help herself. "Didn't they let you shower in there?" Carla flushed with embarrassment. "I did shower. I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to. Letclean up-" She started rummaging through her battered bag for a handkerchief.
Pearl cut her off with an exasperated sigh. "Forget it. Just stay still." The truth was, if she didn't need Carla to get rid of Isadora, she would never have cto pick her up. The very idea of being near this woman made her skin crawl.
Not long ago, Pearl had gone to Prescott for her usual allowance, expecting things to go as they always had. But Prescott only handed her a measly thousand dollars.
She'd never had to survive on so little in her life. It wasn't even enough to cover her gas for the month! She broke down in tears, demanding to know if Prescott had stopped loving her, only to learn that Isadora had kicked both Prescott and Richard out. Now he was broke too.
Pearl's life had becindistinguishable from that of any ordinary person. No more spa days, no shopping sprees, no fine dining. She felt like she might suffocate.
Still, hope flickered inside her. If only Isadora were out of the picture, Richard and Prescott could regain control of the Vaughan Group, and Pearl would be welcomed home-back to the life of a true heiress.
The car rolled to a stop by a deserted riverbank, beneath a highway overpass. A handful of homeless people huddled in the shadows beneath the bridge.
Pearl got out first.
Carla followed, stepping carefully out of the passenger seat. She'd just been released from prison, penniless and with nowhere to go. She'd hoped Pearl would take her somewhere for a hot meal, maybe even arrange a place for her to stay.
Instead, Pearl had brought her here.
But it didn't matter. Just being out was enough. And Pearl coming to see her was luck beyond measure.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmPearl lit a cigarette and took a long drag. She eyed Carla warily, as if she wanted to keep her distance but couldn't help drawing her in.
"Do you know why I brought you here?" she asked.
Carla shook her head.
Pearl wasn't just putting on an act-she was genuinely desperate om Still, growing up in the Vaughan family had taught her how to win people over, how to get what she wanted. "You're my mother. Doesn't it break your heart to seelike this? If you hadn't let Isadora live all those years ago, I wouldn't be here now, unwanted and alone." Carla's heart twisted painfully. Her Pearl should have been living like a princess, adored by everyone.
"Pearl, darling, just tellwhat you needto do. If it means getting our lives back, I'll do anything."
A cruel little smile curled at the edge of Pearl's lips. She spoke each word with icy precision:\"ikyou can helpget rid of Isadora, I'll becthe Pearl I used to be."
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