Chapter 712


    Chapter 712


    Upstairs in the Howard family’s mansion, there were two special rooms. One was where Balfour’s


    biological mother used to live with his father, and the other belonged to his full-blooded sister, Pearl.


    Fifteen years had passed, and nothing in these two rooms had changed It had be a no-go zone


    for the Howard family.


    The Howards’ servants had to get the green light from Balfour before they could go in to do their daily


    cleaning


    Balfour shut the door and plopped down on a chair in front of the dressing table.


    The chair was a bit snug for the nearly two-meter-tall guy, but for Balfour, this ce was packed full of


    childhood memories.


    There was a ten-year age gap between him and his sister, Pearl. As a kid, he spent more time taking


    care of Pearl than their parents did


    Every night he would sit here, reading fairy tales to Pearl and helping her drift off to sleep.


    Back then, their home was still a ce of harmony.


    But then their father’s affair was exposed, and he had a child from that rtionship.


    Their mother was so distraught that she couldn’t pull herself together, causing their parents to start


    arguing and giving each other the silent treatment.


    Whenever their parents fought, he would take Pearl back to her room and read her stories, trying to


    divert her attention away from their parents’ fights so she wouldn’t be scared


    Eventually, there were rumors floating around that Pearl wasn’t a Howard, but a child their mother had


    with another man.


    One day, he wasn’t home because of school.


    To quell the rumors, his grandparents asked his father to take Pearl for a paternity test.


    His mother saw this as an insult to her dignity and a blow to Pearl’s psyche, so she stood her ground


    against it.


    His parents’ rtionship broke down. The trust was gone, and after a heated argument, his mother


    took Pearl and left home, never to return.


    A yearter, his father married a woman with a daughter about the same age as Pearl.


    That woman’s daughter, Patricia, was now his most beloved half-sister.


    Back then, Balfour was still a minor with no say in many family matters.


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    But he was adamant about his stepmother not moving into his mother’s room and Patricia not moving


    into Pearl’s room.


    His father respected his wishes and moved to another room with his new wife


    At first, he didn’t ept Patricia as his new sister. Even though they lived under the same roof, he


    didn’t pay any attention to these new arrivals.


    Later, he noticed that Patricia was a lot like his sister Pearl; her movements, expressions, the mole


    between her eyebrows, and her tone when she spoke were all just like Pearl’s


    Patricia also liked to follow him around and call him brother. No matter how cold he was, Patricia never


    backed down.


    Gradually, he epted Patricia. He poured all the longing and love he had for Pearl onto Patricia,


    making sure she didn’t suffer any wrongs.


    It wasn’t until now that he realized his grandfather was right. He was overindulging her.


    In her obsession to win over Theo’s heart, Patri had lost her innocence and kindness. Her tactics were


    getting more ruthless each time.


    If today’s incident, where Patri allegedly hurt Baber to frame Ellinor, was true, then her methods were


    too malicious, and Patricia was now beyond redemption.