Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus)

Nanette's words had barely left her lips when she swung her hand and slapped Rowena hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed through the room.

A vivid red mark bloomed instantly on Rowena's cheek.

Rowena's mother, Keeley, looked as if she'd been struck by lightning; she swayed on her feet, unable to believe what she was hearing her own daughter, involved in something so shameful.

Tears streaming, Keeley cried out, "Sherin, tell them it's not true-tell them!"noveldrama

Then she turned on Rowena, voice shaking with fury. "How could I have raised a daughter like you? You're no better than an animal!"

Rowena glared back at them all, her eyes wild and desperate. "You drove me to this! I had nowhere else to go. I begged Isadora at the hospital not to pull out the funding, but she wouldn't forgive me. She wouldn't even listen!"

Nanette, seeing Rowena's defiance, grabbed her by the collar with one hand and began raining slaps down on her face with the other-relentless, thunderous.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

Rowena's lips split, blood beading at the corners of her mouth. Her whole face swelled, flushed and battered, but the look in her eyes only grew colder, more

venomous.

"You're nothing but Isadora's lapdog, Nanette. God, I wish I'd taken you down with me!"

Before anyone could react, Rowena lashed out, driving her knee up hard.

Caught off guard, Nanette gasped, pain shooting through her back, and her grip loosened.

Seizing the opening, Rowena twisted free and slammed Nanette to the ground, reversing their positions in an instant.

Finley, watching the chaos unfold, strode over and delivered a sharp kick with his polished shoe.

Rowena was sent sprawling into the side table, her head cracking against the edge. Blood trickled from a fresh gash at her brow.

She screamed, clutching her forehead as pain throbbed through her skull.

Satisfied that Nanette had vented enough, Finley pulled out his phone and dialed Victor.

At the same time, Nanette snatched a fruit knife from the table, stormed over, and drove it deep into Rowena's palm.

A guttural scream tore from Rowena's throat, slicing through the tension in the room.

Keeley watched in horror as her daughter's blood spattered the Her rolled back, and

, collapsing where she e

stood.

From the phone pressed to his ear, Finley heard Victor's low, steady voice. "Hello?"

Finley swallowed, nerves tightening. "Uh... Victor, what do you want to do with Rowena?"

Victor stood at Isadora's bedside, his gaze dark and unreadable as he looked down at her. "What do you think?"

Isadora already knew they'd caught Rowena.

Nanette had gone with them, promising she'd make Rowena pay.

Isadora had wanted to take revenge herself for Pudding's sake-but everyone insisted she stay calm.

She gripped the cup on the bedsheet, fingernails digging into her palm.

She knew exactly what Rowena feared most.

"Let her find out what it really means to be degraded," Isadora said coldly.

Victor gently pried her clenched

hand free, lifted her slender fingers to his lips and kissed them. He spoke in a slow, deliberate tone: "Send her to Africa. Make hea

charity prostitute."

So

Finley understood.

Writhing in agony, Rowena heard

what they planned to do. The wooet

"prostitute" snapped something inside her; fear clouded her eyes and she began to scream with panic.

“No! You can't! This is illegal—I'll call the police!"

She tried to shove Nanette away, her voice trembling.

Nanette only tightened her hold, twisted the knife still lodged in Rowena's hand, yanking it sharply to the side.

Blood gushed from the wound. Rowena's eyes rolled back, and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.