All Chapters of From Coma to Queen: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The Hammond estate stood serene and elegant, so quiet that even the softest sounds seemed to echo through the stillness.Just 10 feet from the living room, Arya heard Neil's deep, serious voice clearly. "Lottie, Daddy's going to ask you one more time. Are you sure everything you just said is true?"Arya froze mid-step, holding her breath without realizing it. She waited for her daughter's reply.Winston saw her reaction clearly. Guilt and fear showed in her eyes. He stared at her with open contempt, showing no effort to hide his disgust.On the way over, he had glanced at her handbag. Though he hadn't seen it clearly, the sparkle of a diamond bracelet inside had caught his eye.A shameless, low-class woman was hiding something like that. It was absolutely disgraceful."It's true…" Charlotte answered, her voice timid and unsure. "She took me to Auntie Nicole's room to use the bathroom. She asked if Auntie Nicole had lots of pretty jewelry. I said, of course! It's all in the little

Arya stayed calm, not a flicker of panic on her face. She said, "Nicole, you can joke all you want, but don't go around accusing people without proof. You're saying I stole something. Do you have any evidence?"Nicole scoffed, furious. "Still pretending? Lottie told us everything!"Arya's expression darkened. Her voice trembled with heartbreak. "Lottie… are you saying you saw Mommy steal your aunt's diamond bracelet?"From the corner of her eye, she saw Charlotte curled up on Neil's lap like a little ostrich, her face buried in his chest, too guilty to meet her gaze.To the rest of the Hammonds, though, the child only looked frightened.Quinn gently stroked Charlotte's back. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. You're in the Hammonds' house. There's no reason for my precious granddaughter to fear an outsider."She made a point of stressing the word "outsider," tossing Arya a sidelong glance to drive it home.In the Hammonds' eyes, Arya would always be one.She stood silent and still,

Did Arya have any idea how much she'd just frightened Charlotte?Neither Nicole nor Quinn understood what was really going on. From what they saw, they assumed Arya was just playing the victim while Neil stepped in to protect her and smooth things over."Arya, that's enough already! Don't make a scene when no one's buying it!" Nicole snapped, rolling her eyes.Arya didn't bother explaining. She calmly set down the landline and turned her head slightly."Rose," she called.The sudden mention startled Rose, but she quickly stepped forward. "Ms. Arya, what can I do for you?"Odette had asked her to keep an eye on things and make sure no one in the Hammond family bullied Arya. Rose didn't know exactly what was happening, but when she saw that Arya needed her, she knew she had to act."Please call the police," Arya said."You are not calling the police!" Neil cut in sharply.Rose froze, visibly torn. In truth, she couldn't place the call even if she wanted to. The phone in her hand

"Mom, I—" Quinn tried to explain."Shut it!" Odette snapped. "I'm staying right here to listen. If anyone dares stop my granddaughter-in-law from disciplining her own daughter, I'll come over myself with a cane and beat them straight!"Warmth swelled in Arya's chest.At least someone in the Hammonds still truly cared for her.Christopher came down the stairs and quietly approached Neil. He reached out his small hand and took his little sister's."Lottie, I'll go with you to apologize," he said.Arya felt a flicker of comfort.Though the twins were born just minutes apart, Christopher acted far more mature than Charlotte. This maturity had helped him resist Lindsay's brainwashing.With her brother by her side, Charlotte hesitated but finally climbed down from Neil's arms.Holding Christopher's hand, she slowly walked over to Arya. Before speaking, she glanced at her brother for reassurance. Then, with teary eyes and a trembling voice, she said, "I'm sorry…"Arya crouched with

Without exception, every department was operating at a loss.The senior executives didn't even dare to breathe too loudly. Cold sweat gathered at the nape of their necks.The paper butterfly that Troy had folded drifted down and landed softly on the table.He glanced up, voice calm. "These are the revenue reports from each department for last year. I want an explanation."Silence gripped the room.After a few seconds, the head of the marketing department—seated to Troy's right—finally stammered, "M-Mr. Pearce, I've communicated all the targets clearly. It's just that my subordinates—"Troy let out a quiet chuckle and raised an eyebrow. He was already strikingly handsome, so the curl of his smile gave him a dangerous edge.He stood. As his tall frame rose, so did the pressure in the room.The executive paled as Troy walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.The man, somewhere in his mid-40s, actually trembled. "M-Mr. Pearce…"Troy's expression didn't change. "I asked for