The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 558

Gloria felt a slight ache in her heart. "How... how have you been lately?" she asked softly.

Yvonne stirred her coffee, her tone even. "Pretty good."

"Is Leilani... treating you well?"

"Yeah," Yvonne nodded. "She's much more reliable than you guys."

The blunt words pricked Gloria's heart, but she didn't argue. She could only offer a bitter smile. "Yes... she certainly is capable."

Yvonne glanced up at her. "What's wrong with you today? You don't look right."

Gloria paused, surprised that her daughter was actually showing concern. Her eyes grew slightly misty. After a moment's hesitation, she gave a brief summary of the recent chaos at home.

Hearing the story, Yvonne let out a cold laugh. "Milford brought it upon himself."

Gloria sighed helplessly. "Yvonne, no matter what, he's still your brother..."

Yvonne fell silent. If she was being honest with herself, Milford had always treated her well over the years. But before Tamara's true colors were exposed, he had chosen to blindly trust Tamara over his own sister. That betrayal had cut deep.

"It's not like I didn't try to warn him. But he wouldn't listen to me. He insisted on trusting Tamara. And weren't you exactly the same? Now that karma has caught up to you all, you have no one to blame but yourselves."

Gloria had no response to that.

Seeing her mother look so utterly defeated, Yvonne's heart softened slightly. Her tone lost some of its edge. "You shouldn't stress yourself over it. The family's mess is beyond your control."

"You're right. I can't control it..." Gloria murmured with a self-deprecating smile. She looked up at her daughter with a glimmer of hope. "Yvonne, do you... want to come home and visit?"

Yvonne shook her head. "No. I'm doing fine right here."

Taking a deep breath, Gloria looked up. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her voice dropped to a near whisper. "Just tell her... I'm sorry. I misunderstood her before and said a lot of awful things... Thinking back on it now, I was entirely out of line."

Yvonne stared at her quietly, a swirl of complex emotions in her eyes. Gloria had spent half her life wrapped in unyielding pride. To think the day would come when she would bow her head and apologize—and to Leilani, the person she used to despise the most.

One was her lifesaver, the other was her mother. Honestly, Yvonne didn't want to see them remain enemies either. After a long pause, she replied flatly, "I'll pass it on. But whether she forgives you or not, I can't guarantee."

Gloria nodded quickly. "I know, I know... I just want her to know that I... I regret it."

Yvonne gave another brief nod and turned to leave, but Gloria caught her arm.

Hesitating one last time, Gloria finally forced the words out. "Yvonne... Mom is sorry to you, too."

With her back turned, Yvonne's shoulders went rigid. In the end, she simply offered a faint wave and walked away without looking back.