âTalon, you wouldnât hold a grudge against a kid like me, right?â
Talon rolled his eyes so hard they almost got stuck in his head. If it werenât for Daisy giving his hand a light tap, he wouldnât have given those two the time of day.
âAlright, thatâs enough,â Daisy said with a perpetual smile. âIf you two are up for a makeover, just wait until Iâm done with my hair, and Iâll have my personal stylist set you up from head to toe. How does that sound? And donât worry about the cost; itâs all on me.â
Imogen was over the moon, though she played coy for a bit.
âOh, how can we accept this? We just had a little misunderstanding; we canât let you foot the bill for us.â
Imogen reached out, trying to link arms with her, but Daisy smoothly dodged the gesture, saying, âDonât mention it. Itâs no big deal. Just sit back and enjoy.â
Once the stylist whisked them away, Daisy turned to Talon with a half-hearted scolding, âLook at the mess youâve stirred up. If I werenât here, would you really be ready to go toe-to-toe with her?â
âThanks. With you guys backing me up, whatâs there to fear?â Talon laughed heartily. Even without Daisyâs support, he wasnât afraid to ruffle some feathers in the industry. Besides, his family wasnât exactly short on cash-if they were, he wouldnât have been able to start his own studio so smoothly.
Daisyâs gaze then settled on Regina, who was standing nearby. âRegina, do remember me?â
Regina smiled sincerely, âHow could I forget you, Aunt Daisy?â
âThatâs my girl. Your mom and I were thick as thieves back in school-we even went to the restroom together. Just remember, if you ever feel slighted at home, come straight to me. Donât let those two bully you. Youâre the real young miss of the Tanner family, and no one can take that from you. Got it?â
Regina always felt a rush of emotion when she encountered one of her motherâs old friends. She wasnât alone in remembering her mother.
âDonât worry, Daisy; I wonât let myself be pushed around.â
After giving Regina some more advice, Daisy headed back to finish her hairdo.
Once they were alone, Regina turned to Talon. You really didnât need to offend them on my account. Itâs better to offend a gentleman than a villain-theyâre much trickier than you think.â
âPfft you think Iâm scared of them?â
The two sat down in Reginaâs personal makeup room, a place where she could relax as if she were at home.
Talon was the one who always did Reginaâs makeup, a rare privilege that was hers alone.
âYou say that because you havenât dealt with them directly. If you had, you wouldnât be so nonchalant.â
Regina let him dab and swipe at her face, trusting him to reveal an even more beautiful side of her.
âAre you saying this because theyâve already given you a hard time?â Talon paused mid-stroke, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at Regina.
âFor years, you never talked about what happened at home. Even if Daisy told you to turn to her, you wouldnât, right?â
Regina bit her lower lip.
Just like Talon said, she had never sought help from outsiders. Even her own father didnât believe the things Imogen had done to her-who else would stand by her side?