Chapter 1627

Her heart sank like a stone.

She crumpled to the floor, hugging her knees, tears pouring out.

After a bit, she mustered the strength to dial her older brother, Karson Padilla.

“Karson, something’s up with Mom…”

Her voice raspy, she struggled to get the words out, but all she got back was a cacophony of noise.

Finally, Karson’s impatient voice pierced through, booming, “Who’s this? I can’t talk now, busy!”

Devyn caught wind of the chatter on his end, betting odds being tossed around.

Her eyes widened, frustration boiling over.

“Karson! How… how could you gamble again?”

She’d hoped he’d learned his lesson after all those tough times.

But she never imagined that with their mom still fighting in the ICU, Karson would hit the tables again.

Karson, realizing it was Devyn, burst out, “Chill, I just hit big.

This time’s going to be different; we’ll be back on top soon!”

His voice, frenzied like a junkie chasing a high, echoed down the line.

Laughter, tinged with madness, filled the air, leaving Devyn’s heart in freefall, lost in despair.

She was on the edge of yelling.

“Karson, have you lost it? When will you quit relying on gambling to fix things? Haven’t you learned from past mistakes? Do you have to push it till you crash? Keep going till you ruin Mom?”

But all she got back was the same old busy signal from her phone.

Devyn stared at her phone in disbelief, tears clouding her vision instantly.

She gripped it so tight, she nearly crushed it.

After a while, her emotions settled a bit.

She looked at Maureen, pale in the ICU, determination in her eyes.

Karson couldn’t be counted on, so she had to be the one Maureen could rely on!

Devyn pulled out a USB flash drive from her pocket.

She’d snagged a bunch of data from Stella’s computer earlier, including some of her designs, all stashed in this USB.

No time to waste now.

With Stella’s designs, she could tackle all her problems head-on, no sweat.

Days later, Nikolai forwarded Devyn’s latest design to Matthew.

After meticulously studying it, Matthew couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

As he anticipated, Devyn had directly taken Stella’s idea.

The foundational layer of this newly crafted wedding dress boasted a soft pink hue, adorned with a trailing black veil.

Beneath the veil, hints of pink peeked through, casting off a subtle, ethereal charm that elevated the gown’s elegance.

It was a wedding dress of remarkable style, featuring intricate layers that balanced opulence with understated grace.

Nikolai sighed, remarking, “This is precisely the kind of wedding dress Christie adores.

Stella’s guidance truly proves invaluable.

”

“It’s merely her standard fare.

” Well aware of Stella’s design prowess, Matthew was not surprised by her capabilities.