Zara's fists clenched as a wave of anger surged through her. She couldn't believe a mother would speak that way about her own child.
She had heard rumors about how badly Rose was treated by her mother, but this was the first time she was hearing it herself. And now, it hurt more than she expected.
She didn't know how long Rose had endured this cold, cruel treatment—how much pain she had bottled up—before finally deciding to run away from everything.
"All I want to know is if you have any idea where Rose is—please. If you have any information about her, you should tell me. Rose is crippled right now—she's not okay. She needs your help."
There was a long pause on the line after Zara mentioned that Rose was crippled.
Miss Stella's tone turned skeptical.
"She's crippled?"
"Yes, she is," Zara confirmed, hoping Miss Stella would finally show some concern.
Instead, Stella replied coldly,