After the kidnapping incident, even though Artemis and Diana claimed that they meant no harm to her, Cayenne couldn't find the urge to forgive the siblings. She didn't even invite them to her wedding. Meeting them was just a short chapter in her life that she wanted to forget. She didn't want anything to do with them anymore.
Yet, hearing Artemis' pleading voice on the other end of the line, her cold heart melted a little. "What kind of help?" she asked.
"We're facing bankruptcy. I mean, my sister is facing bankruptcy," Artemis answered in a low voice. "I know I shouldn't call you about this, but I really have no idea who else to call. I'm ashamed of calling the Sy family, too."
"And you're not ashamed of calling me?" Cayenne retorted before her brain could put a stop to her mouth.
"I'm sorry. I - "
"So, what do you want me to do?" Cayenne questioned which interrupted Artemis. If she had to be honest, she really wanted to end the call as soon as possible. Unlike Stefan's relationship with Julia and Celestine, Cayenne didn't have any happy memories with the Rule family.
"Can you stop the bankruptcy?"
"Me?" Cayenne scoffed as if she heard the biggest joke in her entire life. "You want me to stop the bankruptcy caused by your sister? I'm not God, you know. I'm not a businesswoman either. I have no idea how to stop a bankruptcy."
Artemis wasn't disheartened by Cayenne's reply. She expected it already, but she knew who exactly could help them. "You can ask your husband to help us."
"And you expect him to help you?"
"We helped him find you."
"So, he should be thankful for what you guys did even though you and your family caused the whole kidnapping thing with the intention of gouging my heart from me to replace what was inside your grandfather. Is that what you are saying? That he owed you something?"
Artemis fell silent.
Stefan came out of the bathroom and noticed how upset his wife was while talking to someone on the phone. "Who are you talking to?"
"It's Arte –," she heard the beeping sound and checked her phone screen. "She ended the call. It was Artemis."
"Artemis?"
By the time he finished sharing what he knew, Cayenne was done drying his hair, too.
*
"Did she agree?" Diana asked her sister when Artemis came to her room to return her phone. "Cayenne is soft-hearted, so - "
"She is, yeah," Artemis said sarcastically as she put her hands inside her coat pockets. "But Stefan is not."
"So, she didn't want to help us?"
Artemis didn't know how exactly she should feel toward her sister. She felt like she was talking to the dumbest woman in the world. She couldn't even comprehend how her sister got the confidence to ask for help from someone they hurt before.
"Look, why don't you just give up the company shares?"
"No! I've had my eyes on it ever since I first started working there. I would not allow all my efforts to be wasted because of that old man!"
"But you know it's fruitless. You slowly gain profits, but the debt interest increases rapidly. You better sell everything now to pay what our grandfather owed. I don't want our children and grandchildren to face debt collectors in the future because you fail to solve this issue."
"Seriously?"
"Do I look like I'm joking right now?" Artemis retorted with obvious displeasure on her face.
Diana closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. She was distraught, but she definitely wanted to keep the company. "I can't. I just can't let go of it. Artemis, I can't survive being poor."
"Cayenne survived it."
"But she's different! She's got Stefan now! She got her vlogging account. She has people who support her!"
"Then, let's start over again. If she can do it, why can't we? Besides, we have our parents now. They found a rewarding job and I can do part-time work, too. We'll be fine without the company and all the other properties."
Artemis thought she was able to convince her sister, but Diana stubbornly refused, "I don't want to."