Chapter 34 Shifting Power Finished Well , if that guy dared to lay hands on such a beautiful woman , he deserved what came to him . Claudia slept soundly through the night . But for others , their world had turned upside down . In the morning , she received a strange text from Mandy . She was testing the waters . " Ms. Lancaster , have you run into anyone lately ? " Claudia frowned , confused . " No , not really ." Mandy chuckled on the other end . " Oh , nothing . I just wanted you to know - Quade won't bother you anymore . My family's sending him overseas ." Of course , " overseas " was just another word for exile . Without the Zimmer family's influence and endless pocket money , Quade's life abroad was going to be miserable . He was spoiled by luxury - he wouldn't last long without it . And being pushed out of the power circle was basically a death sentence . Walter only had a few years left , and Quade hadn't even managed to win favor while his grandfather was still alive . When Walter passed , who would even remember him ? Mandy's eyes turned toward another cousin . She smiled slightly at him . Her only competition , Gabriel Zimmer , the only male heir of the third generation , shivered in fear . When the news first broke - that Quade had been beaten , hospitalized , and humiliated with scandalous photos - he was thrilled . With Quade gone , wouldn't he be the last male heir standing ? Eager to impress Walter , he swallowed his disgust and pretended to care . He ran around " helping " his cousin , acting like the perfect supportive brother . He even spoke up on Quade's behalf , pretending to fight for justice . Quade insisted through gritted teeth that it was just an accident . But anyone could see there was more to the story . 1/3 20:05 Wed , Oct 8 Chapter 34 taufter thewor Gabriel wanted to expose him anyway . At first , Walter seemed pleased . He even scolded Mandy for covering things up . But then a single phone call changed everything . The old man stormed into Quade's hospital room , slapped him hard , and yelled at him for causing trouble that dragged the whole family down . Gabriel , who had stirred things up , got no sympathy either . He seethed inside . Mandy had been surprised too , but she quickly shifted gears . She acted like she knew exactly who Quade had offended and that she'd tried to stop her grandfather from lashing out . In truth , she hadn't even played her cards yet . Claudia had cleared the way for Mandy , and she wasn't about to let her get dragged into the mess . Surprisingly , Claudia had someone backing him out . She took full advantage , borrowing the power of the moment with confidence . Her calm , assured smile made Gabriel uneasy . He began to wonder if Mandy had some powerful figure backing her . Gabriel even suspected maybe the whole thing with Quade was a trap she had set . If Quade had fallen , would he be next ? Word spread that the friends who had gone drinking with Quade last night ended up in the hospital with him . They woke up today to find their families facing sudden financial crises . Those hospital rooms they stayed in felt as heavy as funeral homes . Gabriel's grand ambitions collapsed in an instant . His confidence wavered . Meanwhile , Claudia had no idea any of this was happening behind the scenes . If she did , she would have gladly helped Mandy tighten her grip on power . Instead , she got a call from Wilson that morning . " Claudia ! What did you do this time ? What did Quade ever do to you ? You already put him in 2/3 20:05 Wed , Oct 8 Chapter 34 Shifting Power the hospital , and you still won't let it go ? " 20 Finished Quade had always kissed up to Lydia , so in front of Claudia's adoptive parents , he looked like the perfect gentleman . To them , Quade - spoiled and entitled as he was - seemed far more reliable than Claudia . So when Lydia claimed Claudia had beaten Quade into the hospital , Wilson nearly had a stroke . " You're coming with me to his house to apologize ! " After all , the Lancasters still had business with the Zimmers . And the Zimmers were an old , established family - far more rooted and powerful than the Lancasters , who hadn't been rich for more than three generations . Send Gifts 10 3/3 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!