Chapter 191 — Under William's Influence, Fiona Chooses to Yield
"You apologizing doesn't mean I have to accept it, Fiona."
Lip's tone was stubborn as ever.
That alone nearly set Fiona off again.
But then she remembered what William had told her—
So she forced it down.
"…Then what would it take for you to accept it?"
She spoke as calmly as she possibly could, even though the anger was still simmering underneath.
Lip frowned, clearly puzzled.
This wasn't like her at all.
"The fuck? You sick or something? Or dying?" he said, staring at her in disbelief.
He took another drag from his cigarette, holding onto it until the burning tip nearly scorched his fingers, only then reluctantly tossing the spent butt aside.
"I'm perfectly fine," Fiona replied evenly. "So why aren't you answering my question? What—scared? Or just too weak to say it?"
She was following exactly what William had taught her—
Push him.
Use provocation.
And it worked.
Lip's expression immediately sharpened.
"Unless you agree to my terms, I'm not coming back. And school? Same thing. No deal unless you agree."
Even as he said it, part of him felt ashamed.
Like he was lowering himself.
But these past two days had taught him something—
You couldn't raise a kid on handouts and charity scraps.
So making some kind of compromise with Fiona… was necessary.
"What are you saying?" Fiona stared at him. "You want me to raise your kid for you?"
"No. I don't need that," Lip shook his head. "I just need you to stop forcing me to go to college."
"I'll finish high school. I promise."
"And Sniqua's baby stays."
He had backed down—slightly.
At least he wasn't dropping out entirely.
But this still wasn't what Fiona wanted.
Not even close.
Yet—
William's words echoed in her mind again.
He's just a kid. Agree for now. He'll regret it later.
Fiona let out a long breath.
"…Fine. I agree."
She gave in.
Just like that.
Because in her mind, this wasn't the end—
Just a delay.
Someday, Lip would realize his mistake.
And when that time came—
She'd push him back onto the right path.
Yes—whether Lip wanted it or not, he was going to college eventually.
If he never saw how normal people actually lived, how could he ever realize just how foolish he'd been?
Hearing Fiona agree so easily, Lip's eyes widened.
He stood up and walked right up to her, studying her face like he was trying to spot a fake.
"Holy shit… you sure you don't have a fever?" he said, disbelief written all over him.
For a moment, he genuinely wondered if his sister had been replaced.
And the more he reacted like this—
The more Fiona felt he was nothing but an ungrateful bastard.
Not worth all the effort William had put into helping him.
Sometimes, resentment doesn't come all at once.
It builds—bit by bit.
And right now, the seed of a complete fallout between Fiona and Lip had already been planted.
All it would take was a few more conflicts…
A few more pushes—
Until Fiona truly believed Lip was hopeless.
Then everything would fall into place.
"I'm fine," Fiona said flatly. "Now get back home."
"I won't interfere in your choices anymore. But like you said—finish high school."
"As for that baby? Do whatever you want."
"Just don't come asking me for formula money."
She was following William's script almost word for word—
Saying things she normally never would.
And it worked.
Lip was thrilled.
For the first time, he even felt a hint of gratitude toward her.
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"…Thanks."
Hearing that, Fiona felt something twist inside her.
So this—
This was what it took for him to say thank you?
It felt… pathetic.
Everything she had done for him—
And only now did he show even a sliver of appreciation.
For a moment, she felt it wasn't worth it at all.
But that sense of responsibility—the role she had carried for years—
Wouldn't let her walk away.
No matter how uncomfortable it felt,
She still reached out and patted his shoulder.
"Go home."
"But Ian's situation isn't over. No matter what—I won't let him go to war and risk his life for a country that doesn't deserve it."
On that point—
Lip actually agreed.
He nodded.
"Yeah. I'll talk to him."
With Sniqua's issue settled, Lip was in a good mood.
Even if he didn't fully agree, he wasn't about to argue with Fiona now.
Just like that—
Fiona coaxed him into going home.
Watching the siblings reconcile, William leaned against his AMG and smiled.
No way he was letting Lip slip away that easily.
Who else would he mess with otherwise?
Meanwhile, in another part of the city—
Inside a luxury hotel room, Ian slowly woke up.
His head was still spinning.
He had no idea how much powder he'd been fed the night before.
Looking around—
There were over a dozen people scattered across the room.
Some half-dressed.
Some completely naked.
Ian pressed a hand to his forehead and stood up unsteadily.
He searched around for his clothes, found them, and got dressed.
At first, he planned to just leave.
But when his eyes fell on the pile of clothes around the room—
A thought crept in.
He glanced again at the people still unconscious or asleep.
Then quietly walked over to a couch and picked up a random pair of pants.
He slipped his hand into the pocket.
A wallet.
Inside—just under a thousand dollars.
Ian couldn't help but mutter to himself—
Rich people really were on another level.
These were all people he'd met at the gay club the night before.
And somehow, knowing how wealthy they were made the guilt disappear completely.
He took all the cash and stuffed it into his own pocket.
Then glanced at the ID inside the wallet.
"Ned Lishman…"
An attending surgeon.
Ian shook his head.
Even people from the upper class… got mixed up with guys like him.
He glanced toward the man on the floor—
Last night, those two had been the wildest.
After a moment, Ian put the wallet back into the pants.
No hesitation.
Then turned and walked out of the luxury hotel room.
With money in his pocket—
That gnawing anxiety finally eased.
But…
He still didn't know where to go.
Mickey?
Terry would probably kill him.
Kash?
He didn't even want to think about that.
Even though Linda still let him work at the store—
Kash's attitude had completely changed.
Especially after catching him and Mickey together.
"…Hey. You Ian Gallagher?"
Just as Ian stood there, unsure of his next move—
A van suddenly pulled up beside him.
A Black man wearing a beanie leaned out and called his name.
Caught off guard, Ian instinctively nodded.
"…Yeah. That's me."
"Who are you?"
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