?Chapter 1686:


    In their circles, N had always been seen as haughty, never one to bow or apologize to anyone. So hearing her admit her faults in such a manner made the elderly onlookers reconsider their initial judgments and sparked their curiosity about Harlee’s identity.


    The voices of those who had earlier chastised Harlee for being too harsh on a repentant N dwindled. They enjoyed their gossip, but they weren’t foolish.


    Harlee’s expression remained impassive as she watched N’s increasingly theatrical disy, finding it more amusing than convincing. Initially, Harlee had thought N was a formidable opponent, but now N seemed rather insignificant. The tactics N had employed in their recent confrontations had been unimpressive.


    Resolved to intensify the challenge, Harlee nned to make things even more difficult for N.


    Under the crowd’s watchful eyes, Harlee took a deliberate step toward N, her expression unreadable as she extended a hand. Almost instinctively, N stepped back.


    Realizing her own reaction might have been too abrupt, N lifted her gaze and nervously smiled at Harlee, saying, “My foot’s just a little numb.”


    Harlee ignored N’s feeble excuse and took another step closer. Without warning, she grasped N’s chin, her touch deliberate and firm. Her expression remained emotionless, and her voice was low and steady.


    “N, don’t bother with these little games in front of me. Has no one ever told you how painfully bad your acting is? Or is it just that the only fools willing to put up with your theatrics are dimwits like Celine?”


    A slow smirk curled at the corner of Harlee’s lips, her gaze dripping with condescending amusement.


    “Tell me, have you convinced yourself I’ll forgive you? How about I kill you first and apologizeter?”


    Harlee spoke thest sentence softly, just loud enough for only N to hear.


    N fought to suppress the resentment rising within her, her fingers digging into her palms as she looked at Harlee. Harlee’s words had almost pushed her to the edge, threatening to shatter her fragileposure. N replied, “Harlee, I know you deeply misunderstand me, but that’s okay. Please tell me what I need to do to make things right. I’ll do whatever it takes if it means our friendship can return to what it was.”


    N had never sunk this low before. When she was friends with Harlee, she always maintained an air of superiority despite her overwhelming insecurities. She had never been so humbled, never allowed herself to appear weak in front of others. But now, her mentality was slowly contorting, twisting in a way she couldn’t stop.


    Simply killing Harlee was no longer enough to quench the raging inferno of hatred burning within N. N wanted to shred Harlee’s tendons, y the skin from her bones, and force her to watch as the people she held dear were thrown into a boiling cauldron—only to then make her consume their flesh. N wanted Harlee to die in unimaginable agony.


    Standing across from N, Harlee merely lifted her delicate eyebrows, her lips curling into a light, indifferent smile. It was as though she were looking at an insect.


    That subtle smile at the corner of Harlee’s mouth was like a de twisting in N’s gut, filling her with the urge to rip her apart on the spot.


    The next moment, Harlee spoke slowly.


    “You are willing to do whatever it takes, right? Since you put it that way, I want you to…”


    N’s breath hitched. Her eyes, unable to mask the flood of resentment within them, flickered with unmistakable shock. What game was Harlee ying now? She didn’t believe for a second that Harlee would surrender, but for the sake of the mission, she feigned surprise and asked, “What do you want me to do?”


    Harlee’s gaze locked onto N’s hypocritical eyes, and she curled her lips. With a voice devoid of any warmth, she replied, “I want you to kneel here for three hours.”


    The words struck N like a lightning bolt, even though she had steeled herself mentally. The crowd’s reaction was immediate—eyes bulged in shock, as if they might pop right out of their sockets. Had this woman really just called for Errol’s most beloved granddaughter to kneel and apologize? In public? This was going too far, right?


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