Diana wanted to keep arguing with Victor, but after hearing Selena''s words and zing around, her gazended on Charlotte''s scornful and disdainful expression. She immediately fell silent.


    This was the same Charlotte who had pped them back in Amberton. The way Natalie pped them now was practically identical to Charlotte''s.


    At that moment, Diana felt the sting on her cheeks all over again.


    Charlotte walked forward, making Diana instinctively shrink back in fear.


    "Ha!" Charlotte let out a mockingugh. This wretched woman-wasn''t she so bold when she was draining Natalie''s blood? So aggressive when she was bullying Natalie? But now, she cowered at the mere sight of her.


    Charlotte stopped a few steps away from Diana, saying nothing, only looking down at the Langley family''s trio with a cold, piercing gaze. Though she didn''t utter a word, her expression seemed to say everything.


    Diana no longer dared to cause a scene. Grabbing Selena''s arm and holding on to Victor''s hand, she scrambled to her feet. Without so much as a nce at the Walkers, the three of them slinked out of the hotel, defeated and humiliated.


    "Honey." William approached Charlotte. "Natalie has finally seen the true colors of the Langley family. She won''t feel any attachment to Grace anymore. Should we move on to the next step of our n?"


    "Of course," Charlotte said with a smile. "Natalie is too kind and soft-hearted. As her parents, it''s up to us to seek justice for her! But there''s no need to rush. After all, cornered dogs can be dangerous. We''ll take our time and enjoy this."


    William chuckled indulgently. "Alright, I''ll do whatever you say."


    Charlotte nced at her phone. "Mason took Nat out shopping. Let''s not bother her with minor things. We''re retired parents now, aren''t we? Since we have the time, we should keep ourselves active. It''s better than sitting around and risking dementia, don''t you think?"


    "You''re absolutely right, Honey," William said with a gentle smile.


    If Natalie had grown up surrounded by love, she would be cheerful, lively, and full of warmth someone who wouldn''t hesitate to wear bright, colorful clothes.


    From the day she was born, William had been devoted to Charlotte and his daughter. He loved his daughter, and he adorned his wife even more.


    Emma, who had reced Natalie in their household, had enjoyed 20 years of love and smooth sailing under their care.


    Thinking about all the affection that should have been their daughter''s—while Natalie had been suffering abuse and having her blood drained by the Langley family-made William clench his teeth in anger.


    He wouldn''t me Emma, the child who had been switched at birth. But he also wouldn''t let the Langley family get away with mistreating his real daughter.


    Everything owed to her-they would take it all back.


    Charlotte and William shared a knowing smile before leaving the hotel together.


    In a private room at the hotel, Hector sat across from Tyler. From his pocket, Hector pulled out a surgical scalpel and a whetstone, cing them on the table. Slowly, he began sharpening the de.


    The scalpel gleamed coldly, its reflection catching Tyler''s pale face.


    Tyler instinctively gripped his chair, his legs trembling uncontrobly. He couldn''t shake the feeling that the man in front of him, smiling faintly, might calmly slide the scalpel into his chest.


    He imagined the de twisting, peeling back his flesh, and the manughing as he held his heart in his hand. The vivid image made Tyler''s body stiffen, beads of cold sweat streaming down his forehead.


    "Are you nervous, Mr. Miller?" Hector asked, casually picking up a bottle of water from the table. He unscrewed the cap, poured some onto the whetstone, and looked up at Tyler with a slight smile. "How''s your rtionship with the Langley family''s true heiress?"


    "Not much of one," Tyler forced out, his voice shaky. "Sir, we don''t have any grievances between us. Could you let me go?"


    "Did you ever hurt Natalie?" Hector''s voice was calm, his smile unchanging. "Mr. Miller, no need to be so nervous. I just want to chat. I''m Natalie''s third brother.


    "I heard you were once Natalie''s fiancé. But after the Langley family found their real daughter, Selena, you ended the engagement with Natalie. Is that true?"


    "It wasn''t me who ended it," Tyler said, his face pale. "I didn''t want to admit it at the time, but Natalie was the one who called it off first.


    "She never liked me at all. We were childhood sweethearts in name only. She cared more about her friend, Olivia Thatcher, the model, than she ever did about me."


    Tyler''s face twisted with pain. "Back when it was the three of us, she''d always find excuses to bring Olivia along. Sometimes, she didn''t even bother making up an excuse.


    "As soon as she heard the Langley family''s real daughter had been found, Natalie showed up at the Millers'' house. She didn''t hesitate—just came right out and made everything crystal clear between us.


    "I hadn''t even gone to the Langleys yet, but she''d already made her stance perfectly clear."


    He paused, his voice trembling as his eyes reddened. "It was humiliating. And it made me furious. How could she just throw away everything between us like it meant nothing? We grew up together—we were childhood sweethearts. Yet, she just let it go."


    "Why? Why does she get to do that?" Tyler''s voice cracked. "It''s not fair. I can''t ept it."


    "Because you wouldn''t ept it, you decided to bully Natalie with Selena, is that it?" Hector asked, his tone still light.


    "I didn''t bully her!" Tyler couldn''t help but raise his voice but immediately shrank back under Hector''s cold, emotionless gaze. Quietly, he added, "I didn''t bully Natalie. I swear."


    "Alright, you can leave," Hector said, putting away the scalpel. His tone was cheerful and apologetic. "It seems I misunderstood you, Mr. Miller. I''m sorry for scaring you."


    Tyler froze in disbelief. "What? You''re letting me off?"


    "Of course," Hector said with a small smile. "Unless, of course, you''d like to stay and share a drink with me?"


    "No, no, no!" Tyler stammered, jumping to his feet. He turned and bolted for the door, knocking over a chair in his haste.


    "Take it easy, Mr. Miller. No one''s chasing you," Hector called after him, his tone pleasant.


    Tyler didn''t respond, stumbling out of the room in panic.


    The moment Tyler was gone, Hector''s smile vanished, reced by a cold, mocking expression. He slipped the scalpel back into his pocket and took out his phone to send a message, "Follow Tyler Miller."


    Grace and her family finally arrived in Amberton at 11:00 pm.


    Diana and Selena kept their faces tightly covered, while Grace sat with her eyes closed, resting. The board meeting she had scheduled earlier in the day would have to wait until morning.


    "Mrs. Langley Senior, Mr. and Mrs. Langley, Ms. Selena," Meredith greeted them, holding an envelope in her hand.


    "This was taken from the mailbox at the door earlier. It''s addressed to you, Mrs. Langley Senior." Meredith said, ncing curiously at Grace.


    Grace had been staying at a nursing home for a while-why had she suddenly returned? And judging by her demeanor, she seemed to be doing just fine now.


    "Bring it to me," Grace said, her eyes flickering open. Age was catching up to her, and the hurried trip back to Amberton had been far lessfortable than the luxurious journey Charlotte had arranged to Dithoria.


    "Yes, Mrs. Langley Senior." Meredith handed the envelope to her.


    Grace opened it and quickly scanned the contents. Her eyes widened in shock, and her fingers trembled uncontrobly as she processed what she was reading.