Elijah''s pnded hard. The moment it struck, Lucy''s cheek swelled up instantly.


    Though she had been living abroad for years, she had always enjoyed a life of luxury. Her face was the most well-maintained part of her body.


    Elijah''s p made her let out a piercing scream.


    "Shut the fuck up." Elijah sneered, still fuming with anger. Without hesitation, he struck her again. Now, both sides of her face were evenly swollen.


    "Lucy, what exactly did you do to ruin my father back then?"


    Elijah''s chest tightened with fury as he thought about the cruel scheme Lucy and Cassie had orchestrated. Because of them, he and Noah had spent years growing up without their parents. The very thought of it made his heart ache.


    "Elijah, stop wasting time with useless questions." Noah stepped forward. "Step outside. I''ll handle this."


    "Noah, I''m mad," Elijah admitted. A man as rugged and tough as he was, who had always been quick with harsh words, now found himself at a loss for them. Looking at Lucy, he had no desire to scold her and only wanted to beat her to death.


    He growled, "Let me have a go at her!"


    "Get out." Noah''s voice turned cold as he shot Elijah a re.


    Elijah had no choice but to nod. "Fine."


    "Noah, if you need someone to do the hitting, just call me."


    "I will."


    Elijah left the room, and Noah turned on the television. Connecting it to his phone, he began casting a video onto the screen.


    The footage showed Natalie treating Laura, revealing the horrifying substances Laura had vomited out during the process.


    Noah''s expression remained impassive as he spoke. "What Elijah made you drink just now is the very same thing Mrs. Holden threw up.


    "Lucy, if you have any sense, you''ll start talking. You should know better than anyone what this stuff is. You probably don''t care now since you''ve lived a good life long enough. But what about Jessy?"


    Noah wasn''t one to resort to violence like Elijah. But he knew how to strike where it hurt.


    Someone like Lucy, who had spent her life infort, would not be shaken by mere beatings or insults.


    But what if the person she cared about the most had to suffer through the same tormenting poison?


    "I doubt you''d want Jessy to go through this kind of pain."


    Noah''s voice was slow and deliberate. "Others might think Jessy is your niece, but


    in truth, she''s your daughter, isn''t she?


    "Cassie left Jessy in Dithoria City not to take care of her but to use her as leverage to control you. Am I wrong?


    "Lucy, you''re not young anymore. You''ve had your time and enjoyed everything life has to offer. Whether you live or die probably doesn''t matter much to you now. But tell me why should Mrs. Holden suffer all these years while you get to meet a peaceful end?


    "The poison in Mrs. Holden''s body isn''t fatal, but it''s a slow, endless torture,sting for decades." Noah''s eyes gleamed darkly. "Jessy is even younger than Mrs. Holden was back then. Isn''t it only fair that she carries your debt?"


    "Don''t you dare! Jessy knows nothing about any of this! She''s innocent, so leave her out of this!"


    Lucy panicked. "And she isn''t my daughter. You''re mistaken!"


    "Mistaken? If she''s not your daughter, then what Mr. Holden has prepared for her


    to eat, drink, and use has nothing to do with you, does it?"


    Noah smirked. "I''ll give you one chance, Lucy. Think carefully about whether you''re going to spill it."


    With that, he yed another video on his phone.


    These recordings had been sent to Marcus by Natalie. She had recorded everything while treating Laura so Marcus could see. Later she had deleted some to protect Laura''s privacy, keeping only the crucial footage.


    Now, as the images flickered on the screen, Lucy''s face drained of color.


    "Lucy, think it through. I''m giving you exactly five minutes." Noah sat by the window, pushing it open as his deep gaze drifted outside.


    "Don''t hurt Jessy." Lucy fell to her knees, her entire body trembling. She mumbled under her breath.


    "Don''t hurt Jessy. I''ll tell you everything I know, as long as you swear not to touch her."


    Tears started streaming down her face uncontrobly. "Jessy knows nothing. She''s done nothing wrong. Please, please tell Marcus not to harm her.


    "I''ll take the poison Laura had in her body if that''s what it takes." Her voice was hoarse. "But this has nothing to do with Jessy. Promise me you won''t touch her, and I''ll tell you everything."


    Lucy lifted her head to look at Noah. "I can''t say it out loud-give me a pen and paper, and I''ll write it down."


    "Fine." Noah got up, retrieved a pen and paper, and tossed them in front of her. "Lucy, you let down my parents, my brother, and me.


    "Not to mention the Holden family, who paid you handsomely to work for them. Mrs. Holden never did anything to you, yet you chose to be Cassie''s aplice. Do you think Cassie would have spared end?


    you in the


    MS


    "You''d do better to consider your options. Perhaps, with Mrs. Holden, you might


    still have a sliver of hope to survive."


    Noah left the room after throwing down those words, delivering both threat and persuasion.


    Elijah was waiting outside. The moment he saw Noah step out, he immediately asked, "Noah, did that crazy woman spill it?"


    "She said she''d write it down. I gave her a pen and paper." Noah let out a slow breath. "Elijah, where do you think our father is now? And where did Mom go after they were separated?"


    Elijah shook his head. "I don''t know. I may be older than you, but I barely remember anything from our childhood.


    "If Dad told us to serve Mr. Holden and gave us the identities of orphans, he must have had his reasons. All we need to do is follow the path he set for us. Besides, has Mr. Holden ever mistreated us?"


    Noah shook his head. "No. Mr. Holden has always been good to us. That''s why you get away with having such a sharp tongue. You insult people as you please, but you''ve never been punished."


    Elijahughed. "Exactly! As long as Mr. Holden and Mr. Holden Senior treat us well, what does it matter who we work for? We''re just doing our duty, and working for Mr. Holden


    is a thousand times better than


    being just any ordinary staff member!"


    Noah was left speechless.


    "Noah, you don''t disagree, do you?"


    "You''re right. You''re always right." Noah didn''t want to argue. His mind was preupied with whether or not Lucy would reveal anything about their parents.


    "I''m going back in." Noah turned and pushed the door open, striding into the


    room.


    But before he could even reach Lucy, his eyes widened in shock.


    Right in front of him, on the table,y a sheet of paper with only a few words scrawled across it.


    Lucy had stabbed a dagger into her own chest. Blood pooled around her body, and she was no longer breathing.


    He stepped forward, and his gazended on the paper. The title read "Will", with


    the word "Suicide" clearly written on it.


    "Elijah, Lucy is dead."