As Grace spoke, she broke into frightened sobs, covering her face with both hands as her body trembled uncontrobly.


    "I was truly afraid. Megan was just a baby when she was taken from me. Outsiders thought that I, the old woman of the Langley family, was strong enough to lead thepany from a small business to the top, making us the wealthiest family in Amberton.


    "But that wasn''t the case. I had some skill, but in the business world of Amberton back then, there were countless men far more capable than me.


    "I had someone supporting me from behind the scenes. That''s the only reason I rose so smoothly. At the same time, I was merely a puppet. Every major decision I made, every project I took on, was guided by that person.


    "That person invested in Langley Group, provided us with projects, and turned the Langley family into the richest household in Amberton. I knew my own limitations and saw that Natalie was highly intelligent, so I began grooming her early on.


    "When she was capable of handling things on her own, I orchestrated a car ident. Through that ident, I faked amnesia and pretended to have the mind of a child.


    "I transferred my shares to Natalie early on. First, I hoped she would protect Langley Group for me. Second, I feared that if anything happened to me, that person might do something beyond my expectations.


    "Natalie''s biological parents were William and Charlotte, and the Walker family was the wealthiest in the country. I assumed they would have the means to protect their daughter."


    "I only felt at ease with the shares in Natalie''s hands. But I never expected Victor to put Natalie''s information on the family searchwork after Selena returned, allowing the Walker family to find her ahead of time.


    "I also never expected Natalie to overhear my conversation with Victor, causing her to lose all trust in me. She no longer acknowledged me as her grandma and ceased to care about Langley Group.


    "She returned the shares, which meant she no longer cared whether Langley Group survived or not. Walter was someone she brought into the Langley family, supporting him with her own allowance. He was skilled and resourceful, but his loyalty was to Natalie.


    "Everyone I carefully nurtured eventually abandoned me.


    "I wanted to protect Langley Group because I intended to leave it to my biological daughter. Victor had no talent for business, and Selena was nothing more than a short-sighted lunatic. I would never let either of them take Langley Group or the Langley family.


    "But I was wrong again. Victor discovered he wasn''t my biological son. Selena was taken away and sold because I despised Diana."


    Grace sobbed so hard she could barely speak. "Now, the three of them are determined to destroy what they cannot have.


    "I am old. I don''t even know if I will ever see my real daughter again. It was that woman''s doing. She forced me. She chose me to carry out her orders. I am innocent. Innocent."


    As she wept, her voice suddenly grew shrill.


    "I was forced into this. I had no choice. Why does everyone hate me? Why does no one see things from my perspective? Why, why?"


    Hector wanted to roll his eyes. Grace was painting herself as the victim, but that didn''t erase the countless sins she hadmitted. No matter how much she made herself pitiful or helpless Hector felt no sympathy for her.


    "Mrs. Langley Senior, you have been talking for so long, but you have yet to provide any real information. You keep mentioning that woman without providing a single detail. What does she look like? What is her background? Why did she


    orchestrate all of this? You haven''t said a single answer."


    Hector cut her off. "Mrs. Langley Senior, I believe you are fabricating a story. You are creating an imaginary figure just to shift all your sins onto her. Do you think iming maniption will absolve you?


    "Did that woman force you to have your brother sell Selena? Did she make you drain my sister''s blood? Did she instruct you to send my sister to seduce Marcus?


    "I suggest you see a psychologist. Stop pushing all the me onto others and


    take a moment to reflect on how twisted and vicious your own mind is.


    "I used to think Selena was cruel, but now I see that you forced her into bing that way. If Selena hadn''t been ruthless and maniptive, would she have survived long enough to return to her real parents?


    "Looking back, it is fortunate that Victor wasn''t your biological son. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have put my sister''s information on the family searchwork the moment Selena returned home."


    Hector''s expression darkened. "Mrs. Langley Senior, after all that talk, I have only one question for you. What was that woman''s true goal? If you cannot answer, then everything you have said is just a lie.


    "When I think about how my sister suffered in the Langley family, only to be expected to respect and be grateful to you, it makes me want to strangle you."


    Hector was so furious he nearly lost control.


    Grace froze, staring at Hector''s grim expression, then at Natalie, who was still on the phone nearby. For a moment, her mind wentpletely nk. She didn''t know what to say anymore.


    "I don''t believe anyone would be so petty as to orchestrate such an borate scheme over two decades just to alter the lives of my sister Selena and Emma. Was it really all to make Laura suffer from poison for so many years?


    "Grace, I have been calling you ''Mrs. Langley Senior'' out of respect for your age, but don''t take us for fools."


    Hector stood up. "I think you''re simply refusing to acknowledge your crimes, so you invented this story to shift all the me onto a woman who cannot be found.


    "If that woman chose you and made you carry out so many tasks, then you should have had at least some insight into her ns. But you have revealed nothing. Your story may sound well-crafted, but there is no proof.


    "As for your biological daughter, who has seen her? Everything you im rests on


    nothing but your own words. Why should we believe you?


    "Selena was too merciful to you. She should have sold you off as well, so you could experience that pain firsthand."


    Hector''s anger was uncontroble. Compared to Selena''s obvious madness and


    cruelty, he found Grace far more terrifying.


    Harboring such deep malice toward a newborn baby, how could she ever be expected to treat someone else''s child well?


    "Everything you imed to feel for my sister was a lie. You fooled my sister, and you even deceived my mother. Grace, you are the most terrifying one of all."