L''s face went cold as she raised a hand to push Darcy away, but Dorian


    stepped in first, yanking Darcy back and shielding L behind him. "Darcy, you''re stepping more and more out of line."


    L looked at her arm, which was red and hurting from being gripped.


    Darcy''s face only revealed her shock. "Dorian, you already broke up with her, yet you still-"


    Before she could finish, Dorian''s crisp p to her face resounded.


    Zara gasped in disbelief. "Dorian..."


    L paused briefly, her gaze lifting slightly to Dorian''s back. She couldn''t see his expression, but his anger was unmistakable.


    He had always been protective of his family. Despite knowing how ridiculous Darcy could be, he rarely ever got angry at her.


    L suddenly recalled the time she''d given Darcy a set of LovingBird earrings. Darcy had openly shown her disdain for it in front of L and evenined to Dorian over the phone, iming that L looked down on her and only gave her cheap gifts.


    Dorian had listened to Darcyin over the phone for a long while, irritation etched across his face, but he still ended the call by sending her 20 thousand dors through his assistant.


    L had been beside him then, hearing every word. After hanging up, he''d pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck with a weary sigh. "L, I''m sorry you have to put up with this."


    "I know Darcy''s in the wrong, but my uncle''s family is all I have left. Without him, who knows where I''d be now? Just bear with it a bit longer, okay? When Darcy graduates, I''ll make sure she''s somewhere far away, so she won''t bother you again."


    He''d spoken with such sincerity that L couldn''t bring herself to me him.


    Time and again, he had repeatedly mediated their arguments, justifying Darcy''s actions until things eventually died out. She never imagined the day when Dorian would lose his temper with Darcy, though she never supported the idea of violence.


    Darcy reacted quickly and burst into loud sobs. "Dorian, we''re family! And you hit me over some outsider? All these years, if it weren''t for our family, do you think you''d have been able to go to university? How could you do this? Aren''t you ashamed of yourself for betraying my dad like this?"


    Her words made Dorian''s face darken instantly. His parents had died in a car crash during his high school years. They''d left enough for him to finish his education, and since he was underage, his uncle and aunt had managed the money. Once he entered university, he''d begun working part-time and hadn''t taken a penny from his uncle.


    Instead, he''d been sending money to his uncle''s family for years. So, what debt did he still owe them? He could treat that family well by choice, but he would not let Darcy trample all over him.


    Zara noticed Darcy''s rage building and quickly tried to calm her down. "Darcy, calm down. Dorian appreciates his uncle''s support, but he also helped your family a lot over the years. You''re all family. It''s not about owing anyone anything."


    Darcy''s eyes widened in anger, and her voice intensified. "We''re family, so of course Dorian should give me money. What has it got to do with my father''s care for him?"


    Her temper red up so much that she didn''t notice Dorian''s expression getting colder. She pushed Zara away, her heavy eyeliner running alongside her tears, making her face appear more unsightly.


    "Darcy, you shouldn''t say that..."


    Darcy pointed at her furiously. "Whose side are you on? I did all of this for you! Don''t you dare be ungrateful!"


    Darcy seethed inside. Even Zara, who usually coddled her, wasn''t backing her up and instead med her. Zara cursed inwardly, wondering who asked this idiot for help. To her, Darcy was a useless piece of garbage that only caused trouble.


    The perfect setup was ruined by Darcy''s interference, effectively worsening the situation.