?Chapter 266:


    Hailee tried to convince herself her eyes were ying tricks on her. Maybe it was just the fatigue. Maybe her brain had conjured up a cruel illusion, something born from stress and overthinking. None of it could possibly be real. Gripping tightly to that illusion, she shoved the phone back into Elliana’s hand without looking and turned her back. “Elliana, I’m dead tired. I need sleep. We’ll talkter.”


    Not saying a word, Elliana simply watched her.


    As Hailee moved to leave, Elliana caught her wrist. “Hailee, don’t run from this,” she said quietly. “Pretending it didn’t happen won’t fix anything. You swore you’d face it—no matter what.”


    Before watching that footage, Hailee had been exhausted, but she’d still carried a fire. She’d gritted her teeth and marched forward, fueled by love and stubborn hope. But now, all of that was gone. Her face had gone colorless. Her posture sagged. Something inside her had gone silent.


    “I’m not running away,” Hailee whispered, her eyes averted. “I just… I just need to lie down.”


    She made another move toward the door.


    But Elliana yanked Hailee back, harder this time. Her fingers dug in, pinching Hailee’s wrist with sharp intent. “Do you feel that? That sting?”


    Hailee flinched, her face tightening as fresh tears spilled over—but they had nothing to do with the throbbing pain in her wrist. It was heartbreak, raw and jagged, ripping through her chest and leaving her breathless. Still, even now, denial was her armor. She forced herself to look away, her voice barely above a whisper. “Elliana, what is all this? Why are you showing me this nonsense? I have too much on my te to watch dramas with you. Watch them on your own.”


    With a quiet sigh, Elliana eased Hailee down onto the sofa, her movements gentle, almost motherly. “Hailee, I get it. I know you’re hurting. It’s easier not to believe it—but you need to see the truth for yourself.”


    Elliana angled her phone so Hailee couldn’t look away from the screen. Pointing at Boris’ image, she said, “This scumbag who conned you into almost giving up your kidney? His name is indeed Boris. But he’s not some pitiful orphan—he’s the Craig family’s heir. He’s been lying to you from the start.”


    Hailee remained frozen, her entire body stiff, her gaze empty and unfocused as she stared straight ahead.


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    Elliana watched her carefully and then pressed on, her voice low and careful. “You’ve heard of the Craig family in Ublento, right?”


    Hailee’s head moved in a slow, numb denial. The name “Craig” meant nothing to her—she couldn’t recall meeting a single person by that surname.


    Elliana drew in a steadying breath and stated, her tone gentle but unyielding, “The Craig family is one of the six most powerful in Ublento. They’ve been allied with the Evans family for years. With the Evans family’s protection, the Craig family’s business soared—now they’re a billion-dor empire. Boris isn’t just anyone, Hailee. He’s their firstborn. The heir of the Craig family.”


    Elliana pronounced every word with care, as if the truth were a stone she hated to throw, but she feltpelled to let Hailee know Boris’ true identity.


    Hailee’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked up at Elliana, her gaze dazed and unfocused. The Boris Elliana described felt impossibly distant, a stranger from a world she had never even glimpsed. She was just a woman scraping by. The circles of power in Ublento—the elite families, their secretive alliances—felt as unreachable as the moon.


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