?Chapter 1404:


    He could tell she had her reasons for staying quiet, and he wasn’t about to push her. When the time came, she’d reveal the truth herself. Still, he couldn’t help but hope her silence wasn’t a mask for hardship—that she wasn’t quietly suffering without their knowledge.


    “Of course,” Christina said with a bright smile. “I used to have no one and had to shoulder everything alone. But now I have all of you—my family. If anything happens, or if anyone dares to bully me, you’ll be the first ones I turn to. I’ll count on you to stand up for me.”


    At her words, the three brothers smiled, warmth filling their eyes. There was pride there too—an unspoken vow that no one would ever hurt her again. Still, Gerry couldn’t help the small, awkward grin tugging at his lips as he remembered just how fierce his sister truly was. When trouble arose, he honestly didn’t know who would end up protecting whom, because Christina was nothing short of formidable.


    They all wanted to shield her, to stand in front of her when danger came, but the truth was—it was never easy. She rarely gave them the chance, always stepping in first and handling everything herself. Every time they thought about how resilient she was, their hearts ached. They couldn’t help but picture the struggles she must have faced alone.


    She should have lived as a cherished princess, surrounded by love andfort, yet life had forced her to fight, to harden herself, to survive through pain and loss.


    Each time those thoughts returned, so did the quiet resolve—to make it up to her somehow. To give her the warmth and protection she had always deserved but never received.


    Two weeks passed.


    The inte was on fire—news broke that the Lloyd family’s entire underground empire had been wiped out overnight. When Ynda saw the reports, cold sweat ran down her spine before she let out a shaky sigh of relief.


    Thank God she’d talked Brendon out of working with Darian back then.


    In just a few short weeks, every shady business connected to the Lloyds had crumbled. Not a single one survived.


    Relief came with a sting of anger.


    gα?ησν????s, the ce for amazing tales


    She had thought Christina would be dragged into the chaos, maybe even ruined—or worse, dead. But no. Christina came out spotless, untouchable.


    Meanwhile, every member of the Lloyd family was thrown in prison, sentenced to death. Their ending couldn’t have been uglier.


    Christina, on the other hand, was skilled, untouchable, and, apparently, the luckiest woman alive.


    Ynda’s stomach churned with jealousy. Why did Christina get everything?


    If she’d had just one of Christina’s talents—just a bit of that luck—she could’ve crushed her easily.


    She scrolled through her phone, the headlines about the Lloyds shing before her eyes.


    Then something else caught her attention. A new trending topic—”Christina, the Cultural Relic Restorer.” Her finger hovered, then tapped.


    It was about Christina again. Of course it was.


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