It was clear that Penelope believed Elizabeth had no intention of truly confessing or showing any remorse. She impatiently turned toward Derek.


    "Just spit it out already, Derek. Just looking at her gives me a headache!"


    Derek had originally wanted to give Elizabeth a chance to admit her mistakes and show some remorse, maybe even earn forgiveness from Anneliese.


    But watching Elizabeth''s evasive and uncooperative attitude, he decided not to drag things out and went straight to the point.


    Long story short, Elizabeth and Keh had each lived their own lives, carrying on affairs outside their marriage. Gerard Dargan was Elizabeth''s lover.


    The two had lived together overseas for more than a year—until the Hoff family''s business ran into trouble and faced bankruptcy. Elizabeth naturally lost her funding. Unable to support Gerard any longer, and fearing that she would lose her privileged life if her family fell from power, she immediately ended things with Gerard and rushed back, hoping to salvage her marriage.


    Who would have thought that Keh would continue fooling around during what was supposed to be a family trip? Elizabeth drank heavily that night. Her frustration steadily building, she inadvertently contacted Gerard again once she arrived home.


    To her surprise, Gerard had also returned to the country. He rushed to the vi as soon as he received her phone call, that same night.


    She quietly snuck him into the vi through a window, and they had a secret rendezvous in the dead of night. But in the midst of their passionate encounter, she discovered he had deceived her.


    It turned out he never actually loved her. It wasn''t because he couldn''t forget her that he chased her across the entire ocean. Even the story about secretly following their family on their trip to Baytree, heartbroken as he watched them trying to repair their marriage, was fake.


    The truth was that he had been drowning in massive debt, cornered by debt collectors, and she was the only lifeline he could grasp.


    He was only trying to trick and persuade her into giving him money. When she realized the truth, she immediately turned on him and kicked him out.


    After their falling out, Gerard left the vi. But heter snuck back into the vi, nning to switch targets and kidnap Jonathan instead.


    Before he could act, however, he overheard Elizabeth on the phone, arranging for someone to quietly get rid of him.


    Enraged, he set fire to the vi, intending to burn her to death, along with her entire family.


    When Elizabeth discovered the fire engulfing the vi, she instinctively suspected that it had something to do with Gerard.


    Her instincts kicked in, propelling her to get away as quickly as possible.


    She escaped the vi, terrified that Keh and Jonathan had already perished in the fire—and that she wouldn''t be able to exin herself to the family. Even more frightening was the thought that Gerard was still nearby, waiting toe after her.


    It wasn''t until she reached the foot of the hill that she gradually came to her senses again. She also realized that running away would only make her look even more suspicious, so she turned around and went back to the vi.


    After listening to the entire story, Anneliese stared at Elizabeth with cold, cutting eyes. Her gaze was filled with undisguised loathing, hatred, and pure contempt.


    What kind of woman was this to think only of sneaking off to meet her lover while travelling with her child?


    If that wasn''t bad enough, after enraging her lover, and knowing full well that he had started the fire in retaliation, her first thought wasn''t even to save her own son, butte save herself and cover her tracks absolving herself of any involvement in the incident.


    By the time Derek finished exining, even someone as morally bankrupt as Elizabeth could no longer hold her head up. She simply stood there stiffly, surrounded by a deathly stillness.


    "What a sin!"


    On the other hand, Penelope was so furious that her chest heaved violently. She suddenly snatched the ashtray off the coffee table and hurled it at Elizabeth.


    But her aim was poor. The ashtray smashed onto the floor, right in front of Elizabeth, missing herpletely.


    "Ah!"


    Even so, Elizabeth screamed in fright. She tried to dodge the ashtray flying at her; but her legs went weak. She copsed to the ground, her e shards


    right hand pressing onto


    of broken ss scattered across the floor. Blood immediately flowed out.


    The moment Jonathan noticed Penelope grabbing for the ashtray, he wrapped his arms around Anneliese and pulled her close. Then, he turned sideways, shielding her from any flying fragments with his broad shoulders and back.


    He anxiously asked, "Are you hurt?"


    Lifting her head from his chest, Anneliese gently shook her head.


    Having acted out of anger earlier, Penelope quickly realized how inappropriate her behavior had been. She could''ve hurt the others, too.


    She immediately turned her attention toward Anneliese. "Did that scare you, Anne?"


    Anneliese hurriedly shook her head in response. Slipping away from Jonathan''s embrace, she walked over to Penelope''s side. Penelope was flushed with anger, but herplexion was pale, and her chest heaved violently.


    "Grandma, it''s been so many years... What''s done is done; it can''t be changed. Anneliese gentlyforted the older woman. "Just knowing that the truth has finallye to light is a sce itself so


    please don''t be so angry. It''s not worth hurting your healthover such things."


    Seeing how Anneliese could stillfort her at such a moment, Penelope felt her


    eyes reddening.


    She gripped Anneliese''s hand tightly, her voice trembling.