Anneliese looked at Nishay with hopeful eyes. In truth, she hadn''t expected her


    desperate plea to work at all-yet, to her astonishment, Nishay slowly reached out a trembling hand toward her.


    "You want to give him a chance?" she said quietly. "Fine. Then, I''ll give him that chance. Help me sit up."


    Anneliese froze for several seconds before quickly rushing forward to support her. Her heart pounded. She insisted, "Grandma, are you serious? Or are you just saying that tofort me?"


    Something about Nishay''s attitude tonight felt strange-unsettlingly calm.


    She had been fully prepared for an explosion of anger after being caught sneaking around with Jonathan.


    Instead of fury, Nishay was instead talking about giving him a chance.


    Once Nishay was sitting upright, Annelise carefully propped a pillow behind her back. She patted the edge of the bed.


    Anneliese sat down beside her with lingering unease.


    After a long silence, she spoke, her voice low and heavy. "Do you think I''ve been unreasonable all these years? Too harsh and too heartless?"


    Anneliese shook her head immediately. "No, Grandma. I know you''ve never been able to let go of what happened to Dad."


    She slowly shook her head. "What if I told you that the real person responsible for your father''s death has never been brought to justice?"


    Anneliese''s body stiffened. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the bedsheet.


    "What do you mean?" she asked softly. "Haven''t you always believed it was all because of Jonathan? That''s why you refused to ept him and hated him."


    A coldugh slipped from Nishay''s lips. "He was at fault. That night, your father could have escaped safely. He had already carried Jonathan out of the fire. But Jonathan told him that there were still people trapped inside the vi. Your father handed him over to Mr. Belmort without hesitation and rushed back in."


    Her voice trembled slightly. "And then the explosion happened. The only one who died was your father. There wasn''t a single other person inside that fire. Tell me— how could I not hate him? If he hadn''t said those words, would your father have thrown his own life away?"


    Anneliese''s hands twisted together tightly, her chest aching as if something were strangling her heart.


    She had been too young back then.


    No one had ever told her the truth.


    She never knew things had happened this way. The thought that my father might still be alive-if not for that one sentence...


    No. I can''t let myself sink into Grandma''s hatred. I can''t let myself drown in that resentment.


    "Grandma." She tried to speak, but Nishay cut her off again.


    "Your father''s body waspletely destroyed in the fire. Don''t you think the truth behind his death deserves to be uncovered? And if someone truly bears responsibility—shouldn''t they face thew?" Nishay insisted.


    She lowered her gaze and nodded slowly. "Of course."


    Nishay''s eyes hardened, turning cold and razor-sharp. "But the investigation back then concluded it was an ident caused by faulty wiring. Yet that vi had been built less than five years ago."


    She frowned, her face paling. "Grandma, wiring can still deteriorate within five years if the environment is bad or if it''s misused."


    "The vi was barely lived in and was


    meticulously maintained. Poor


    conditions? Impossible." Nishay''s


    voice grew sharper. "Baytree even suffered a flood that year, but


    personally checked—the vi stood


    on high groun


    of water


    und. Not a drop reached it.


    "I was dissatisfied with the results and reported it to your father''s superiors. And


    what did I get in return? Vague excuses and deliberate evasions! Hah, the


    Fullbuster family in Halden-so-called pirs of virtue!" she shouted.


    A chill seeped into Anneliese''s limbs as she stared at Nishay in disbelief. "You believe the fire was deliberately set, and the only ones capable of doing it were the Fullbuster family And they even helped the culprit escape punishment."


    Tears streamed down Nishay''s face, her voice breaking into a hoarse cry. "Anne,


    your parents and your brother died so unjustly. So painfully unjustly!"


    She clutched at her chest and struck it with trembling fists, overwhelmed by grief and agony.


    Anneliese''s tears fell instantly. She quickly grabbed Nishay''s hands and leaned in hugging the frail, shaking woman tightly. "Grandma, don''t? worry will find out the truth. Whoever deserves punishment will not escape I swear will never let the person responsible for my family''s deaths walk free!"


    Rage burned in Nishay''s heart—rage that her family had been robbed of justice,


    rage that power and privilege had shielded a murderer.


    She thought, How can a family like the Fullbusters-hiding corruption beneath a righteous fa?ade ever be trusted?


    Anneliese gently patted her back, her own voice trembling yet resolute.


    Only after a long while did she slowly calm down. She wiped away her tears and said softly, "Fine. If Jonathan can hand over the arsonist and make sure they''re punished, then I will give him a chance."


    Anneliese nodded and carefully helped her lie back down. "Grandma, you''re not feeling well. Get some rest. I understand."


    She tucked the nket around her, turned off the light, and held her hand, gently patting it.


    Nishay''s breathing gradually steadied. Just as Anneliese was about to loosen her grip and leave, she suddenly grabbed her hand in return.


    Her voice was faint-yet chilling. "What if the one who caused the fire was Jonathan himself?"