bNathan /bstepped forward and got Rowan’s hands off Henry, his voice thick with disgust. “Aunt, don’t push Dad like bthat/b. Natalie made her own mess. She pissed off someone while running wild, and she had iting.

“It was more than generous for Dad to save her. Who knows if her stunts won’t drag the family down? So drop it balready/bb,/bb” /b

“She still dreams of being a doctor? She should be thankful she’s alive,” Nathan’s wife chimed in..

She added, “It’s on you for spoiling her rotten. I heard she sufferedst time because she refused to save a dying person. And this time? It must be the same story. She thought she was untouchable and ticked off the wrong crowd.”

Rowan shook her head in disbelief. She’d had her

it would turn out this way?

aughter l

te in

life and cherished her more, but who would’ve guessed

“No, we can’t give up on Natalie.” Rowan bowed repeatedly to Henry, tears streaming down her face. “Henry, Natalie is Shane’s only child. Just imagine how shattered he’d feel to see his daughter suffering like this.”

Henry lowered his head with a heavy sigh. “Fine. Let Nataliee with us to the Shea family’s party,” he said.

He sipped his coffee and added with a shrewd glint in his eyes, “Her hands may be useless, but her face is still wless. She’ll find a powerful husband easily.”

“But-” Rowan hesitated, wanting to say more.

But a security guard at the gate stumbled in, pale–faced. “Mr. Henry Evans, there’s someone outside…”

“What’s with all this panic? What a disgrace! Calm down.” Henry rapped his cane sharply.

The security guard replied, “There’s a girl outside with a banner, saying the Evans family killed her grandmother.”

Nathan snorted, “That’s utter nonsense.”

“Bring her in,” Henry ordered. Though over sixty, he had steered the Evans family through decades of business storms. Handling such a mess was simple for him.

Nathan was confused. “Dad, we should just drive her away. Why bother…”

“Nathan, who she is doesn’t matter. What matters is shutting her up,” Henry said in a low, icy voice. “Go prepare some coffee for our guest. And slip in something special.”

Nathan got the message and headed out to get ready right away.

When Nina was led in, the Evans family was sitting and chatting. “Ah, our guest is here. Please, have a seat,” Henry said with a gentle smile that held a sharp edge.

Nina, eyes red and voice hoarse, cried, “You killed my dad and grandma. You’ve got to apologize and pay for what you’ve done.”

Nathan stepped forward, held her back, and smiled politely as he handed her a cup of coffee. He said, “Miss, you can eat whatever you want, but don’t spout nonsense.

b“/bWe bdid /broutine bexams/b, tagrioses, and surgeries. Show us proof that we harmed your family. Out of all our patients why did we target only you? Keep this up, and we can sue you for defamation.”

bNina /bhad been crying for ages and was parched, so she drank the coffee down without hesitation. Seeing her do so, Henry spoke againb, /b“Youngdy, if you’ve got something to say, say it straight, but don’t spout nonsense.

Nina shivered andined, “My grandmother just had amon illness, yet you imed she needed heart bypass surgery costing 600 thousand dors. To raise that exorbitant fee, my father lost his life.”

“In the dead of night, when you jolt awake, doesn’t your conscience w at you?” Nina added. Her chest heaved, fists clenched, eyes zing with iron–hard defiance. “You’ll pay. Blood for blood.”

Without a word, Henry gestured for the domestic workers to leave. Once only the Evans family remained, he slowly stood

up

and struck Nina with a backhand p.

“Conscience? That’s for the weak.” Henry kept that same smile fixed, but his voice turned ice–cold. “To me, you and your family are nothing but insects.”

“You’re all talk with nothing to back it up–no proof, no pull. What can you hope to do against me?” Nathan let out a mocking chuckle. “But don’t worry. You’ll be with your family again soon enough.”

“You jerk!” Nina swung her fist and charged. Nathan was too stunned to block, and her punch connected, blood spurting

from his mouth.

Nina’s hair was a wild mess, tears pouring from eyes filled with hate. She roared, “You heartless monsters don’t deserve to be called doctors.”

With that, she kicked Nathan in the groin. He screamed, curling into a ball with his chest pressed to his knees and writhing

in agony.

Henry, enraged, hurled his coffee cup. bIt /bgashed Nina’s forehead, blood streaming down.

“Someone, get her out of here!” Henry ordered.

Several guards seized Nina and hauled her out, shoving her roughly. Before they turned away, they looked down at her with disdain. Someone said, “Who do you think you are? Daring to cross the Evans family, huh? You’re way out of your league.”

?? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

“Just you wait. Since you crossed the Evans family, you won’tst long in Hirica,” another added.

Nina listened, her heart heavy with sorrow. Suddenly, rain started to fall. Winter in Hirica was already bitterly cold, and the rain only deepened the gloom.

Nina brushed the rain from her forehead, her eyes empty. There was a bitter smile touching her lips like she’d given up on fate, and her pale face looked even more pitiful in the downpour.

She copsed in the rain, shattered yet resolute, her eyes burning with despair and determination. “The Evans family treats people like dirt. I won’t let them get away with this,” she told herself and clutched her recorder tightly, hatred zing in her eyes.

Then she wondered, ‘Now, with my family gone and rtives scattered, where could I turn?‘ Suddenly, she remembered

???

Thapher #

Olivia. She thought she could seek Olivia’s help.

Inside the vi, Henry was boiling with rage as he snapped, “You ipetent fool! You can’t even handle your mess, and you let her show up here.”

He wrenched Nathan’s ear, his voice thick with disappointment. “How many times must I say it? The Evans name must never be tarnished. Yet here you are, stirring up trouble everywhere. Do this again and I’ll beat you to a pulp.”

Still aching from Nina’s blows and terrified of another beating, Nathan trembled. “Dad, I get it. I swear it won’t happen

again.”

“Forget it. The most important thing now is the party at the Sheas. We can’t have any screw–ups there. Especially in the next few weeks, keep your head down,” Henry swallowed his anger and said, his voice calm but firm.

He continued, “Lately, someone in Hirica has been sniffing around us. I’ve greased the right palms. We should be okay for now, but watch yourself from now on.”

“But if we stop those activities, how are we supposed to make money?” Nathan winced, clutching the aching part of his body. “There are too many of us in the family. That little hospital profit won’t even keep us afloat.”

Henry spoke slowly, “Hold off for a while. An inspection team’sing soon. Justy low and ride this out.”

“Got it. I’ll keep it under wraps so they find nothing.” Nathan understood immediately. The Evans family had been deep- rooted in Hirica for decades. There was no taking them down.

AD