CHAPTER 319: THE CONTENTS OF THE HEART AND JEALOUSY

"Claire, I won’t beat around the bush. I’m here for one reason only—the ownership of the Red Obsidian Trading House left by my father. Will you hand it over to me?"

After saying that, she let out a contented sigh, a cold smile forming on her lips.

She had originally planned to start with some small talk, but there were too many matters left unresolved and too little time to waste.

So, instead of dragging things out, she decided to get straight to the point.

Claire showed no sign of surprise at her sudden demand, as if she had been expecting it all along.

She didn’t answer right away; instead, she silently sipped her coffee. The gesture alone was enough to irritate Melinda.

Narrowing her eyes, Melinda raised her voice slightly. "Claire, are you even listening to me? I told you to hand over your ownership of the Red Obsidian Trading House that Father gave me. When I visited him in prison, he told me he had transferred the entire trading house to me. So, as his daughter, you must obey his orders and hand over your ownership to me now."

In the past, whenever Melinda snapped at her, Claire would flinch in fear and never dare to talk back. But this time, Melinda had clearly underestimated her.

Despite the pressure, Claire stayed composed, a casual smile playing on her lips.

"My ownership of the Red Obsidian Trading House is gone. Now, I’m just an employee hired by Lady Shion of the Blue Moon Trading House. Do you understand?"

Her voice was calm, but Melinda could feel a subtle pressure pressing down on her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"So, you really gave it to Shion, huh? Do you realize your actions are no different from betraying Father and the family?" She spat, slamming her right hand on the desk.

At the words "betrayal" and "family,"

a sarcastic smile curled on Claire’s lips.

"Family, you say? Sister—no, Melinda Horven, did you hit your head on a rock and become stupid?"

The unexpected insult made Melinda freeze in shock. But before she could react, Claire spoke again, her tone calm and composed.

"When Belfor first took me in, I thought I’d finally find the fatherly love I had always longed for. But in the end..."

Her voice faded as she lowered her head slightly, letting out a dry laugh. "It turned out to be nothing but an illusion I created for myself. The man who was supposed to protect me was just a greedy bastard who cared only about profit. Such a man doesn’t deserve to be called a father."

"Claire!" Melinda shouted, glaring at her. "Watch your mouth when you talk about him! You have no right to say that!"

Her breath came out ragged, her anger boiling over. Belfor was her father, the man she loved deeply.

He had spoiled her since childhood, especially after her mother passed away.

Although her father had committed a grave mistake that led to her mother’s death, Melinda never once hated him for it.

Claire slowly raised her head, her blank eyes locking onto Melinda. "Don’t deserve it? I was tortured by him—physically and mentally—for decades, and you dare say I don’t have the right to speak about it? Hahaha. That’s funny, Melinda Horven."

A mocking smile crossed her face as she shook her head. "You’re just a hypocrite, no different from your father. You defend him because you were spoiled and given everything. But me? In his eyes, I was nothing more than a tool to be broken. And don’t think that just because I’m blind, I don’t know how you’ve treated me."

Leaning back in the chair, she folded her arms across her chest. "From the moment I arrived, I could feel your hatred. Of course I knew you were wary of me, right?"

Melinda’s body stiffened instantly at those words. Her eyes widened as her heart began to pound.

"Despite my flaws, my talents far surpass yours. I could read and recognize letters just by touching the books Belfor placed in front of me to humiliate me. I was quick-witted and had a sharp memory. Even at the age of ten, I could analyze complex problems, and that—at least for a moment—made Belfor a little impressed with me."

She let out a weak, contemptuous laugh. "And that’s when you started to see me as a threat. You were afraid his affection would shift to me, weren’t you? So you whispered in his ear, poisoning his mind, urging him to stay away from me. You turned me into nothing more than an object—a source of ruin for your so-called family."

"Well, back then I didn’t care, because I saw you and Belfor as family. But don’t think I’m stupid. Am I right, Melinda Horven?"

A wave of indescribable relief spread through her body. Nolan had once told her that suppressed hatred and unspoken thoughts could eat a person alive.

That was why she had spoken her mind—and Nolan was right. Her body now felt light, as if a weight of hundreds of kilograms had been lifted off her shoulders.

On the other side, Melinda sat frozen. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. Everything Claire said was the undeniable truth.

She had been jealous of Claire in the past. The girl’s talent far outshone hers. Her father always praised Melinda as talented, but deep down, she knew those words were just empty flattery.

The truth was obvious: Claire had always been the more talented one, held back only by the lack of opportunity.

But would Melinda crumble just because of a few words? Of course not.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture. Her gaze sharpened, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

"You’re quite bold, Claire. Just because you’re the leader of this trading house, you think you can escape your fate?" Melinda sneered. "Don’t forget, you’re just a blind woman with no experience. I don’t know what Shion was thinking when she handed you the leadership of Red Obsidian, but in my opinion... she was a fool to entrust it to someone like you."

"A blind person?" Claire chuckled softly. She lifted her blindfold, revealing a pair of clear, sky-blue eyes.

"Now... do you still think I’m blind?"

Melinda froze in shock, unable to comprehend it. Her body instinctively straightened, and she took a few hesitant steps back.

"How... how is this possible? Why did you—" Her words died in her throat.

Her gaze was locked on Claire’s eyes, searching for proof of the impossible. All she could see was a pair of dazzling, clear blue eyes—eyes that had never opened before.

That meant Claire could truly see.

"This can’t be... What happened? Weren’t you... blind?"

Claire’s blindness had never been ordinary. Their father had once hired a doctor, who confirmed that both of her eyes were entirely gone.

Yes, Claire had been born without eyeballs. Seeing should have been impossible.

The only way to restore her sight would have been to transplant eyes from someone of the same bloodline. But how could her father—or even she—ever agree to give up their eyes?

In the end, her father left her blind and locked her away in an underground cell, hiding her existence from the world.

"Surprised?" Claire propped her chin on her right hand, a playful smile on her lips. "The one you always underestimated is fully healed and ready to rise. How does it feel, sister? Does it... hurt?"