When Tabitha saw the wheelchair overturned and Director Grant lying motionless on the ground, her anger flared beyond restraint. She strode forward and struck Peach Blossom across the face once more.Peach Blossom’s makeup was already streaked and ruined; now she shrieked hysterically, her composure in tatters.Director Grant, seeing the chaos spiral further out of control, was frantic with worry. She pushed her wheelchair forward, trying to intervene.“Stop fighting. Please—calm down.”Before she could reach them, one of the entertainment company’s staff kicked the wheelchair aside. It toppled violently, sending her crashing to the floor. For a moment, she did not move.The orphanage staff gasped and rushed to carry her to safety.A surge of fury ignited in Adrian’s chest.He had not imagined they would be so depraved as to assault a sick woman confined to a wheelchair.“You truly have no idea what you’ve invited upon yourselves.”His fists clenched. An unmistakable aura radiated fro

They laid Director Grant flat upon the bed. Seeing her ashen complexion and bloodless lips, Adrian had already formed a preliminary judgment.Her condition, he feared, was far worse than he had anticipated.Tabitha Grant looked at him anxiously. “Adrian, are you confident about Director Grant’s illness?”Adrian pressed his lips together. “I’ll need to examine her pulse before I can reach a conclusion.”He stepped to the bedside, gently drew out Director Grant’s arm, and placed his fingers upon her wrist.Moments later, his expression turned grave. At the sight of it, Tabitha and Mr. Montgomery felt their hearts sink.“Well?”Adrian let out a quiet sigh. Director Grant was not suffering from one terminal illness, but two distinct and life-threatening conditions.Beyond that, years of relentless toil had left her burdened with countless chronic ailments.That she had endured this long was a testament to the sheer resilience of her spirit.“Adrian… she…”He looked at Tabitha, only then r

Daisy pushed Adrian aside and ran her fingers over the scrawled words on the door.“How could this have happened?”The three exchanged glances, their expressions heavy with silence.Daisy raised her hand and knocked. “Freya? Are you home, Freya?”The pounding echoed hollowly, but no one answered.Her anxiety deepened.Adrian called out as well, his voice infused with just enough force to carry inward without disturbing the neighbors. “Freya, Miss Daisy and Octavia are here to see you!”At last, a faint rustling came from within. A moment later, there was a soft click, and the door creaked open.Freya stood before them, her face as pale as paper, bruises darkening her cheek and the corner of her mouth.The room behind her was unlit, steeped in shadow, and faintly tinged with an unpleasant odor.Adrian recognized it instantly—the metallic scent of blood.“Miss Daisy, I’m sorry… I was just sleeping.”He stepped past her, found the switch, and turned on the light.The scene that emerged m

Moments later, Director Grant was wheeled forward as well. Everyone present knew that Director Evans was no benevolent official; whenever donations arrived, he was never far behind.Sure enough, after only a few perfunctory remarks, he cut straight to the point.“Well now,” he began smoothly, “this is a welfare institution, correct? Welfare must benefit the public as a whole. I hear you received donations today. What’s the total amount?”Director Grant’s expression stiffened. The intent in Benson Evans’s eyes was unmistakable.She hesitated before answering.His face darkened at once, displeased by her pause.“Director Grant,” he said, adopting an officious tone, “as head of the city’s charitable oversight department, it is my duty to show concern for institutions like yours. You understand that, don’t you?”“Now then, we must maintain proper records for every welfare home, including all received donations. That is part of our responsibility. All charitable organizations are required

“The Lane family? Are they supposed to be impressive?” Octavia asked with disarming innocence, turning to Adrian. He mimicked her expression and looked at Daisy. “Are they impressive?” Daisy rolled her eyes without restraint. Adrian had practically fought his way through the Four Great Families, and now he was pretending to be clueless. Freya shook her head quietly, wondering if this Timothy truly lacked common sense. Daisy glanced skyward, speechless. “Forget it. Let’s go. We’ll let the lawyers handle this.” Adrian nodded and reached for the car door, only for Phoebe Baldwin to grab him by the arm. She pointed at them furiously. “Leaving? Not a chance. Not unless you pay me!” Adrian shot her an exasperated look. She remained utterly unfazed. Daisy stepped forward calmly. “You’re a celebrity, right? I’m sorry, but we’re leaving. No one is stopping us today.” Adrian added coolly, “You were speeding and rear-ended us. Even if the police show up, it won’t help you.”