Sonia shook her head slowly, the entire situation was beneath her. “Tell me,” she continued, her tone filled with sarcasm, “has Cardinia suddenly run out of workers? Is that why the President is now searching internationally for someone to scrub floors and clean toilets?”That statement drew the loudest reaction yet, as several guests laughed openly, some even clapping lightly as they were entertained by her words.Through all of this, I said nothing.I simply stood there, allowing them to speak, allowing them to reveal exactly what they thought of me. Every insult, every laugh, every dismissive glance only made one thing clearer to me.They had already decided who I was.And because of that, they could not see anything beyond it.Britney finally moved.Without raising her voice or reacting to their insults, she took a step forward, her expression calm. Then, to the complete surprise of everyone in the room, she lowered her head slightly in a respectful bow… toward me.The laughter

Britney’s voice trembled as she continued to plead with me.Her composure slowly crumbled under the weight of desperation.She leaned slightly closer, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat as it was the only thing holding her together.“Please,” she said again, her voice softer now. “You do not understand… My grandfather is the only family I have left. If anything happens to him…” She paused, swallowing hard as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “If he dies, I will be completely alone in this world.”I remained silent for a moment, watching her carefully. There was no pretense in her expression, no arrogance like the one she had displayed earlier at the Davenport mansion. What I saw now was raw fear, genuine and unfiltered.Her words reached somewhere deep within me, stirring something I had been trying to suppress for a long time.I exhaled slowly and leaned back slightly. “Alright,” I said at last, my tone calm but firm. “I will consider helping you.”Her eyes lit up

I raised my hands slowly, not in surrender, but in restraint, as I turned to face Britney. The tension in the hallway had grown worse, and it was becoming increasingly clear that I had been brought into the middle of a situation where I was neither trusted nor respected. I let out a faint breath before speaking, my tone calm but firm.“I did not come here to be insulted,” I said, meeting her gaze directly. “If this is what you brought me here for, then I would rather find my own way out.”The moment those words left my mouth, Britney’s expression changed completely. The composure she had been struggling to maintain crumbled, replaced instantly by panic. She stepped forward quickly, as though afraid that I might disappear the very next second.“Wait, please,” she said urgently, reaching out slightly as if to stop me from taking another step. “Do not leave. I am sorry about them. Please just… give me a moment.”Before I could respond, a burst of laughter broke through the tension. On

As I placed my hand on the handle, I heard Britney’s voice behind me, softer than before but sharp.“I’m coming with you,” she said.I paused briefly, then turned slightly to look at her. Her eyes filled with determination, but beneath that determination, I could see the fear she was trying so hard to suppress. “No,” I said calmly. “You will wait outside.”She frowned, clearly unwilling to accept that so easily. “Leonard, I—”“If you trust me,” I continued, cutting her off gently but firmly, “then you will do exactly as I say.”For a moment, she said nothing. Her lips parted slightly as though she wanted to argue further, but the words did not come. Instead, she stared at me, searching my face for reassurance, anything that would make this decision easier for her.Finally, she exhaled slowly and nodded.“…Alright,” she said quietly. “I will wait.”Before the moment could settle, a sharp and disapproving voice broke through the air.“Have you completely lost your senses?”I did not

Only moments ago, they had been certain that the man lying on that bed was dead. Now, he was sitting upright, breathing steadily, and looking around as though he had just awakened from a long and deep sleep.Britney was the first to move.“Grandfather!” she cried out again, her voice trembling with emotion as she rushed forward and threw her arms around him.The old man let out a soft, astonished laugh as he embraced her weakly, still trying to process what had just happened. His hands trembled slightly as he held her, but there was life in them now—strength that had not been there before.“I… I cannot believe this,” he said slowly, his voice still rough but filled with wonder.“One moment… I was slipping away. I could feel it. It was as though I was standing at the edge of something dark, something endless. And then…” He paused, pulling back slightly to look at Britney’s face. “And then I was pulled back. Just like that.”His gaze shifted around the room, confusion settling in as he