“Emery, you’ve gone too far! How are we supposed to explain this to the Xenakis family?” Emery held her throbbing cheek, her eyes filled with hurt and anger. “Nicholas, you hit me! I told you, I didn’t poison Luna! It was Winona who asked me to deliver the fruit juice!” At this point, Nicholas was blinded by rage, his fist poised to strike again. Just then, Winona’s crying became even more heartbreaking. She rushed forward, intercepting Nicholas’ punch. “Nicholas, maybe Emery didn’t do it on purpose. I know she has never liked me. Maybe it would be best if I moved out!” Her voice was soft and frail, laced with a hint of grievance that instinctively stirred feelings of pity in others. “Why should you move out? This is your home!” At that moment, Gary Langford hurried over with his wife, Eleanor Quigley, and younger son, Bradley Langford. Eleanor’s heart ached terribly as she saw the tears streaking Winona’s face. She scolded loudly, “Emery, have you been bullying Winona again? Winona is your younger sister! Why are you always at odds with her?” Bradley anxiously inquired, “What happened to Luna?” Upon learning that Luna had fallen unconscious, a surge of fury filled Bradley’s eyes. With swift strides, he charged forward to grab Emery by the collar. He raised his voice, demanding, “Why did you poison Luna? If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you!” Bradley had been fond of Luna for a long time; he just hadn’t had the chance to confess his feelings yet. “I didn’t! It wasn’t me!” Emery was shouting with all her might, but by that time, no one believed her anymore. During her two-year stint in prison, Emery found herself constantly haunted by that nightmarish evening. Every single detail was etched into her heart like a thorn. She despised Winona for her cunning and deceit, resented her family’s blind judgment, and also loathed Howard’s heartlessness. Not a single soul among her once family and loved ones believed in her. As Emery recalled everything from the past, silent tears streamed down her cheeks. If it weren’t for her resentment, she probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on until now. She didn’t know when she had drifted off to sleep. The creaking of the iron door swinging open roused her from her thoughts. “Emery, come out! Someone’s here to get you out of jail!” Emery slowly rose to her feet and walked out. After wrapping up all the formalities, she slipped back into her own clothes, clutching the Gucci bag she had had with her when she was first incarcerated. The phone inside had long since run out of battery. After all, it had been two years. She trudged out slowly, dragging her weary body along. Glancing down at the couture dress she had acquired two years prior, paired with her frizzy short hair and a body covered in bruises, the situation felt incredibly ironic. She shielded her eyes from the glaring sunlight, somewhat unaccustomed to the brightness. Was she free now? A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. It was all the same everywhere. The Langford residence was simply just another hell. Stepping out of the main entrance, she spotted a black Mercedes parked outside. A man clad in a black suit leaned against the car, puffing on a cigarette. When he saw her approaching from afar, he tossed the cigarette onto the ground and ground it underfoot. “Emery, I’m here to pick you up!” Nicholas’ cool and refined voice rang out. Even after two years, hearing that familiar voice again still caused a sharp pang of pain to pierce Emery’s heart. “Okay.” She got straight into the car without uttering a word. After she closed the car door, Nicholas quickly started the engine. As he turned around, he saw Emery’s face, a mottled mix of green and purple. “What happened to your face? Two years in prison, and you still can’t keep out of trouble?” Nicholas’ expression was grim. A cold smirk tugged at the corners of Emery’s mouth, but she remained silent, turning her gaze toward the window. Nicholas didn’t receive a response, and with a press of the accelerator, the car shot out. They traveled in silence. When the car pulled into the mansion, Emery stepped out. There wasn’t a single person at the door to welcome her. She walked in alone, clutching her bag, her steps uneven and limping. Without expectations, there wouldn’t be disappointments, right? After she entered, she saw that Gary, Eleanor, Winona, and Bradley were all present. Upon seeing her walk in, everyone was momentarily taken aback. Emery remained silent, unable to bring herself to call out in greeting. “Emery! You’re back! That’s wonderful!” Winona came running and embraced her. “Since you’re back, then come in! What are you standing at the door for?” Gary spoke out. “Dad, Mom, Bradley.” Emery’s voice was incredibly soft, devoid of any emotion. Bradley gave her a dismissive glance before ignoring her completely. “Emery, you’ve lost weight! What happened to your face?” Winona exclaimed. Emery turned her head toward her. “As if you don’t know.” Winona’s eyes immediately welled up with tears, a sign of her distress. “Emery, you’ve only just returned, so I understand that you’re not in the best of moods.” “Just what is with that attitude!” Eleanor scolded in anger. “Winona cares so much for you, yet you’re being all sarcastic and moody! It seems not even two years in prison could teach you a lesson!” “Her? Change? Even a decade in prison wouldn’t alter her temperament!” Bradley scoffed. “I’m heading upstairs!” Emery declared, making a beeline for the staircase. “Your room is the one on the far left! Winona has taken a liking to your old room, so she’s staying there now!” Emery paused for a moment, then continued her stride. Upon entering the room, Emery was greeted by a chaotic mess. She then began to tidy up, bit by bit. Everything was from her original room, but all the valuable bags and jewelry were gone. Half an hour later, the room was finally habitable. She changed the bed sheets and duvet cover, then reorganized the clothes in the wardrobe. After that, she found her charger and plugged in her phone, unsure if it would still work. Once that was done, she took out her laptop and powered it on, logging into her WhatsApp. A wave of pinging sounds rang out as over a hundred messages popped up. The one who sent the most messages was her best friend, Annie Sutcliffe. She immediately sent a message: Annie, I’m back! In no time at all, a video call from Annie came through. Emery turned off the camera before accepting the call. “Annie!” “Emery, you’re finally back! This is so wonderful! Why don’t you turn on your video camera? I’ve missed you!” A simple “I miss you,” and Emery’s defenses crumbled instantly! “It’s not really convenient for me over here.” She wasn’t without people who cared for her. Her eyes were brimming with tears, her voice choked with emotion. “Annie, I’ve missed you too! Have you… been doing okay?” “Emery, I’m okay, but I’m so worried about you! After your imprisonment, I visited your home, but they wouldn’t say a word, and I couldn’t get any information. They wouldn’t let me visit you in jail either! I felt so helpless that I couldn’t do anything to help you!” Annie’s voice carried a hint of tears. “It’s all in the past now! Annie, things will get better,” Emery comforted. “Emery, don’t be so understanding! You’ve endured so much suffering, yet you’re still here comforting me. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve been through these past two years…” Annie could no longer hold back her tears and began to cry uncontrollably. “Enough! Enough! I’m fine, really. I just lacked a bit of freedom when in there. I’m going to tidy up my room now. Once I’m done with my busy schedule in the next couple of days, I’ll come find you!” Emery said, promptly ending the video call. She certainly didn’t want to end up with bloodshot eyes from crying and become the subject of this family’s ridicule. Emery logged into her author’s account and found that all seven of her books were still generating revenue. Three of them raked in either hundreds or thousands each day, while the rest only managed to make tens. Upon checking the total balance, there was over 5 million waiting to be withdrawn. Emery located her bank card and promptly initiated a withdrawal.