"And that’s not all," Lana went on.
"There were tis I helped you win competitions. You conveniently forgot those. You kept all the prize money for yourself."
Her lips curved into a humorless smile. "You promised to return every single penny with twelve percent interest."
She paused deliberately. "If we calculate everything, it cos to around thirty-five million."
Her voice dropped. "I was being generous by not asking for five million of that."
Lana looked at Cassandra with unmistakable disdain.
"And now," she concluded coldly, "you’re standing here demanding money from ."
She shook her head slightly. "That’s truly shaless."
Cassandra fell silent, and Lana’s grip tightened slightly as she walked up to her.
Staring directly into Cassandra’s eyes, her gaze cold yet trembling beneath the surface, she spoke in a controlled voice.
"I won’t pursue the matter of who helped whom," she said steadily.
"From what I know, you’ve helped many tis, and I’ve repaid those favors just as often. There’s almost nothing left between us... except the thirty-five million dollars you owe ."
The air between them felt suffocatingly heavy.
"You’ve already paid thirty million," Lana continued calmly.
"The remaining five million... consider it settled, since you accompanied during my darkest tis."
With that, Lana turned to leave.
But Cassandra’s fingers curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"You’re too selfish, Lana," she snapped.
Lana let out a soft chuckle, her shoulders barely moving.
"I don’t need a character certificate from soone like you," she replied without turning back.
However, Cassandra had no intention of stopping. Her voice rose sharply, cutting through the cold air.
"You pretend to be good," she shouted. "But the mont you awakened as a mystical cultivator, you didn’t even think of telling the Almond family. You never once thought of repaying them for all the love they gave you."
Hearing those words, Lana laughed exaggeratedly.
The sound was hollow, almost mocking, as she slowly turned and looked straight into Cassandra’s eyes.
"How can you even say that?" Lana’s voice trembled, her tone rising despite herself. "I could understand if others said it... but you?"
For the first ti, raw emotion flickered across her face.
’So I still held so hope for her,’ she thought bitterly.
She looked directly at Cassandra.
"Mr. and Mrs. Almond abandoned when I needed them the most," Lana said, her voice growing hoarse. "I was only four years old, yet I already knew how to sche just to gain their attention."
Her fingers trembled faintly.
"I worked from morning until night, learning everything I could just to earn their recognition. I never hid anyone who ca close to or loved ... because no one ever pampered . I was the one begging for love."
Her breathing grew uneven.
"I worked day and night during my childhood just to gain their attention. And when I finally did... I realized sothing."
Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"Their love was based on money. It was worthless."
A chilling silence followed.
"So I gave up on them," Lana continued.
"I tried to find genuine affection in that cold family by turning to my so-called brothers. I flattered them, loved them, sympathized with them, even helped them gain their parents’ attention."
Her eyes darkened.
"But none of them ever truly cared about . They only kept around because I was useful. The mont I lost my value in their eyes... they discarded without hesitation."
She stared straight at Cassandra.
"What more does the Almond family want from ?"
Her voice hardened.
"From the mont I was born until the day I left that family, I brought them nothing but benefits. When I began live streaming and participating in variety shows as a child, their company’s stock prices soared. They gained free publicity. They rose from a rely rich family to an established wealthy one."
Her chest rose sharply with each breath.
"Most of the designs owned by their corporation were created by . Even the reputation they carry today exists because I endured the bla and criticism for them."
Cassandra’s eyes widened.
She knew Lana was telling the truth, and perhaps she realized she had crossed a line.
Tears shimred in Lana’s eyes, though her voice remained steady.
She did not want to continue, yet the words she had buried for years finally surged out uncontrollably.
"You forgot," Lana said quietly, "how Mr. and Mrs. Almond used to slap and beat ... even when I was only doing the tasks they had ordered."
Her voice trembled.
"And I endured those slaps with a smile, simply because I believed I was doing it for my so-called brothers. They weren’t even related to , yet I suffered beatings for their sake."
Her fingers curled tightly.
"I hid my talents for them. I pretended to be useless for them. And yet... you forgot everything."
She walked closer to Cassandra, stopping just a step away.
Tears still clung to her lashes, but her voice remained calm, frighteningly so.
"Anyone else can accuse of being heartless," Lana said quietly.
"Anyone else can claim I never cared for the Almond family or that I forgot their kindness."
Her gaze sharpened.
"But you cannot."
Her voice dropped into a whisper filled with restrained fury.
"Others don’t know what I went through. But you do."
A chilling pause followed.
"So if you ever say those words again," Lana continued,
"I won’t respond with words. I’ll show you everything I endured in the Almond family... and let the entire world judge."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Her steps were firm, yet the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes made the sight unbearably heartbreaking.
Even Mr. Crow fell silent.
When they reached the entrance, Mr. Crow suddenly flew toward her and landed directly on her face.
Startled, Lana almost struggled, but she froze when she felt his rough, scratchy wings gently brushing against her cheeks, wiping away her tears.
"You shouldn’t cry because of such foolish people," Mr. Crow said softly.
Lana pursed her lips, her throat tightening. She lowered her head slowly.
By then, Mr. Crow had already flown back and perched quietly on her shoulder.
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