"No, I don’t like sleeping in crowded places; it makes it hard to breathe." Claude coldly rejected Bart and ignored the suggestion to speak in the study, as if he hadn’t heard it at all.
Bart heard this
People who had never seen such a scene couldn’t help but secretly look up at this son’s legitimate authority, while those already familiar with it added another layer of envy toward Claude.
Silently, they thought, here it goes again. No matter what Claude does or says, the father they usually have to be so cautious in pleasing would unconditionally stand by Claude. It’s as if whatever Claude does is right, even if he spoils another child, they must take a step back before Claude; otherwise, if they foolishly try to confront him head-on, they end up like Norman—completely abandoned, with no right to enter this family’s door again.
Thinking of this, Marian sighed lightly, sowhat relieved that her previous outspokenness hadn’t been taken to heart by Claude, or else her fate now wouldn’t be any better.
Just as Marian was feeling grateful, she noticed sothing was off; it felt like a gaze was lingering on her. Marian looked up to see who was watching, only to imdiately et Claude’s eyes.
Due to the recent incident, almost everyone at the dining table was paying attention to Claude, so before Marian even realized anything, soone had already noticed the two of them.
Bart glanced at Marian, then at Claude, wiped his hands, and asked, "What’s up? Did your sister upset you again?"
"It’s a small matter. She still owes sothing from last ti and hasn’t returned it. So wait for in your room later; I think we need to discuss the matter of compensation." Claude openly addressed Marian.
A trace of questioning appeared in Marian’s eyes. Recalling the considerable amount of money she paid last ti, Marian hesitantly said, "If you’re talking about the vases I accidentally broke last ti, I rember I compensated according to the price you gave. Besides that, I don’t recall owing anything else."
Claude put the last piece of steak into his mouth, then put down his utensils, wiped his mouth, and wiped his hands. Everyone was waiting for him to swallow the last bite in his mouth.
"Your brain is as fresh as new, completely undeveloped, so it’s normal not to rember. Anyway, I’ll tell you later, and you’ll know what you owe . Eat quickly; I don’t want to wait for soone." Claude stood up, pulling his chair back, "I’m done, you all continue." Claude gave Marian a look before leaving the dining room.
Just one glance made Marian give up the thought of continuing to eat. She said sothing to Bart and got up to follow Claude.
"What did you an by what you just said at the dining table? When did I owe you sothing, and why don’t I know?" Marian questioned, following Claude.
Claude stopped. If Marian hadn’t been walking slowly, she might have bumped right into him.
"I thought Norman’s appearance would make you smarter, but it turns out you’re just as foolish as ever. It’s truly because of their kindness that you’re still allowed to be here. Have they started believing in God now?" Claude sneered at Marian.
"I’m not stupid." Marian angrily rebutted.
"Save that until you see what I want to show you. If you’re not stupid, there probably wouldn’t be a single fool in this world. There were so many people in the dining room, and none of them are fools. You’re the only one who’s excessively stupid like Mano, yet you possess an ambition unparalleled to your intelligence. It’s astonishingly lucky of you, but I can’t help but wonder if you’re really Dad’s daughter after all; after all, Dad is such a clever person."
"What do you an by that? How could I not be Dad’s daughter? Don’t think you can talk nonsense just because Dad favors you." Marian complained.
"Still claiming you’re not stupid, yet you can’t even grab the key points." Claude shifted his gaze away, as if looking at her any longer was an insult to his eyes.
Seeing Marian wanting to say more, Claude interrupted her, "Are you sure you want to discuss this here with ? I don’t mind anyway. I just wonder if you would still have a chance to continue sitting at that dining table if others overheard."
Marian’s mouth, just about to speak, suddenly closed. Even Marian, with her dullness, understood what it ant for Claude to say such words.
"Let’s talk in my room." Marian whispered.
Marian loved bright and vibrant colors like red and purple, so her room fully reflected her aesthetics. Although the colors were vivid, fortunately, it was not overwhelming for the eyes.
Claude quickly glanced around Marian’s room and withdrew his gaze. Without waiting for Marian to speak, he took out his phone and played a segnt of a man being interrogated by Xu Ke. The video had been edited and processed, so Xu Ke was not visible, and even the voice was altered to sound robotic; the footage wasn’t excessively bloody or violent.
What could be seen was a corner of the room, where a man tied to a cross accused Marian of instructing him to assassinate Claude.
When the man’s face was revealed, Marian’s expression didn’t change much, giving the impression she didn’t recognize him at all. But when the man accused her of hiring soone to assassinate Claude, Marian’s face changed. In an instant, she turned completely pale, showed disbelief in her eyes, and broke into a cold sweat, looking utterly guilty.
Claude said nothing, slipping the phone into Marian’s hand as he watched her go through a series of visible changes as if observing a show.
Marian’s hand trembled, and before she could think, her body reacted faster, smashing Claude’s phone against the wall. No one knew how much force Marian used, but the phone was shattered into pieces, clearly beyond repair.
"It’s fake. I didn’t do this. You deliberately had soone film it. I don’t know what I did to get on your wrong side. If this is about my previous rudeness toward you, I can apologize, but I will not admit to this accusation." Marian defensively turned her head away and said.
"Did you think I would really co to you with just a video and no other evidence? You’re stupid, but don’t think everyone is as stupid as you."
Before Claude could finish, Marian, hearing the keyword, suddenly turned her head in shock, unable to even try to hide her panic, fearfully looking at Claude.
"You’ve got the evidence?" This question, tantamount to an admission, cost Marian a reaction. She wanted to cover her mouth and wished to strangle that foolish version of herself from a mont ago.
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