You think family gives you the right to extort a million and a half? Have you no shame at all?
Elara's cold voice cut through Yang Ming's rambling the moment she stepped through the door.
Inside the living room, Father Voss and Mother Voss sat stiffly on the sofa.
Their faces were grim. They were decent people—too polite to yell, even when seething with anger.
Yang Ming froze, mid-rant about "helping Theo marry a wife."
Elara sneered, her eyes sharp as shards of glass. "Theo's your son, not ours. Why should the Voss family bankroll his wedding?"
"You can't make money? That's your failure, not ours. If he ends up a bachelor, that's on you."
She took a step forward, her tone laced with contempt. "A grown man like you, spouting nonsense about 1.8 million? Do you even have a conscience?"
"My parents' money belongs to me and my brother. Not a penny for you."
"Y-you…!" Yang Ming's face flushed crimson, then turned ashen.
He pointed at Elara, trembling with rage. "Cousin, is this the rude girl you raised?"
Father Voss's jaw tightened, ready to speak. But Elara cut him off with a mocking smile.
"Rude? At least I don't shamelessly beg for money at other people's homes."
She tilted her chin, her voice sharp. "Your son broke my swing and destroyed Mom's rose garden—years of hard work."
"That's easily 180,000 in damages."
"We're kind enough to send him to the hospital. But if you don't hurry over, whatever happens to him is on your head."
Yang Ming gaped.
He'd sent Theo to cozy up to Elara—not get injured. "What did you do to my son?"
"What could I do to a grown man?" Elara scoffed. "He wanted to show off on the swing. Accidentally fell."
"Liar! You pushed him!" Yang Ming roared.
He slammed his fist on the coffee table, the sound echoing in the tense room.
"Doubt me? Call the police. Get a lawyer. We'll have experts assess the damage. You'll pay every cent." Elara's eyes were cold, unflinching.
Yang Ming hesitated. Her fearless demeanor sent a chill down his spine.
But he still glared fiercely. "You'll regret this!"
"We'll regret not making you compensate?" Elara snorted. "Hurry to the hospital. Your son's waiting."
Yang Ming stumbled toward the door, his face twisted with fury and anxiety.
His son's condition mattered more than his pride.
Elara turned to her parents, who stared at her in astonishment. She softened slightly. "Don't feel guilty. Yang Ming and Theo are ingrates."
The word "ingrates" made her pause. Once, she'd been called the same.
"Give in once, and they'll keep coming back. We're not a charity." She squeezed her mother's hand. "Leave this to me and Kael. Go rest."
Mother Voss opened her mouth to protest.
But Father Voss pulled her back, his voice relieved. "Let the kids handle it. We're getting old—our job is to stay healthy."
Elara smiled, linking arms with her mother. "Your health is the best gift for me and Kael."
"Smooth talker," Mother Voss chuckled, pinching her nose affectionately.
She and Father Voss headed upstairs.
Elara returned to the sofa, her expression hardening into cold indifference once more.
Meanwhile, Kael had tossed Theo into the backseat of his car and floored it home.
He didn't care if Theo got jostled.
All he thought about was Yang Ming bothering his parents… and Elara being wronged.
At the hospital, he dumped Theo at the emergency room.
"His family's on the way," he told the nurses, then bolted without a second glance.
He made three calls on the drive back. First to Reno Stark: "Station two men at the hospital. Watch Yang Ming and Theo Corin. Report every move."
Then to Ye Haobo: "Call the police. Send smart officers to my house to investigate the garden."
Finally to Li Jiangtian: "Find me a top lawyer. Now."
By the time Kael reached home, the lawyer and three policemen were already waiting.
Elara stood as they entered.
Kael led the group, followed by the cops and a man in a black shirt with gold-rimmed glasses.
Kael introduced them briefly. Elara recounted the "accident," then the lawyer—Elias Voss—and the policemen headed to the garden to inspect the scene.
The cops took photos and examined the area.
Elias squatted to check the lawn, his gaze lingering on the lawnmower nearby. A thoughtful glint crossed his eyes.
Elara smirked faintly, saying nothing.
Next, Elias inspected the broken swing ropes.
The cuts were clean—too clean, like they'd been sliced with a sharp tool. His brows furrowed deeply.
"These ropes are shoddy," he muttered.
Elara leaned in, her voice casual. "Theo swung so high. If I'd been up there, I might've died."
Elias glanced at her, noting the faint smile on her lips. "If it weren't for the height, I'd suspect foul play."
Elara's smile deepened. He'd figured it out—sharp.
"Strange, isn't it?" she said. "Though I doubt anything would've happened if I'd been the one on the swing."
Elias's eyebrows jumped.
He looked at the delicate, cold-eyed girl, and suddenly understood: this wasn't an accident. It was a setup.
But without evidence, what could he do?
No one could slice a swing rope mid-air without being seen.
"You're lucky, Miss Voss. Be more careful next time," he said, his tone formal as ever.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lawyer Elias." Elara's smile didn't reach her eyes. No evidence meant no trouble.
Kael, talking to the lead policeman, glanced over.
He saw Elara smiling at Elias—and his face darkened instantly.
He glared at Elias, his jaw tight with unbridled rage.
Elias felt the hostile gaze. He met Kael's eyes, then Elara's.
He cleared his throat. "If that's all, I'll take my leave. Call me anytime."
"One more thing," Elara said. "Arrange for a damage assessment. My swing and roses shouldn't be ruined for nothing."
Elias nodded, his frown deepening.
"We'll make sure the Voss family gets justice," the lead policeman promised, grinning obsequiously.
After a few more words, everyone left.
Elara and Kael returned to the living room, sitting on the sofa in silence as the TV played.
Kael's face was still stormy, his brows knitted into a deep scowl.
He looked utterly irritable, like a caged beast ready to snap.
Elara glanced at him, confused. "How's Theo?"
Kael's voice was gruff, laced with barely concealed irritation. "I dumped him at ER. He was breathing—probably won't die."
Good, he thought. The bastard deserved worse.
But he didn't say it—afraid Elara would think him cold-blooded.
"Oh," Elara murmured, disappointed. Why hadn't he died?
To Kael, her tone sounded worried.
Jealousy and anger surged in his chest, but he dared not ask, dared not show it.
Damn it, this was suffocating.
He wanted to grab her, shake her, ask why she cared about that piece of shit.
"How's the supply preparation going?" Elara asked, flipping channels casually to hide her disappointment.
"Partly done. Stored in an out-of-town warehouse—only my deputy and I know where." Kael leaned back, his eyes fixed on the TV, but his peripheral vision never left her.
"Remote, safe."
"The fewer people who know, the better." Elara's voice was faint. She fell silent.
The room was quiet for a long moment.
Then Kael turned, staring at her intensely—his gaze burning, unblinking.
Elara's ears burned. She coughed softly, avoiding his gaze. "Dad's antiques?"
"Tonight," Kael said, his voice low and gravelly.
His eyes held suppressed passion and crazed possessiveness—raw, unhidden.
"Hurry. Use the money to buy more supplies—arms, gasoline, rare medicinal herbs." Elara's heart raced, her face growing hot.
"Cost doesn't matter." She couldn't pretend indifference anymore.
She stood abruptly. "I'm going to my room to rest."
"Elara."
Kael grabbed her hand before he could stop himself.
Her skin was warm, soft—everything he'd dreamed of for years. He tightened his grip slightly, reluctant to let go.
Elara's face flushed bright red. She tried to yank her hand away, anger flaring.
But she held back her retort, snorting coldly. "What are you doing?"
Next Chapter Highlight:
Late-night antique heist goes wrong—Kael and Elara trapped in the antique vault, with enemies closing in! His accidental embrace triggers Elara's Superpower, and the secret of her rebirth is on the verge of exposure. Yang Ming brings thugs to storm the Voss villa, bullets flying everywhere. Kael, in a frenzy to protect Elara, reveals his hidden power inadvertently. Amidst life-and-death crisis, will their tangled desires break out? And the apocalypse countdown is ticking—can they escape this disaster and complete the final supply stockpile before the end comes?