"Ah!"
Saira screamed in agony.
Dalia watched in distress, wishing she could shield her daughter from the blows. Aaron, fueled by rage, mercilessly lashed Saira with the whip. Each strike was harder than the last, his anger intensifying with each thought of how one daughter had brought honor to the Lin family by allying with the Ye and Feng families, while the other had turned the Lin family into a laughingstock.
A bastard will always be a bastard, no matter how long they're kept around, they're useless. The more Aaron thought, the harder his hand struck.
"Dad, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time," Saira wailed, lying prostrate on the floor.
The maids nearby trembled with fear.
Soon, Saira's back was streaked with blood, staining her white dress a vivid red.
"Mom, save me. Mom..." Saira cried out, reaching for Dalia.
Dalia wanted to intervene, but she knew her husband was too enraged to listen. She glanced at Zuri, who was leisurely sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee, watching the beating with a cold detachment.
How could she be so cruel?
Watching her own sister being beaten and remaining indifferent.
Dalia wanted to lash out but restrained herself, speaking softly, "Zuri, please, ask your father to calm down."
Zuri leaned back lazily on the sofa, her voice cool and indifferent, "If he doesn't let off some steam, it'll harm his health in the long run. For his sake, he needs to vent."
Dalia was furious but continued to plead gently, "I know you've been wronged today. Saira knows she's wrong too. Please ask your father to stop. If he keeps this up, your sister might die."
"From a medical perspective, death occurs when internal organs are damaged, leading to blood clots. A whipping like this has only a 0.1% chance of being fatal. Given my father's strength, it's unlikely to be deadly," Zuri said calmly.
Dalia's blood pressure soared with anger, "What will it take for you to let your father spare her?"
"Didn't you care most about the Lin family's reputation? Today she has utterly disgraced the Lin family. How can you forgive her so easily?"
Each word was a stab to the heart.
Suddenly, Dalia raised her hand to slap Zuri. She moved quickly and unexpectedly, but Zuri blocked her hand mid-air, redirecting the slap onto Dalia's own hand.
A cold glint appeared in Zuri's eyes. She twisted Dalia's arm, forcing her forward until their faces were inches apart.
In a low, chilling voice, Zuri whispered in her ear, "If I make Father choose between Saira and me, who do you think he'll pick?"
Dalia's eyes widened.
Before today, it was uncertain. But now, after today, he would undoubtedly choose Zuri.
Dalia knew her husband too well.
"Don't provoke me again. If you do, I'll make sure your precious daughter is thrown out of the Lin family."
With that, Zuri pushed Dalia away.
Dalia staggered back several steps.
She stared at Zuri, speechless for a long time.
Saira called for Lady Lin repeatedly, only to see her and Zuri intimately close, fueling her growing hatred.
Why had even her mother changed?
Saira felt a chill throughout her body. The physical pain was nothing compared to the betrayal by Lady Lin.
She writhed on the floor, her blood staining the shiny marble tiles.
"Dad, I was wrong."
"Ah, ah!"
"I'm going to die. Dad, I'll never dare again."
"Sob, sob..."
No matter how Saira cried and begged, Aaron did not stop. His face had been utterly disgraced by her today. How could he let it go?
A bastard daring to ruin his biological daughter's future.
Zuri was destined to enter the Ye or Feng family, how could he let Saira destroy that?
At that moment, Christian returned, reeking of alcohol. Seeing Saira writhing in pain on the floor, covered in blood, and his father holding a whip with a fierce expression, his anger surged.
He rushed over, snatching the whip from Aaron's hand, and demanded, "Dad, what are you doing?"
Aaron was startled by the sudden intrusion.
"Give me the whip," Aaron ordered sternly.
"What did Saira do wrong to deserve such harsh treatment? Even if she's not your biological daughter, you've watched her grow up. You once cared for her."
Seeing Saira's battered body, Christian's heart ached.
He turned to Zuri, pointing at her, "Since she came back, you've changed. She's your daughter, but aren't we your children too?"
"What do you know? Do you know what she's done? My reputation and the Lin family's face were lost because of this ungrateful girl," Aaron shouted.
"Even if Saira made mistakes, it's because you pushed her to it. Today is Zuri's birthday. You only thought about celebrating for her, but did you consider Saira's feelings? Saira used to be so kind and innocent. Now you've pushed her to this."
To Christian, his sister Saira could do no wrong; she was always innocent and kind. Any misdeeds were caused by others.
"Dad, if you despise Saira and me so much, we'll leave and won't bother you again. You can live happily with your precious daughter."
Christian bent down to help Saira up.
Zuri watched the pitiful siblings, then looked at herself. Suddenly, she felt like the evil step-sister driving the poor foster siblings away.
"If you leave today, don't ever come back," Aaron was infuriated, making a harsh declaration.
Christian scoffed, unfazed, and continued to support Saira as they headed out.
"Wait."
Zuri suddenly stood up, walking leisurely towards them.
Before she could speak, Christian spat, "Don't bother pretending to care. We won't stay."
Zuri sneered, "Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not here to keep you. I'm here to remind you that everything you use, including your car and the downtown villa, belongs to the Lin family. If you have any backbone, don't use any of it. If you do, don't pretend to have dignity."
"You..." Christian was furious.
"By the way, everything you're wearing and using, even your bank cards, hand them over. If you have any real courage, don't rely on the Lin family. Make your own way," Zuri said.
"If you don't have the ability or capability, then put away that pitiful pride of yours. Without the Lin family, you are nothing. Don't overestimate yourself."
Christian's face turned red with anger at Zuri's sharp retort. His blood boiled, and he could no longer remain calm.
"What are you? Without the Lin family, you're nothing too," Christian snapped back.
Zuri chuckled lightly, "Since I was five, I've been self-reliant. Can you say the same? Without the Lin family, I forged connections with the Feng and Ye families. Can you do that? Christian, do I need to go on?"
Zuri's contemptuous gaze bore into him, making him feel like a pitiful insect.
"If you don't have the capability, don't try to play the hero here. Do you have the means to run away from home? A useless person is still useless. If you know you're a failure, then stay home obediently and listen to orders."
Her tone implied he was no better than a dog kept by the Lin family, expected to obey Aaron and grovel for the family's favor.
Proud Christian could not tolerate this. Though he had hesitated when thinking about his frozen assets, he now felt he couldn't stay any longer without losing his dignity.
"Brother, don't act on impulse," Saira weakly advised.
Despite her hatred for Mr. and Mrs. Lin and the Lin family, she knew that leaving meant losing everything.
"Saira, don't worry. I will take care of you. Even without the Lin family, I can still provide for you," Christian said, glaring challengingly at Zuri.
Aaron had wanted to intervene but hearing Christian's determination, he decided to let him go.
"This is no longer our home. Saira, let's go."
"Brother, don't be rash. Today's incident was my fault. I deserve to be punished. Don't be angry with Dad and Mom," Saira said gently, trying to deescalate the situation.
But Christian refused to listen.
Seeing her battered state and then looking at their parents, his resentment grew.
Dalia spoke up, "Saira is injured. Where will you take her? If you want to leave, go alone. Don't take your sister."
Christian scoffed, "If I leave her here, she might not survive."
"What are you saying?" Dalia was furious.
Seeing the argument escalate, Zuri interjected coldly, "Christian, you're truly pathetic. You can't even see that your precious sister doesn't want to leave the Lin family. Or rather, she's afraid to leave."
Her words struck a nerve.
"Saira's last name is Lin. If she doesn't stay here, where else would she go?" Dalia snapped.
"An adopted daughter is not truly one of us," Zuri laughed, her gaze dark and menacing.
Dalia realized this was Zuri's revenge for earlier.
Seeing Zuri humiliating Saira in front of him and their parents, Christian couldn't imagine how much worse she must be when they weren't around.
"Saira, let's go. We don't need this home. As for the Lin name, you can take it back. We don't need it."
Ignoring Saira's pleading eyes, Christian picked her up and headed for the door.
Zuri called after them as they left, "Good luck! I hope you don't come crawling back in a few days."
Every word was a knife to the heart.
Christian quickened his pace, vowing never to return to the Lin family.
Saira, too weak to resist, had no choice but to go with Christian.
Soon, the sound of a car engine revving could be heard outside. Zuri clicked her tongue, thinking he wasn't as resolute as he seemed.
Turning to Aaron, Zuri said, "If you want him to come back soon, cancel all his credit cards now."
Though angry, Aaron's love for his son was evident.
"Zuri, what you said was too harsh," Aaron scolded.
"Harsh? That was your leniency. In the business world, he's too easily provoked. Can such a temperament handle negotiations? He'd be devoured whole. Better to let him suffer now than to pay a hefty price later with the Lin Corporation," Zuri said calmly.
Her logic was impeccable.
Aaron nodded and pulled out his phone to instruct his secretary to freeze all of Christian's accounts.
Dalia was shocked at how easily Zuri manipulated her shrewd husband.
Christian took Saira to the downtown villa, only to find it sealed off. Frustrated, he brought her to a hotel, but his cards were declined, and he didn't have enough cash for the room.
Despite being mentally prepared, facing this reality filled him with anger rather than regret. He resented Aaron, Dalia, but most of all, Zuri.
Left with no other option, Christian took Saira to the hospital and called friends for help.
The siblings were as miserable as could be.
Meanwhile, Natalie, Naya, and Samara, three pampered princesses, were also punished. Though not as severely injured as Saira, their families cut off all their resources and forbade any further contact with her.
Christian thought hiding at a friend's place would solve their problems, but he was gravely mistaken.
Back in her room, Zuri called Carlos, "Uncle Li, could you do me a favor?"
"Go ahead."
"Could you casually mention that my father is considering a new heir, having abandoned his two foster children?" Zuri's voice was calm.
Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Sure."
This girl was something else.
After hanging up, Carlos called Owen.
Owen had just left the set, "Uncle Li, did you deliver the gift? Did she like it?"
Carlos laughed, "Don't worry. This girl is impressive. She doesn't need my help to handle things."
"Not interested. I just see her as a sister."
She felt so familiar and endearing to him.
Carlos didn't believe it but didn't argue, "By the way, it seems Ye Fourth is quite interested in her. If you care, you should step up before someone else does."
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