What doesn't belong to her will never be hers.
After completing his sister's task, Fang Hao tactfully left.
On a sunny afternoon, with a gentle breeze blowing, a disheveled figure emerged from the police station. His uniform was wrinkled, his face unshaven, and his entire body reeked of sweat. This man was none other than Manuel, who had caused a scene at Zuri's birthday party and had been taken away by the police. Since it wasn't a serious crime, he was released after a few days.
Manuel spat towards the police station in frustration. "Damn, what bad luck."
He headed directly to the slums in the western suburbs to find Rhea.
Seeing Manuel, Rhea turned to run.
With a few quick strides, Manuel blocked her path. "Why are you running?"
Terrified, Rhea backed away. "What do you want?"
"I'm just here to collect the remaining money. It's time you paid up."
"You didn't complete the task. Those ladies didn't pay me, so where am I supposed to get the money for you?" Rhea cowered in a corner, looking at him fearfully.
"I don't care. I did everything you asked. If it didn't succeed, that's not my problem. I even spent a few days locked up because of you. You owe me for those days too," Manuel demanded arrogantly.
"I have no money. If you want money, go to them. If you try to hurt me, I'll call the police."
"Call the police?" Manuel sneered, stepping forward and yanking Rhea by the hair, throwing her to the ground and pressing his foot on her. "Rhea, don't think I won't hurt you. Get two thousand dollars ready by next month, or you'll regret it." Manuel swaggered off.
After he left, Rhea scrambled up from the ground, her eyes red with anger.
"Zuri, it's all your fault!" she muttered through gritted teeth.
After a night of drinking and revelry with his friends, Manuel staggered down an alley, clutching a beer bottle and humming. Suddenly feeling the need to urinate, he relieved himself in a corner and prepared to leave. He sensed someone behind him and turned around, but saw no one in the dark alley.
He continued walking, but the feeling of being watched crept up again. He turned abruptly, but still saw nothing.
"Who's there?" he shouted.
The alley remained silent.
"Damn it," Manuel cursed.
Then, a low, sinister laugh echoed, chilling him to the bone.
Manuel's body tensed, and his eyes widened. "Don't come near me! I have a blessed charm on me," he shouted to bolster his courage.
A tall, shadowy figure appeared ahead, cloaked in black, face hidden under a hood, moving closer with each step.
Manuel screamed and turned to run, stumbling over a bottle and falling. The black figure kept approaching, and Manuel's screams grew louder.
A cold, mocking laugh cut through the air. "Manuel, long time no see."
Hearing the familiar voice, Manuel stopped screaming and looked up in surprise.
"You? How is it you?"
He couldn't believe it was Zuri standing before him.
Zuri smiled at him, her beautiful face looking eerie in the dim light.
Manuel's heart raced as he met her unsettling smile.
The flickering light made her face appear twisted.
"Are you human or a ghost?" Manuel stammered.
"What do you think?" Zuri chuckled.
Manuel scrambled to his feet, wanting to escape, but felt a heavy pull on his collar, choking him.
He turned around but saw no one; his collar was snagged on a wooden post.
Scanning the area, he found no sign of Zuri.
"I must be seeing things," Manuel muttered, hiccuping from the alcohol.
He continued walking, only to see a shadowy figure reappear, floating towards him without any legs.
"Ah!" Manuel screamed, "A ghost!"
He turned to run but crashed into a wall, splitting his head open.
Catching a glimpse of the shadow creeping closer, he scrambled away, shouting, "A ghost!"
No matter which way he ran, he kept hitting walls, the shadow always behind him.
His screams echoed in the alley, sounding like someone possessed, repeatedly running into the same wall.
After two hours, Manuel collapsed, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.
As he lay there, a pair of calm footsteps approached and stopped beside him. A figure looked down at his twitching body, then turned and left.
The night is the source of fear.
The night is the end of pain.
The next day, on her way home, Rhea saw Manuel being carried back by others. From the neighbors, she learned that Manuel had gone mad after encountering something eerie in the demolition area.
Rhea's gloom lifted. "Serves him right!" she thought. "Too bad he didn't die. If only he had died of fright."
In high spirits, Rhea hummed a tune.
Just then, a neighbor approached her. "Rhea, you're finally back. Your father suddenly collapsed and vomited blood. He's been taken to the hospital. You need to go now. Your mother is waiting for you."
Rhea's smile vanished instantly.
At the hospital, she found her mother and brother outside the operating room. They seemed relieved to see her.
"Rhea, you're finally here," Mrs. Liu said, gripping her daughter's hand.
"Mom, what happened to Dad?" Rhea asked anxiously.
"The doctor said it's a stroke. What are we going to do? If he falls, our family is done for. Where will we get your brother's tuition and our living expenses? And his medical bills?" Mrs. Liu despaired, clutching Rhea's hand tightly.
Rhea was overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, paralyzed with fear and uncertainty.
"All the money at home has gone to your father's treatment," Mrs. Liu said, wiping her tears. Although she was in her forties, her hands looked like those of a sixty-year-old woman.
"Mom, don't cry. I'll find a way," Rhea comforted her, though she herself was unsure of what to do.
None of their relatives were well-off, and their neighbors were all struggling financially. Who would lend them money?
Suddenly, Mrs. Liu spoke up, "Rhea, I heard Zuri is from a wealthy family. She must have money. You used to be close friends. Ask her for help. Even a little bit from her could support our family."
Zuri?!
Would someone like her, who despises the poor and fawns over the rich, even bother to help? Would she lend money?
Rhea was uncertain, but at the moment, Zuri was their only hope.
Faced with her mother and brother's hopeful gazes, Rhea nodded, "I'll go find her."
"Hurry up," Mrs. Liu urged.
"I'll go tomorrow," Rhea said, wanting to check on her father first.
Mrs. Liu pinched her arm harshly. "Are you stupid? The money we have is only enough for the deposit, not the treatment. Staying here won't help. Go and get the money from Zuri."
Under her mother's urging, Rhea left the hospital.
Lin Household
Zuri walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe, her pale cheeks flushed. She went to the vanity, opened the bottom drawer, took out a wooden box, and placed a blood-stained mouse tail into a glass jar, which was already one-third full.
She gently stroked the jar, her eyes fixed on the tails, whispering, "Someone will join you soon. Don't worry, she'll be here soon."
Knock, knock, knock...
Someone knocked on the door. Zuri calmly put everything back in the drawer.
"Come in."
Arianwen entered the bedroom. "Second Miss, there's a call from the gate. Someone claiming to be your good friend needs to see you urgently. Should I let them in?"
"Really?" Zuri slowly dried her hair. "My only friend is Azura."
Arianwen understood. "Rest well, Second Miss."
Outside the villa gate, Rhea was anxiously waiting. After taking the call, the security guard said to Rhea impatiently, "She doesn't know you. Leave."
"How can she not know me? We grew up together. We were best friends."
The guard was exasperated. "If you're such good friends, call her."
Rhea looked embarrassed.
She didn't know when, but she had been blocked by Zuri.
"Please, ask again. Just one more time, please? Tell her it's Rhea. I really need to see her."
The guard ignored her. "Go away."
This wasn't an ordinary neighborhood where one could bother the residents repeatedly.
"Leave now."
Rhea was ruthlessly chased away.
Feeling helpless, Rhea stared at the gate behind her, her eyes filled with deep hatred.
Zuri, you'll get what's coming to you!
Rhea crouched down and cried. The pressure from her family's situation and her mother's expectations was suffocating.
The only person she could turn to was so heartless. How could she not hate her?
If anything happened to her father, she would make Zuri pay.
FX Venture Capital Headquarters
The secretary opened the door to the CEO's office, placed a thick stack of documents on the desk, and stepped back a few paces to report the schedule.
"Meeting with Mr. Wang in the afternoon, and a business reception in the evening."
"Mr. Feng, we have the information on the girl you asked me to investigate. All her details and the surveillance video from that day have been sent to your email."
"Also, it turns out that the girl knows Third Young Master. He attended her birthday party under the Feng family's name to show support."
The man, who had been staring at stock charts, lifted his head and looked at his chief assistant, muttering, "This is interesting."
Nolan opened his email and quickly scanned the documents, reading at lightning speed.
Grayson continued, "The surveillance video from that day shows that Miss Lin likely stumbled upon the situation and helped him out of convenience."
Nolan opened the cafe surveillance video, immediately locking onto the figure on the screen, his sharp eyes tracking her every move, even a slight glance.
Suddenly, Nolan paused the video, zooming in repeatedly, a playful smile on his lips.
"Coincidence? Not likely," Nolan's deep voice was calm and indifferent.
Grayson was taken aback by this remark.
Not a coincidence? Then she must have been waiting for Evan on purpose.
A girl so young, with such capability.
The thought made him glance at his boss.
He almost forgot, his boss was the most brilliant prodigy. If his boss could do it, perhaps this girl could too.
In the evening, a Maybach drove slowly down the road.
During rush hour, the car moved like a snail.
Nolan checked his limited edition Rolex watch, glanced up, and looked at the endless traffic jam ahead.
"Stop up ahead," Nolan instructed.
The driver moved a few paces and parked by the roadside.
Grayson got out, checking the time and calculating the walking distance. From here to the hotel, it would take twenty minutes on foot, just in time for the meeting.
"From here, it's about a fifteen-minute walk to Windsor School," Grayson reported dutifully.
Meanwhile, two hundred meters away at the school gate, a scene was unfolding.
Rhea had been waiting at the gate early. Seeing Zuri, Azura, and Farida approaching, she took a deep breath, psyching herself up.
"Rhea, pride doesn't matter now. As long as you get the money, everything will be fine."
She kept repeating this to herself.
As Zuri and her friends approached, Rhea rushed over, blocking their path.
"Zuri, please, save my father. Only you can help him now. I'll do anything you ask," Rhea's voice was loud.
Immediately, she drew the attention of all the passing students. Those who were about to get in their cars stopped and gathered around.
The more people gathered, the more pitiful Rhea's expression became. With tears in her eyes, she cried out, "Zuri, my dad once helped you. Please help him just this once. I'm begging you."
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