Evelyn Cobb was not Amelia Cobb. In the early years, if Amelia had been hit, she might have just cried silently.
But now, she is Evelyn Cobb, only wrapped in Amelia's skin, but the rebelliousness in her bones remains as always.
Amelia, covering her face, looked at Old Mr. Cobb in disbelief, her face a mix of astonishment and surprise.
Smack————
She raised her hand and slapped him back, shocking everyone in the room.
Kallie Rayno, holding Amelia's hand, was stunned, and William Cobb didn't seem to expect his daughter to dare to do this. Old Mr. Cobb had raised several children and had never suffered such humiliation, but in this generation, his granddaughter had slapped him.
Old Mr. Cobb extended his trembling hand and pointed at Amelia: "You... you... you...!"
"Miss Cobb, what on earth are you doing?" Steward Martin, extremely loyal to his master, stepped forward to stand in front of Old Mr. Cobb.
He looked at Amelia with a guarded expression. Amelia pushed Kallie's hand away and pointed at Steward Martin: "What am I doing? Who started hitting people in the first place?"
"Old Mr. Cobb is an elder," Steward Martin argued.
"Exactly! Elders should be buried after living to a certain age. It's not enough for you to be old; you're even becoming an evil spirit!"
"And which law or regulation states that elders can hit people at will?"
"If it weren't for your disrespect towards Old Mr. Cobb..."
"Is he dead? Does he need me to respect him?"
Amelia glared at them with wide, angry eyes, and Steward Martin was left speechless by her arrogant words.
Only Old Mr. Cobb pointed at her, trembling with rage: "Rebel, rebel, rebel———thump!"
Old Mr. Cobb fainted.
Amelia looked at the fainting Old Mr. Cobb, feeling a slight sense of unease, which didn't come from fear but from her years of upbringing.
"You———" Steward Martin rushed up to Amelia, but Kallie protected her.
"Steward Martin, you are just a steward; my daughter is not someone you can touch," Kallie said. The phrase "mother hen protecting her chick" may sound crude, but it is not unreasonable to use in this situation.
Amelia's heart warmed, but the better Kallie treated her, the more guilt she felt.
"Madam, Old Mr. Cobb has never suffered this kind of humiliation."
Kallie laughed coldly: "As if my daughter has suffered this kind of humiliation. Anyway, the one who started hitting is the one at fault."
Steward Martin glanced at Amelia and saw her unwavering defiance in her eyes.
The hatred in her eyes was not hidden at all.
...…
"Sir," Juliet Walker knocked on the door to Christopher Robinson's study in Orchard Garden.
In the study, Christopher Robinson was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking at his computer.
"Miss Amelia had a fight with Old Mr. Cobb. He was so angry that he had to be taken to the hospital," Juliet reported.
Christopher Robinson removed his glasses, looked up at the door, and said, "Say that again."
"It was Old Mr. Cobb who started hitting Amelia, and she fought back. Old Mr. Cobb fainted from anger," Juliet recounted the story in full detail.
Listening, Christopher Robinson remained silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. Juliet only saw him slowly nod: "She's got backbone."
"Have you investigated thoroughly?" Christopher Robinson still felt some suspicion.
How could someone's personality change so drastically? How could she be so different from her past self?
Juliet shook her head: "Yes, we found nothing unusual, but... she went to Harmony Hospital this afternoon."
"Did she meet anyone?" Christopher Robinson wondered.
"No, she just sat there by herself for the whole afternoon until we left the hospital..."
As Christopher Robinson's fingers tapped on the desk, he said, "Keep an eye on her."
In the hospital, Amelia leaned against the wall, with no one from the Cobb family talking. Only Steward Martin was on the phone, calling the Second Branch to come, probably to deal with her.
Jaso Cobb stood aside and poked Amelia's arm, speaking in a low voice, "Why did you fight back?"
Amelia remained silent.
Jaso continued, "When the Second Branch comes, stay away."
"Why?" Amelia raised an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid they'll hit you."
"I'll just hit them back. I even hit Old Mr. Cobb, why would I be afraid of them?"
Jaso stared at Amelia for a long time. They didn't usually spend much time together, and talking like this was even rarer. But Jaso knew Amelia was different from her usual self.
The difference wasn't just on the surface; it was deep within her bones.
"You've changed."
Amelia's heart trembled at these words, and an inexplicable sense of panic rushed over her, no matter who said them.
It was the feeling of stealing something from someone and being afraid of being discovered.
No, she was worse than a thief. She had taken over someone else's body and lived in their stead in this world.
Amelia stayed silent, then looked up and asked, "Isn't that a good thing?"
Jaso looked surprised for half a minute and then slowly nodded, "Yes."
"I need to go to the bathroom."
Amelia didn't want to stay at the emergency room entrance any longer, so she made an excuse to leave. She was about to push open the Fire Department door when she heard William's voice on the other side, "Has the black box been found?"
"Operation mishap? I see, I'll report this. For now, don't notify the media or the family..."
Through a few words, Amelia's emotions were thrown into turmoil.
It wasn't surprising that William, as a high-ranking official, knew about the incident. What was surprising, however, was his last sentence, not notifying the media or the family for the time being.
From her experience in negotiation, not informing the media or the family must have hidden details—and these details could not be known to others.
"Amelia, what are you doing here?" As William opened the Fire Department door, he saw Amelia sitting dazed in the chair.
Her mind was elsewhere, completely out of it.
"Amelia...", William called again.
Amelia came to her senses and looked up at him.
William squatted down, parallel to her, "Don't overthink it, even if the Second Branch comes, they won't dare to do anything to us."
"Dad, do you know why I fought with Old Mr. Cobb?"
"Why?"
"Because I don't want regrets to dominate my whole life. If I die tomorrow, those who bully me can proudly tell the world that they've bullied me for a lifetime."
Something inside William was stirred. He hugged Amelia and gently patted her back: "Amelia, no one can bully you for a lifetime."
When father and daughter returned, Linda Kent had already brought Sophia Cobb. Jaso protected Kallie behind him and looked at the Second Branch with vigilance.
"Kallie, you're really outrageous. After all, Old Mr. Cobb is an elder. Is this how you teach your daughter? Do you know that the Cobb family may become famous because of your daughter's slap?"
"You're making the Cobb family a laughingstock in front of the whole world and completely ignoring the family's dignity."