Chapter 4

The next morning, I had only just stepped downstairs to head for the dining room when I spotted two glaring figures on the living room couch.

It was Melissa and a middle-aged woman who looked very similar to her. They were sitting on the couch normally reserved for the owner of the house, and with Mom's shawl wrapped around the older woman's shoulders, she was giving off the air of the mistress of the house.

Upon spotting me, she scanned me with a scornful look before instructing the housekeepers, "Move all her things out."

She then shot me a polite smile that dripped with disdain. "My daughter loves sunlight, so your room will be hers from now on. You can choose to stay at the school's dormitory or the storeroom. It's up to you."

I squeezed the railing tightly, so furious that I couldn't help but laugh.

"I distinctly remember this house belonging to my mother."

The woman didn't panic at all upon hearing that, a challenging look even appearing in her eyes.

"Your father said that I get to decide everything in this house from now on. Go confront him about it if you have any objections."

At that moment, Dad and Peter also arrived downstairs. They instantly made their way over to the woman, with Dad wrapping an affectionate arm around her shoulders while Peter addressed her familiarly as "Felicia".

Dad suddenly turned to me, a pretentious smile crossing his face.

"Felicia doesn't mean anything else by that. It's just that you've grown up now, so you should be a little more independent. Speaking of, today is your birthday, and I've prepared a gift for you."

With that, he glanced pointedly at Peter, who came over to hand me a document.

I quickly browsed the contents, my face instantly going pale.

The "gift" Dad had given me was none other than a nine-million-dollar bill.

Gnashing my teeth, I asked with reddened eyes, "Why should I pay you?"

"This is the total amount of money spent on raising you all these years." The smile on Peter's face was coldly indifferent. "You're a Warren, not a Thorne, so it's only natural that we ask you to pay us back."

Melissa leaned over to take a look at the number before her eyes lit up. Following that, she threw herself into Dad's arms and asked excitedly, "Dad, is that the nine-million-dollar fund you promised to set up for me as a guarantee for my future?"

Patting her head, Dad smiled gently. "Yes, that's the one. You're so smart, Mel."

Then, he turned to say to me in a tone as though he were doing charity. "I know that you can't pay me back in full right now, so you can pay in installments instead, with interest calculated using the minimum rate."

A delighted smile bloomed on Melissa's face, and she stuck her nose in the air, declaring arrogantly, "Christina, you got one thing right. Something bought without using my money is always great."

I finally snapped out of my daze at the utter absurdity of the situation. With a dark scowl, I ripped the bill to shreds. "I refuse."

Immediately, the atmosphere in the living room turned tense.

The first to react was Felicia Ewing, who was cuddled up to Dad. She let out a scoff before patting Melissa's wrist meaningfully.

Melissa instantly understood what her mother wanted and pretended to scream, "Ah! My haute couture bracelet is missing!"

Jabbing a finger at me, she continued with tears in her eyes, "Dad, she must have stolen my bracelet out of jealousy!"

Dad went along with the act and pulled out his phone and called a number.

In less than ten minutes, a group of people from a reform school had arrived.

The leader of the group eyed me with less than noble intentions before turning to grin at Dad.

"Don't you worry, sir. We know exactly how to deal with stubborn people like her."

Dad hummed in response and looked at me in the cold way one would look at an object. "From now on, she'll be staying with you there. I don't care what methods you use to torment her, as long as she remains alive."

I stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, my entire body trembling with sheer rage.

The group of people from the reform school approached me and grabbed me by the hair before roughly dragging me toward the front door.

As we went past Dad and Peter, I glared hatefully at them. In a hoarse voice, I cried out, "Since this is how you want to treat me, you'd better not come to regret your actions!"

Just as I was about to be hauled away, the front door to the villa was forcefully kicked open from the outside.

A sharp, icy female voice rang out. "Samuel Thorne, just what gave you the courage to send my daughter to a reform school!"