Chapter 4

It was ten o'clock. Vivian's homecoming celebration was nearly over, and I still hadn't appeared.

The guests began whispering among themselves.

“Didn't the Kane family say Lydia had willingly sold her memories to the bank to compensate her sister?”

“But she sold a full ten million coins' worth. How could all of them have been insignificant? Trivial memories aren't worth much…”

“Shh. Don't say that.”

Although the whispers were quiet, Elena still heard them.

She tightened her grip on her wineglass, her expression growing darker by the second.

The guests tonight were all influential figures in the werewolf pack.

The celebration was supposed to let everyone witness the family's reunion. Instead, Lydia's continued absence had turned the Kane family into a laughingstock.

“If she doesn't want to come, then we don't need to wait any longer.”

Adrian gave the order in a low voice.

The host quickly nodded and prepared to end the celebration.

But Xavier suddenly picked up the microphone.

“Everyone, we're sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“My sister Lydia has simply been spoiled for too long. Perhaps she needs a little more time to accept the fact that Vivian has come home.”

“But rest assured, the Kane family will never mistreat either of our daughters.”

His words sounded gracious, but he was placing all the blame on me.

Some guests nodded in understanding, while others frowned.

Vivian stood to one side, her eyes red.

“Xavier, please stop.”

“Lydia didn't do it on purpose. She's probably just having trouble accepting everything. I don't blame her.”

The more she defended me, the more unreasonable I seemed.

Elena wrapped an arm around her affectionately.

“You're always too kind.”

“After everything she's done to you, you still defend her.”

Elena took a necklace out of her bag, then put it away again.

It was the moonstone necklace I had admired when I was fifteen.

Back then, she had promised to give it to me when I came of age.

But after Vivian returned, Elena had become so busy taking care of her younger daughter that she had completely forgotten her promise.

“She doesn't deserve this necklace anymore.”

Elena spoke angrily.

“She can have it when she learns to respect her elders.”

Vivian lowered her head and said nothing more.

Julian closed the gift box as well.

“The engagement is on hold for now.”

“She dared to stand me up tonight. If she wants to marry me, she'll have to come to the Mercer family and beg me herself.”

Vivian's tears began to fall.

“Please don't do this.”

“Lydia might just be afraid to come home. She's lost so many memories at once. She must be hurting.”

Adrian frowned.

“What could she possibly have lost? She's not stupid. Do you really think she would sell all her important memories?”

“How difficult could it be to raise ten million coins?”

Vivian lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Xavier scoffed.

“Memories don't have a fixed price.”

“She loves telling stories. She probably dressed up a few trivial incidents as some kind of grand life experience.”

“If the Memory Bank was foolish enough to pay that much, that's their problem.”

Julian nodded in agreement.

“She isn't showing up because she's still throwing a tantrum.”

Hearing that, Elena's last trace of unease disappeared.

That was right.

Lydia had always been clever.

Those supposedly high-value transactions were probably just a trick she'd used to fool the Memory Bank.

All they needed was for her to prove she was willing to make sacrifices for her sister.

What exactly she had sold was never important.

Soon, the butler entered with a customer service representative from the Memory Bank.

The representative handed Adrian a sealed envelope.

“Mr. Kane, this is the final receipt for Ms. Lydia Kane's transactions.”

“All transactions have been completed and cannot be reversed.”

Adrian took the envelope without even breaking the seal.

“Fine.”

The representative looked at him and asked again,

“Would you like to open it and confirm the contents?”

“What is there to confirm?”

Adrian casually handed the envelope to his assistant.

“As long as the coins have been transferred, that's all that matters. Our family affairs are none of your concern.”

The representative didn't press the matter.

Before leaving, she offered one final reminder.

“Mr. Kane, Miss Lydia will be coming here in person tonight.”

Elena immediately stood up.

“She finally agreed to come?”

Xavier didn't seem surprised.

“I knew she wouldn't hold out for long. When she arrives, no one is to comfort her first.”

Julian placed the old crown back on the table.

“Make her apologize first.”

“If her attitude isn't good enough, she won't even get this crown.”

Adrian called the host back.

“Put the apology segment back into the program.”

“Once she walks through the door, send her straight onto the stage.”

“I want her to admit in front of everyone that Vivian suffered for eighteen years while she enjoyed eighteen years of our love.”

The remaining guests heard that I was coming and stopped preparing to leave.

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside the ballroom.

The doors slowly swung open.

I walked in.

Elena was the first to approach me.

“Lydia, so you finally remember to come back?”

“So many people have been waiting for you. How can you still have no manners?”

Adrian sat at the head of the table and ordered sternly,

“Come here.”

“Apologize to Vivian first.”

Xavier walked up to me and held out the wolf-fang pendant. His tone was casual and dismissive.

“That's enough. Stop sulking.”

“As long as you behave from now on, I'll still be your brother.”

Julian approached as well, his tone almost patronizing.

“I can let your lateness tonight slide.”

“Go apologize to Vivian properly, and our engagement can still stand.”

Everyone waited for me to speak.

But I looked at the unfamiliar faces before me and asked in confusion,

“Who are you? Why have you brought me here?”