Chapter 8

Luna blinked innocently and looked up at Autumn in confusion.

"Autumn, what’s wrong?"

Autumn smiled at her. "Nothing."

Luna had probably decided Autumn wouldn’t cause a scene, which was why she dared to play her games so openly.

After all, Autumn’s relationship with the rest of the Lewis family was tense.

Every time she came back, it was only to keep her grandmother company, and she barely spoke to anyone else.

But Luna had miscalculated.

No matter what Julian did now, Autumn no longer cared.

With that thought, she held the scissors, pulled the tag into view, and was just about to snip it off when a woman’s sharp voice screamed from the doorway.

"Autumn, what are you doing?"

Susan Rivers rushed forward and slammed the luxury shopping bag in her hand right into Autumn’s face.

Startled, Autumn’s hand slipped, and the scissors jabbed into Luna’s back.

Blood immediately began to seep through the fabric.

"Ah..."

Luna let out a soft cry of pain.

Susan panicked, quickly checking Luna from head to toe.

When she saw the blood staining the back of Luna’s white dress, her face went pale.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Blood? Luna, are you okay? Let me see where you’re hurt."

Autumn raised her hand to block the shopping bag, her eyes turning cold.

In that moment, she fully understood Luna’s intention.

Just then, her second brother, Hector, walked in, carrying several shopping bags.

Dressed in black casualwear, tall and broad-shouldered, he bore a clear resemblance to Autumn.

He placed the bags on the coffee table and looked at Susan. "What happened, Susan?”

Since Susan married into the family when the Lewis brothers were already seven or eight, they had always called her by her first name.

Susan had calmed down by now.

Her eyes were still teary as she looked at Autumn and pleaded, "Autumn, if you’re upset, take it out on me. Please don’t hurt Luna, okay?"

She knew perfectly well that as a stepmother, the only way to survive in this household was to stay small and submissive.

Everything she did was so Luna could depend on the Lewis family, find a good husband, and ensure her own future comfort.

She had no choice but to swallow her anger and play the role of the dutiful daughter-in-law in front of the Lewis family.

Hector frowned, his eyes filled with reproach as he looked at Autumn.

"Autumn, how could you hurt Luna like that? You’ve gone too far. Apologize to her now. Every time you come home, it turns into a scene. Can’t you just behave for once?"

Looking at her second brother, whose features mirrored her own, Autumn froze for a second.

She remembered when their mother was sick, how he had pounded his chest and promised her he’d take care of his sister.

But only a few years had passed, and Hector became someone else entirely.

She didn’t know when it had started, but now, all she saw in his eyes was disappointment and contempt.

Whenever Luna was involved, he would side with her without question and limits.

Autumn’s expression turned cold as she looked at them.

"Ms. Rivers, if your eyesight’s failing, you should see a doctor. Which eye of yours saw me hurting Luna?

"And you, barking without even asking what actually happened. Is being Luna’s lapdog really that rewarding?"

Hector’s face turned red with anger, veins bulging at his neck.

He pointed at her. "You…"

Just then, Ginny walked in, her silver hair neat, leaning on a cane and supported by the driver.

She held a delicate gift bag in one hand.

She tapped her cane sharply against the floor, her tone commanding.

"I was the one who asked Autumn to come home. And every time she does, you people manage to stir up some drama.

“What is it? Do none of you respect this old woman anymore?"

The moment Autumn saw her grandmother, she hurried forward to help her.

"Grandma, I’m fine. Don’t be upset. It’s not worth affecting your health over this."

Every time she came home, it turned into chaos.

She had grown used to it.

If it weren’t for her grandmother, she wouldn’t step foot in this house again.

Hector pursed his lips in defiance and muttered, "Grandma, we weren’t making a scene. Autumn was trying to hurt Luna. I was just upset and scolded her a little."

Ginny shot him a sharp look. "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

Hector fell silent.

She sighed, her tone filled with meaning.

"Hector, Autumn is your sister by blood. Both of you are born from the same father and mother. You can’t let a few words from someone else turn your heart cold toward your own sister."

Hector lowered his eyes, a flicker of guilt flashing across his face.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end, said nothing.

Though Ginny’s words unsettled him, he quickly buried the feeling.

Just then, Luna stepped forward, eyes red as she spoke to Ginny.

"Grandma, it’s my fault. I only asked Autumn to help me cut off the tag. I didn’t expect it to cause such a misunderstanding.

"Mom, Hector, you both misunderstood her. Autumn wasn’t trying to hurt me. This was all my fault."

Ginny gave Luna a cold glance.

"Then why didn’t you speak up earlier? You stood there watching Autumn get blamed and looked quite pleased with yourself."

Luna’s voice trembled with emotion. "No, Grandma, you’ve misunderstood. I really didn’t want her to be scolded. I was just… too scared…"

Before she could finish, Ginny cut her off.

"You were scared, so you let Autumn take the fall? Let her get scolded by her own brother? What exactly were you hoping to achieve?"

Seeing Luna crying harder, Susan quickly stepped forward to defend her.

"Mom, Luna didn’t mean it that way. She really was just scared. It’s my fault. I jumped to conclusions and blamed Autumn without asking first.

"Autumn, I’m sorry. This was my fault. I promise, it won’t happen again."

Autumn’s lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.

She didn’t hold back as she tore through the lie.

"Ms. Rivers, last time when Luna fell into the pool, you said the same thing. How many times have you made a vow by now? You repeat the same mistake every time. At this point, your credibility with me is zero."