Chapter 9

"Camelia, I've verified the internal files sent by our informant," Noah said, his breath slightly hurried over the phone speaker. "The reason Bagaskara forced you to return home and arranged your marriage to Morgan is so he can seize the remaining inheritance your mother left behind, which is still legally under your name. Your father is convinced that... Morgan, who hates you to the core, will hurt you as revenge for his father's death. Bagaskara is using Morgan's hatred to get rid of you without dirtying his own hands!"

A faint, almost inaudible laugh escaped Camelia's pale lips. "I knew it. They planned all of this so Morgan would hate me and legally torment me under the bond of marriage."

Camelia closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the ache in her chest to settle as she faced the bitter truth. She could clearly imagine what her married life would become if she submitted to their scheme. Vivian and Bagaskara would continue pulling the strings behind the scenes, constantly poisoning Morgan's mind with fresh lies until he tortured her psychologically and physically. Using someone else's hands to destroy her slowly had always been Bagaskara's favorite method.

Yet instead of breaking down in fear, a cold, sarcastic smile slowly curved across Camelia's lips. Her eyes opened, blazing with unwavering defiance.

"You think I'm the same helpless lamb my mother was? You're gravely mistaken."

Ding.

A message notification interrupted the silence. Camelia pulled the phone away from her ear and opened an image sent from a number she knew all too well—Vivian.

The image displayed an elegant maroon engagement invitation adorned with gold lettering. Printed clearly on it were the names Morgan Erlangga and Vivian Clarissa, along with a ceremony date scheduled exactly three days from now.

"An engagement invitation... three days from now?" Camelia murmured, her brows knitting together. Confusion briefly crossed her face as she tried to make sense of the contradictions in her enemies' plans.

"So you've been spreading rumors about my arranged marriage to Morgan among the family while secretly preparing a lavish engagement party for Vivian and Morgan?"

Camelia immediately understood the true nature of their scheme. Bagaskara didn't just want to eliminate her—he wanted to humiliate her before everyone. On the day of the engagement, he would undoubtedly fabricate another scandal to destroy her reputation in front of their business associates, portraying her as a delusional woman obsessed with stealing her stepsister's fiancé.

"I can't just sit here and let them celebrate while standing on my suffering," Camelia hissed, her voice low with determination. "My father is going to slander me in front of everyone at that event."

Ignoring the throbbing pain returning to her temples, Camelia gripped the IV needle embedded in the back of her hand. With one sharp pull, she yanked it out, allowing fresh blood to trickle down her skin. Paying no attention to the sting, she grabbed the long coat hanging in the corner of the room and quietly slipped out of the hospital before any of the nurses noticed.

---

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Erlangga Holding, an oppressive silence filled Morgan's executive office.

Morgan stood with his back to his enormous desk, gazing out over the sprawling metropolitan skyline through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, his arms folded tightly across his chest. His mind had been restless ever since he left Camelia at the hospital hours earlier. The doctor's words about her severe psychological trauma kept replaying in his head like a broken record.

A gentle knock sounded on the office door before Morgan's personal assistant stepped inside, carrying a thick stack of document folders. The assistant's face looked pale, as though he had just uncovered something horrifying.

"Sir, I've obtained all the records and medical files regarding Miss Camelia that you requested," the assistant said, his voice trembling slightly as he placed the folders on the desk.

Morgan turned around, picked up the documents, and began flipping through them rapidly.

The further he read, the tighter his jaw became. His sharp eyes trembled as they scanned the countless facts that had been buried for years behind the walls of the Bagaskara residence.

"According to eyewitness statements and testimony from former household staff, Miss Camelia has suffered years of verbal and psychological abuse at the hands of Mr. Bagaskara," the assistant explained, lowering his head respectfully.

"It began shortly after her biological mother passed away. Mr. Bagaskara deliberately isolated her, cut off all of her social connections, and even sent her overseas under the pretense of education. In reality, he simply wanted to remove her so she wouldn't interfere with the company's operations. Miss Camelia has endured unimaginable suffering since she was a child, sir."

Morgan fell completely silent.

The hand holding the documents trembled slightly.

The image of the arrogant, manipulative Camelia he had carried in his mind for years suddenly crumbled apart, replaced by the heartbreaking picture of a lonely little girl growing up in darkness, tormented by her own father.

The hatred he had nurtured toward Camelia's family suddenly began to waver upon realizing that Camelia herself had been the very first victim of Bagaskara's greed.

Gathering his courage, Morgan's assistant slowly raised his head and looked at his employer, who remained frozen in suffocating silence.

"Sir... after seeing all this evidence, do you still intend to go through with your engagement to Miss Vivian in three days?"