Chapter 4

The box flew three meters across the room, landing with a thud.

A bloody, mangled mess tumbled out, leaving a crimson streak on the carpet.

The housekeeper, trembling, stammered in horror, "A dead rat... how could it be a dead rat..."

At that moment, Westley walked out of the kitchen, holding a plate of pasta.

He froze at the sight, dropping the plate immediately, and rushed toward Elena.

“Elena, are you alright?”

He knelt in front of her, gently holding her hands, his expression as tender as if he were handling the most precious treasure.

Elena offered a sweet, coquettish smile. “I’m fine, Westley.”

Glancing toward Yara, she suddenly pouted, her face full of grievance. “But Yara... she bought that dead rat on purpose to scare me. It nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Westley frowned and turned to Yara. “What’s wrong with you? Did prison twist your mind?”

Robert’s voice cut through sharply. “How could you be so cruel? Apologize to Elena immediately!”

Yara lifted her head, her expression numb. “What makes you so sure I bought the dead rat?”

Elena’s voice rose, shrill and indignant. “Who else could it be? Your name was on the box!”

Yara’s voice remained calm as she countered, “Have you never received a package from someone else? Just because my name is on it doesn’t mean I ordered it.”

Elena hesitated, her expression faltering before twisting into disdain.

“Are you saying someone sent it to you? Please, you just got out of prison. Who would bother sending you anything?”

Yara let out a sarcastic laugh. “Maybe you can answer that. Without your little stunt, would someone have sent me a dead rat?”

Elena’s face flushed crimson. “You’re saying someone else sent it? I say you bought it yourself! Prove it wasn’t you!”

“And why should I prove anything?”

Yara tilted her chin slightly, her gaze steady.

“Under the principle of presumption of innocence, if you think I’m guilty, it’s your job to prove it, not mine to prove my innocence.

“Elena Cullen, you’re a lawyer, aren’t you? Don’t you even understand this basic principle?”

Standing in the morning light, her figure seemed to glow with an almost sacred aura, exuding a quiet yet commanding dignity.

Westley watched her, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as if he were seeing the Yara of the past—the undefeated lawyer.

Sharp in her words, clear in her logic, armed with evidence and reason.

Every time she spoke, she left her opponents with no room to fight back.

Robert stood up, slamming the newspaper onto the coffee table with a loud thud.

“Is this a courtroom or a home? Your law license has been revoked! What’s with the act, pretending to be some hotshot attorney?”

Yara’s straightened back suddenly sagged, and a faint ache spread through her chest as she stared at her father, whose bias knew no bounds.

He was right—she could never be a lawyer again.

But wasn’t it because of them that she’d lost everything?

The housekeeper nervously pointed to the box. “There’s a note inside… it looks like someone wrote something on it.”

Westley strode over and picked it up. His expression shifted, a trace of unease flickering across his face.

Elena pressed eagerly, “Westley, what does it say? Read it out loud!”

His jaw tightened as he read the note aloud. “Disgraced lawyer Yara Cullen, you’re nothing more than a rat scurrying through the streets. You’ll end up just like this one.”

He set the note down and glanced toward Yara, who stood not far away.

Her head was bowed, her face as pale as a sheet of paper.

Her frail figure looked like it could dissolve into the light at any moment.

Something inside Westley twisted sharply.

Robert let out a cold snort. “I told you long ago not to become a lawyer. If you’d listened, none of this would’ve happened.”

Elena chimed in, “Exactly! This is all your fault! You scared everyone half to death.”

Without a word, Yara turned and headed upstairs, her shoulders slumped, her back hunched slightly.

Westley’s feet moved on their own. “I’ll go check on her.”

“Westley!” Elena pouted, her tone full of grievance. “I was the one who was scared just now…”

But her words did nothing to stop him. He disappeared around the corner without looking back.

Elena’s gaze darkened. Picking up a throw pillow, she hurled it to the floor in frustration.