Jolene was a sharp blade that had yet to be fully wielded. Because of Juniper, she had broken her leg and missed the university entrance exams, effectively ruining her life. Her hatred for Juniper must be immense. Now was the perfect time to add fuel to the fire.
“Cowards,” Qadir muttered angrily as he watched them leave. “Janet, how can someone like Yelena come from the same family as you?”
Janet bit her lip. “I’m not a Wilcox,” she answered quietly. She never was, and she had no desire to be.
Just then, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, her brow furrowed and her expression soured. After a few seconds, she answered, her voice cold. “Hello?”
“Janet, are you free? Let’s grab dinner sometime,” said the caller, Trent Wilcox, Yelena’s brother.
“I’m not.” Janet’s tone was distant as she flatly refused. “Mr. Wilcox, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
With that, she ended the call, turned off her phone, and grumbled, “He’s nuts. Why does he keep asking me out lately?”
“He keeps asking you out?” Juniper picked up on the key detail, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Yeah,” Janet nodded, explaining softly, “It’s so weird, like he wants something from me.”
But besides her mother, she had nothing. The Wilcox family was like a persistent shadow she couldn't shake.
Luella didn't dare argue. Janet was her precious cousin, and if Juniper actually went to treat Orville… whether he’d live was uncertain, but the probability of him being helped into an early grave was quite high.
Less than ten minutes later, Luella sent over the details. The gist was this: eighteen years ago, Zorion Wilcox, the eldest son, and the daughter of the Miller family were being forced into an arranged marriage, despite both having people they loved. They agreed to get engaged to secure power within their families and then immediately break it off.
However, on the day of the engagement, Ms. Miller’s boyfriend died in a car accident. Unable to cope, Ms. Miller attempted suicide. Though she was saved, she reportedly suffered a mental breakdown and was never seen in public again.
At that very moment, someone deliberately leaked the existence of Saskia Payne. To protect their reputation, the Millers claimed that their daughter’s suicide attempt was due to Zorion’s infidelity. The Wilcox family, trying to quell the scandal, demanded Zorion publicly sever his ties with Saskia. Zorion, of course, refused. In a fit of defiance, he cut ties with the Wilcox family himself. The shock of it all was what made Orville gravely ill. Later, Zorion died in an accident, leaving Saskia and Janet to struggle on their own.
What a series of convenient coincidences, Juniper thought. The Wilcox family, was it? After holding back for so long, it was time. Let everything that deserved to be destroyed burn.

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