Chapter 8 Over in the living room, Dad paced back and forth in agitation, while Mom sat on the couch, her expression grim. The moment I walked in, Dad marched up to me, demanding, "Elena! What took you so long!" With an expressionless face, I walked past him and sat down on the opposite couch before asking, "Why are you here?" Even though Mom's eyes were red, her tone was as haughty as ever. "Is that how you speak to your parents?" "How else should I be speaking to you?" I retorted with a raised brow. "Do I have to get on my knees and let you berate me the way I had to before?" Dad's face turned ashen, but he put on a strong front and spoke with his usual arrogance. "Elena, Camilla destroyed all the original design schematics. We're now acknowledging you as the one who created them, so it's your responsibility to recreate them!" I slowly sipped at my tea before repeating, "My responsibility?" Scowling, Dad questioned, "Do you think we want to ask you for help? Don't be ungrateful. This is a rare chance for you to earn the respect of the family." Scoffing, I looked at them. "Sorry, but I don't need any of your worthless respect. Do you think I'm the same fool as I used to be, Mr. Cassano?" Mom's expression hardened. "Do you know I almost died giving birth to you? You were a jinx to us ever since you were born, and you're still acting this selfishly now!" So that was it. Because of the difficult birth, Mom had always believed I owed her. However, after everything I'd been forced to endure in both my previous lifetime and this one, I'd done enough to repay that debt. "Selfish, huh?" I chuckled. "That's right. I'm a selfish person." Dad instinctively raised his hand but came to an abrupt stop when he noticed Lorenzo standing in the doorway. "Why did you stop?" I asked as I leaned back against the couch. "Did you just remember that I'm Mrs. Marra now?" Lorenzo slowly came into the living room and gracefully sat down beside me. "My dear in-laws, it seems you two don't fully understand the situation yet." Although he was lounging on the couch, his gaze remained sharp and piercing. "Your oldest daughter stole your youngest daughter's work. Not only did the two of you not stop her, but you even helped her bully and suppress the real genius. "Now that things have gone south, instead of apologizing, you come here, still acting all high and mighty, to bark orders at her?" Mom and Dad's faces paled. "We raised her for over 20 years!" Mom argued shrilly. 1/3 Chapter 8 425 DUTIES "That's right," I calmly piped up. "And for those 20-odd years, 70 percent of the family's profits came from the weapons I designed. Meanwhile, what has Camilla done, apart from stealing my designs and sucking up to Leon? "But since you two did give birth to me..." I pulled out a stack of yellowed papers from a drawer and threw them down in front of my parents. "Here are the original designs and formulas, before they were improved and optimized." My parents' eyes lit up. They immediately reached out to take everything. However, I snatched the papers away and said, "Remember-this is the last time. The Cassano family and I no longer have anything to do with each other." Dad took the papers with trembling hands. All the color had drained from his face. They left the house looking as though they'd aged a decade. I thought that was the end of it. Alas, the real trouble was yet to come. One day, as I was heading to my research lab, a familiar black sedan suddenly swerved and came to a stop horizontally across the road. Leon stepped out in a suit, holding a huge bouquet of roses. His gaze was so tender it made my skin crawl. "Elena," he called out in a husky voice. "Let's talk." Sitting in the car, I didn't even bother looking at him. "Get lost." However, he continued to stand at the door, wearing that tortured, devoted expression. "I've been having dreams lately, and in my dreams, we were together. They were all so vivid. I even dreamed that you died, and I was devastated. It feels as though everything I dreamed of had happened in our past life." I finally looked up at him, meeting his hopeful eyes, and nodded. "That's right. In my previous life, I loved you and my parents very much. "But all I got in return was betrayal and contempt. We were together for five years, and the only time you came to my room was when you needed a release. I had to spend the rest of my time researching for you. I wasn't allowed to take any breaks." I hadn't finished yet, but Leon frantically cried out, "I know that what I did was wrong. You did so much for me, but I never appreciated it. I get it now! I know that you're the best person for me!" Raising a brow, I asked, "So?" Leon drew a deep breath and made up his mind. "As long as you're willing to help me, I'll divorce Camilla right away." I stared at him for two seconds. "You're so pathetic, Leon." 2/3 Chapter 8 His gaze stiffened. +25 Bonus Smirking, I commented, "You always thought that as long as you changed your mind, I'd still be standing on the side waiting for you. How naive of you to think that." The worse his expression got, the happier my smile became. "Do you think you're worthy of being my lover?" Leon's expression hardened. "Why, you!" "Drive," I instructed the driver. Just as the car started moving, Leon suddenly came running after me like a madman. "Wait! Elena! I'm serious! I'll even be your lover if you want! Please just give me another chance!" Through the rearview mirror, I saw him desperately chasing down the car. I took my phone and sent the recording I made of our exchange to Camilla. "Shall I shake him off, Mrs. Marra?" the driver asked tentatively. Leaning back against the leather seat, I smirked. "It's fine. Let him run all he wants. I'd like to see what Camilla does to her beloved husband once she sees the gift I just gave her." Support Share 3/3 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!