Even now, Elsa remembered the words Le had said that day.


    She said, “My mom and I are at our wits’ end now, with nothing left. I don’t expect you to have any sympathy, but I hope you won’t kick us when we’re down. Don’t push me.”


    That day, Darren’s neck had been scratched, and they threatened to call the police. Le had stared at them coldly, unafraid, saying, “Go ahead, call the police. You better do it now. It’d be best if it caused a big scene, so that all our rtives and friends can see how you and your husband bully us.”


    In the end, Darren had dragged her away. Thinking back on this incident, Elsa still felt humiliated. The two of them, elders in the family, had been dominated by a mere girl.


    Watching Dasha finish taking her medicine and seeing Elsa remain silent, Le turned her head back and continued, “Aunt, why aren’t you saying anything? Were you just talking about the house?”


    Elsa forced a smile and said, “Hehe, well, your brother is getting married? He needs a wedding house, so I was thinking about the house…”


    Before Elsa could finish, Le interrupted in a cold voice, “Since when did a nephew need his aunt to provide a wedding house?”


    Elsa was speechless.


    Le continued, “If the family can’t afford to buy a wedding house, just let Max tell the girl early on. Don’t wait until they’ve developed feelings, only to break up over a house.”


    Elsa wasn’t exactly a good person herself, now, hearing Le speak like this, the anger couldn’t be suppressed any longer. “Le, you can’t say things like that. The house you are living in was originally your grandfather’s. Letting you live there for so many years is already more than generous.”


    Le leaned against the bedside table and sneered, “That house was transferred to my mom by my grandfather before he passed away. What does it have to do with you? Using the term ‘more than generous’ here is inappropriate, don’t you think?”


    Elsa fell silentpletely.


    Seeing Elsa stop talking, Le didn’t bother to engage with her anymore. She turned around and opened the food container for Dasha to eat.


    After a few minutes, unable to sit still any longer, Elsa stood up with a stern face. “Sis, there’s still something at home I need to attend to. I’lle see you next time.”


    Without waiting for Dasha to respond, she turned and left directly.


    Hearing Elsa’s intention to leave, Le called out to her, “Aunt, let me walk you out.”


    Le’s words made both Dasha and Elsa stiffen. Dasha pulled Le’s hand and shook her head, signaling her not to make trouble.


    Le didn’t say anything, but she gently patted Dasha’s hand to reassure her.


    When they left the ward, Le stopped and looked at Elsa coldly. “Aunt, when are you nning to return the five hundred thousand?”


    Le’s question sounded casual, but Elsa was first stunned, then shocked.


    Le met Elsa’s gaze calmly. “Don’t want to return it? Want to keep it for yourself?”


    Elsa didn’t understand how Le knew about the five hundred thousand. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”


    “Don’t know?” Elsa was internally panicking but tried to maintainposure. “Max is getting off work soon, and I need to hurry home to cook for him. I don’t have time to chat with you here.”


    Saying that, Elsa turned to leave.


    Elsa thought Le would chase after her and argue, but Le stood still and calmly said, “One week. If I don’t see that five hundred thousand deposited into my ount, I’ll get awyer involved.”


    Elsa paused in her steps, then turned around abruptly. “Le, are you crazy?!”


    Le remained expressionless. “Five hundred thousand, not a penny less.”


    Elsa hurriedly approached, grabbing Le’s arm. “Where am I supposed to get so much money in a week?”


    Le looked down at her, devoid of any extra emotion in her eyes. “That’s your problem.”


    Upon hearing Le’s words, Elsa’s face changed. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, “Fine, we won’t fight over that house anymore.”


    Having witnessed the deceit and trickery in the business world, Le suddenly found the petty behavior of family members even more shameful.


    “I already made it clear in the ward just now. That house was originally left to my mom by my grandfather, and it has nothing to do with you and my uncle. Don’t even think about trying to im that house, or using it to cover the five hundred thousand debt.”


    As Le spoke, she pulled her arm out of Elsa’s grasp.


    Elsa’s panic was evident on her face. “Did you see your dad? Does your mom know?”N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Le squinted her beautiful eyes. “Are you trying to tell my mom?”


    “If you don’t ask me for the five hundred thousand, then I…”


    “You’re dreaming.”


    “…,” Elsa was left speechless.


    Le’s gaze was icy. “Three days. If the five hundred thousand doesn’t show up, we’ll meet in court.”


    Elsa was dumbfounded.


    Le continued, “And if my mom finds out about me meeting my dad, regardless of whether it’s your doing or not, I’ll hold you ountable. If our family is restless, yours won’t be peaceful either.”


    Without sparing Elsa another nce, Le turned and walked back to the ward.


    Standing at the ward’s entrance, Elsa was filled with both anger and fear. Several times she wanted to rush in and tell Dasha the truth, but the memory of Le holding a knife to Darren’s throat stopped her.


    Back in the ward, Dasha quickly asked, “What did you talk about outside? Why did it take so long?”


    Le approached and took a cup to fetch water from the bedside table. “Nothing much. Just told her not toe to the hospital and cause trouble. Can’t let her keep making a scene.”


    Dasha sighed as she reached for the nket covering her legs. “Your aunt has always been calcting. Back when our family hadn’t gone bankrupt, she used toe by with gifts every now and then, butter…”


    Dasha rambled on about the past for about ten minutes. Le didn’t really listen; she was more grounded in reality than Dasha. She didn’t want to dwell on the past.


    After Dasha spoke for a while, Le didn’t respond, so Dasha thought she was still angry. She reached out and patted Le’s hand. “Okay, don’t be mad. Getting angry over her isn’t worth it. She’s always been like that, and you know it.”


    Le raised her eyes and lightly chuckled. “Hmm.”


    Le was with Dasha at the hospital today, so she gave Tessa a day off.


    After seeing Tessa off, Le returned to the ward to be with Dasha.


    As soon as she left, Tessa made a phone call. Once the call connected, she lowered her voice and said, “Daniel, I just saw the message you sent me. Miss Patel’s condition seems pretty good today. Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary, but there was an unexpected visitor in the ward today, her aunt…”


    Tessa looked around as she spoke, showing potential as a spy.


    Daniel, on the other end of the line, asked skeptically, “Aunt?”


    Having spent a week with Le in the hospital, he had never heard of any aunt.


    For a close rtive like an aunt, shouldn’t she havee to visit as soon as Dasha was diagnosed with such a serious illness?


    Tessa continued, “Yes, Miss Patel’s aunt. She came up and cursed Mrs. Patel, saying she won’t live long, and started talking about their family’s house…”


    Tessa detailed everything that happened in the ward earlier that morning to Daniel.


    After a moment of thought, Daniel said, “Okay, got it. Thanks, Tessa.”


    Tessa thought Daniel was doing all this because he secretly liked Le and smiled as she continued, “No trouble at all. Good guys like you are hard toe by nowadays. If Miss Patel knew, she would definitely be touched.”


    Daniel: “…”


    The call ended, and Daniel breathed a sigh of relief before walking towards the CEO’s office.


    “Boss.”


    Mason, who had barely slept the previous night, had a dark expression on his face. “Speak.”


    The sharpness in Mason’s tone sent a chill down Daniel’s spine. He recounted exactly what Tessa had told him to Mason.


    “Aunt?” Mason closed his pen.


    Daniel nodded. “Yes, her aunt. ording to Tessa, Miss Patel’s aunt is not someone to be trifled with.”


    Mason had heard about Le’s aunt when he was sponsoring her. It wasn’t intentional; the whole family was just too peculiar. The teachers sympathized with Le and couldn’t help but mention it during their phone calls.


    Mason’s slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk. “Did Le suffer any losses?”


    Daniel replied, “No, I heard Miss Patel’s aunt is quite afraid of her.”


    Mason’s cold face lifted into a smile. “She’s never been an easy target.”


    Daniel stayed silent, choosing not to express his opinion. After these few incidents, Daniel had learned to y it safe.


    Seeing Daniel’s silence, Mason raised his eyes. “You have a good rtionship with Samuel?”


    Daniel’s heart skipped a beat at the unexpected question. “Average, we’re just colleagues.”


    Mason smirked. “I suspect he and Le are fake lovers. Get some information out of him for me.”