She nodded, her large eyes wide. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a handful of candies, and offered them to Paul.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Paul accepted the candy, his expression unreadable. His eyes followed me as I limped to the kitchen to pour water.
"Just now on the stairs," he said abruptly. "Your leg... you have a limp?"
I set the glass of hot water in front of him, ignoring the question. The ache in my leg brought the memories rushing back.
Back then, after Anna's staged fall, she had nearly miscarried.
Paul had knelt outside the hospital room for seven hours, begging Heaven to save Annie and the child. Miraculously, both mother and child were safe.
But after that night, Paul's hatred for me deepened. His eyes held a new layer of vigilance, as if I were a monster waiting to strike.
Shortly after, a servant "found" a USB drive in my jewelry box.
It contained the Gilbert Corporation's core business secrets.
Fueled by rage, Paul didn't wait for an explanation. He struck me across the face, the force of the slap sending me crashing to the floor.