Vanessa's scream shattered the silence of the living room: "Ah! My ring! Liam! Come here right now!"
Liam had just changed his shoes when he heard the noise and rushed in. He saw the ring on the floor and Vanessa's red-rimmed eyes. Without thinking, he stormed up to Clara and yelled, "Clara! If you can't see, behave yourself! What are you doing wandering around like that?!"
His voice was so loud that it made Clara's eardrums buzz.
She didn't argue, but simply lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes concealing the chill surging in her eyes.
She remembered a time when she accidentally broke a vase. Liam rushed over to help her up and asked anxiously, "Niannian, are you hurt anywhere? It's okay if the vase is broken."
At that time, he could only see her.
But now, he's protecting someone else, and scolding her.
Humiliation surged up like a tide, overwhelming her.
Vanessa seized the opportunity to throw herself into Liam's arms, sobbing, "Liam, I didn't mean to, I just wanted my sister to see the ring..."
"It's okay, it's okay," Liam patted her back, his voice so gentle it was almost tender, a stark contrast to his earlier scolding of Clara. "I'll buy you an even better one, don't cry."