Tony sensed that something was off. Encouraged by Giselle, he moved to the couch and hesitantly unwrapped the gift box. After he opened it, he gazed at its contents for a few moments, his expression becoming intense and serious.

Renee also leaned in to take a look. Inside was a classic English mantel clock, luxurious in both material and design. At first glance, everything appeared fine until…

“Didn’t you always love antiques like this, Dad? I went to great lengths to find it for you. Do you like it?” Giselle asked with a strained smile.

Silently, Tony knocked the box to the ground in a burst of anger.

The issue? In Valantian culture, a clock is a symbol for "the end."

With Giselle giving him a clock for his birthday, it was essentially a curse—a way of wishing him an untimely death. For Valantians, getting such a foreboding present on one’s birthday was unimaginable, particularly from a youngster.

When Renee grasped the implication, she became even more furious than Tony. She angrily kicked the clock on the floor and commanded the maid to pick it up and dispose of it immediately.

“Giselle, your father’s health has been frail for the past two years. He even had minor surgery recently. How could you be so cruel as to curse him in this way? Even if I, your stepmother, haven’t treated you well, your father is still your biological father! He’s taken care of you all these years and raised you for over 20 years. If you want to create issues, target me. Leave your father out of it!”

Hmm… Indeed. He cared so much that he threw an extravagant birthday feast while she was missing and thought to be dead.

Giselle chose not to expend any more words. Her visit wasn’t meant for arguing, blaming, or airing grievances to this family.

“Renee, we’ve made it this far. There’s no need for lofty ideals. Your talent lies in attempting to kill me without facing the law. My talent is being here, still. Care to wager on who will ultimately have the last laugh?”

Renee stood frozen, her complexion paling as she glared at Giselle with gritted teeth.

As grim as she was, she halted in front of Giselle and exclaimed, “Did you sleep with him?”

At that moment, Anne descended the stairs and headed directly toward Giselle.

“Yes,” Giselle replied, her expression serene, yet her smile was teasing. “You saw that picture yesterday, didn’t you? He had just been with me and was too tired to stay awake afterward.”

Hearing this, Anne felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if she’d been stabbed. Consumed by agony and anger, she lifted her hand to strike Giselle, but Giselle effortlessly caught her wrist and shoved her off balance.

“Anne, remember, your reputation is already ruined. What do you have to challenge me with? And by the way, did you know I’ve been involved with him for a year?”

Anne shook with anger, letting out a torrent of curses. “You bitch! I can’t stoop to your level of shamelessness! I’m not as revolting as you are. You’re utterly revolting! You have no shame when it comes to taking what belongs to others!”

Giselle was unfazed by the insults, dismissing them as mere powerless rage. “Anne, you should repeat those words exactly to your mother. Remember, everything you currently possess, including your fiancé, Donovan, was mine first! Taking him back is just me reclaiming what’s rightfully mine.”

Giselle then fixed her gaze on Renee and delivered her most serious threat, “Renee, understand this. I’m going to take back everything you cruelly took from the Moute family years ago… piece by piece.”

With that decision made, she decided not to show any more emotions toward the family and walked right out the door.

Once she was gone, Anne erupted in anger, knocking everything off the coffee table and shouting, “Why is that damned woman still alive? Why? She’s supposed to be dead!”