Jim waved. “You don’t need to worry about any of that. Just go back, open the safe, and bring the contents to me.”

“Yes, I’ll go right now.”

Rachel stood in front of the old Lloyd family estate. She stared at the familiar place, her emotions a tangled mess. She never thought she’d set foot here again. She had once imagined that when Jim passed, she might come back briefly, but even then, she hadn’t planned to show herself. It didn’t matter. Once Jim’s affairs were settled, she would leave again.

Standing tall, she stepped inside.

The moment the maids saw her, their faces turned pale, like they had seen a ghost. One maid held a basin, ready to start cleaning. She spotted Rachel, her hands trembled, and she dropped it.

“Ag–ghost!”

The rest of the maids shrieked and ran into the living room in a panic.

Sasha walked in as the sudden chaos erupted, her expression serious. “What are you all screaming about? It’s broad daylight. What ghost is there?”

Rachel stood calmly in the center of the living room. Sasha, now composed, looked at her with nothing but hostility. She lifted her chin and took on the full air of a lady of the house.

“Rachel, you’re not even part of the Lloyd family anymore. What are you doing back here?”

“Dad asked me to come get something for him. Don’t worry, I’ll leave as soon as I’m done. Won’t even stay a second longer.”

With that, Rachel turned to the staircase, but just as she was about to go up, Sasha moved, blocking her path.

Rachel’s previously calm gaze turned icy cold in an instant. Her voice came out laced with a deadly chill that made the maids instinctively shudder. “I said, I’m only here to take something for Dad. I’ll leave right after!”

“Whatever your father needs, Yvette and I can handle it. We don’t need someone who has no blood ties to the Lloyd family meddling.”

Yvette walked down the stairs at that moment. “That’s right, Rachel,” she added. “You might still have the same last name, but you’ve got nothing to do with the Lloyd family anymore. Besides, you’ve been missing for so many years. We all thought you were dead. Since that’s the case, why bother coming back now?”

Rachel could see right through them. Now that Jim was gravely ill, the two of them clearly planned to team up and seize control. She glanced down and played with the key Jim had given her.

“If you two had taken better care of him, do you think I’d have to come back?” she asked scornfully.

“We don’t even know where you’ve been all these years! What right do you have to accuse us of not taking care of him? Get this straight. These years, it was us by his side, not you!” Sasha shouted, her expression ugly. She was furious. Just when she thought she’d finally gotten rid of the obstacle, Rachel had suddenly reappeared.

Rachel had no interest in wasting words. Her gaze turned downright menacing, and she snapped, “Move!” She stepped forward and shoved Sasha aside without an ounce of hesitation or courtesy.

Sasha was so startled by Rachel’s roar that her whole body trembled. This was still the same Rachel who used to seem quiet and unassuming, but something felt off now. Where was this sudden intensity coming from?

Sasha fell to the floor as Rachel stormed past her and headed upstairs. She shouted at the maids, who were still standing frozen in place. “What are you all standing around for? Stop her!"

"Madam, Mr. Hunt is here!"