Sidney said over the phone, "Nope. Not only did we fail to find out the Miracle Healer's background, but we can't even identify June's. I feel someone deliberately cut off all clues." He clicked his tongue in amazement. "Who are they exactly? Even I couldn't get my hands on their information."

Richard raised his eyebrows. He'd expected this.

Sidney asked, "By the way, why did you ask me to investigate them? Do you suspect ulterior motives?"

Richard replied, "It's not that." His intuition told him something. The Miracle Healer looked vaguely familiar; her expression, silhouette, and even aura were somewhat similar to Tiffany's. That's why he'd asked Sidney to investigate June and the Miracle Healer. The result was as expected: Sidney found nothing.

Richard said, "Drop the investigation. That's all," and hung up.

On the other end, Sidney fell into deep thought. He wondered if things were going as he'd predicted. He thought, "Richard sure is popular with girls." Sidney sighed. Even Richard Hampton, once ethereal and aloof, was showing signs of falling in love. Sidney lamented his singlehood. Feeling lonely, he messaged Zoe: "[Do you want to date me?]"

Zoe replied: "[Do you want to die?]"

Sidney laughed at the irritated reply. Zoe was in the middle of an exam when she received the message. Initially, she considered skipping a question she didn't know, but realized she was clueless about most of them. Irritated, she wanted to scold Sidney. They'd had a near-death experience at Maple Mountain, but instead of becoming friends, Sidney had accidentally seen her naked, leaving Zoe with a strong urge to kill him—even now. They hadn't met since, only bickering occasionally via text. Therefore, she couldn't kill him even if she wanted to.

Ged nudged Zoe. "Aren't you going to answer the questions? It's almost time."

Zoe replied through gritted teeth, "I'm writing now." She looked like a soldier heading to war, confident despite her lack of knowledge. Just as Ged celebrated her apparent academic improvement, she said, "Let me show the teacher how ineffective the lessons were."

Ged was speechless. He almost fell out of his chair.

Tiffany napped for a little over an hour, waking to a commotion. Dazed, she followed the sound to the window. What she saw made her body tremble, instantly waking her fully.

In the villa courtyard, Richard sat on a chair with a domineering posture. Kenneth half-kneelted before him, his white shirt bloodstained, his face pale with cold sweat. He gritted his teeth, silent.

Tiffany remembered Richard's punishment of fifty lashes for Kenneth at Romeo's birthday party, before Richard had carried her away. She'd thought it was a show, that Richard wouldn't actually make Kenneth endure such a harsh punishment, given their familial relationship. She hadn't taken the threat seriously. But Richard was a man of his word. He'd not only whipped Kenneth, but showed him no mercy! Tiffany was shocked by Kenneth's bloody state.

Mrs. Harper cried, her heart aching. She tried to stop Richard. "Richard, you can't do this. Kenneth is your nephew! Even if he made a mistake, you shouldn't punish him so harshly!" Kenneth was her only son; she couldn't bear to lose him.

Richard was unmoved. "Keep it going."

The subordinate nodded and swung the whip again. After more than ten lashes, Kenneth fell. Mrs. Harper lunged forward, screaming, "Stop it! Stop it right now!"

Richard's voice, cold and unrelenting, extinguished her hope. "Keep it going."

The subordinate whipped Kenneth again. Mrs. Harper was dragged away as she cried. When the fifty lashes were finished, Richard calmly asked Kenneth, "Do you know why I punished you?"

Kenneth replied, "No, I don't know." He was near death. Though he claimed ignorance, he vaguely understood why. This wasn't the first time Richard had sided with Tiffany. He'd scolded him before because of her; now, he'd nearly killed him, also because of her. Despite his suspicions, Kenneth refused to think further.

Richard's face was indifferent. "Who do you think you are to make her kneel to you? These fifty lashes are a gentle reminder. If you dare touch a strand of her hair, I'll f***ing cripple you."

He didn't name Tiffany, but his domineering attitude made his intention clear. Kenneth smiled bitterly. He thought, "Richard punished me because of Tiffany!"

Without thinking, he blurted out, "Uncle Richard, are you interested in her?"

Richard replied, "That's a good question," chuckled, and declared, "That's why I'm warning you to be polite to my future wife."

Kenneth trembled, shocked and disbelieving. He never expected Richard to declare feelings for anyone. He couldn't process his emotions. He thought, "How could someone as vicious, arrogant, and willful as Tiffany be worthy of Richard?"

Richard didn't give him a chance to ask more. With a wave of his hand, bodyguards dragged the injured Kenneth and the fainted Mrs. Harper back to the Harper residence.

Tiffany, watching from the window, knew Kenneth had been beaten for her. Overwhelming warmth enveloped her; her anger and regret dissolved. She smiled faintly—a smile of gratitude.

Her phone rang; it was Richard. She laughed, cleared her throat, and answered in her usual voice. "Hello?"

Her voice calmed Richard's frustration. He asked gently, "Are your knees better?"

Tiffany replied, "Much better. Thank you." She was thanking him for defending her. She felt good seeing Kenneth beaten. It was satisfying.