Chapter 56: Irrefutable

Silence fell over the room as Sierra’s face disappeared from the screen. After a long pause, calm returned.

Maggie, her eyes red and filled with disbelief and hurt, stared at Sierra at the edge of the crowd. She whispered, "Why?"

Olivia’s heart raced. She wanted to speak but was unsure how to respond to the undeniable evidence.

Foolish! Sierra had been utterly foolish!

"Sierra, explain yourself!" Master Cameron’s furious voice echoed. His eyes blazing with anger, he turned to face Sierra, barely containing his rage.

Panicked, Sierra blurted out, "It wasn't me! I don't know what's going on! It really wasn't me!"

Maggie pursed her lips, a hint of mockery in her eyes. Such a defense was useless. Sierra, though ruthless and decisive, lacked intellect. Ultimately, she had used the Camerons' resources for her own gain. "Kneel!" Master Cameron roared.

Frightened, Sierra instinctively looked at Olivia and pleaded, "Mom… Mom…"

Olivia quickly stepped forward. "Dad, there might be a misunderstanding. Sierra…"

"Shut up! Indulging a child only spoils them. Look at the daughter you’ve raised! She’s been living too comfortably and now has the nerve to do this! Kneel! Or I’ll disown you! Forget about our protection!" Master Cameron’s anger clouded his judgment. He’d considered rival plots, enemy schemes, even Maggie’s suspicions… but never Sierra, this pampered fool! Never the ignorant daughter of the Camerons!

Harshly scolded, Olivia dared not plead further. She pulled Sierra, saying, "Get on your knees and apologize to your grandfather."

Tears welled in Sierra’s eyes. She was unwilling, but couldn't forfeit her status. She wasn't a naive innocent; she’d seen too many people flatter and change their behavior for gain. Without money, she was nothing.

After a moment’s struggle, Sierra knelt before Master Cameron. She lowered her head, feigning tears. "I’m sorry, Grandpa… I was wrong. I was blinded by rage…"

Master Cameron’s anger intensified. "Blinded by what? Blinded by the thought you wouldn't get caught, right?"

Chapter 56: Irrefutable (Continued)

"Bring me my cane!" Master Cameron sneered, his cold, cruel face revealed.

Olivia immediately knelt, sobbing, "Dad, please spare her. Sierra is young and ignorant. I’ll teach her, I promise!"

"Are you all deaf? I said, bring me my cane!" Master Cameron’s eyes bulged as he shouted at the nearby servants.

A servant quickly retrieved Master Cameron’s cane. "Master."

Master Cameron struck Sierra’s back harshly.

"Ahl!"

Sierra’s scream and Olivia’s cry rang out simultaneously. Olivia knelt, trying to grab the cane. "Dad, she’s your granddaughter. You love her…"

Before she finished, Master Cameron kicked her aside. "Step aside!"

Olivia fell. The cane came down hard on Sierra’s back.

"Mom… Mom!"

Tears streamed down Sierra’s face. The cane felt like iron, burning her bones.

"How could we raise such a fool! How dare you tear up the document!"

Master Cameron raged, striking Sierra repeatedly. He was enraged. Hardship he could endure, but the foolishness of his descendants was unforgivable. Foolishness was worse than incompetence!

Sierra rolled on the ground, hands shielding her head. When another blow threatened, she lifted her head, bracing herself, then pushed it away. Unexpectedly, Master Cameron stumbled back.

With red-rimmed eyes, Sierra glared. "It’s just a meaningless document! What makes it so special? Am I less important than Maggie? You might as well kill me!"

A hidden camera in a painting emitted a faint red light, recording everything.

Sierra’s words enraged Master Cameron further. He swung the cane again. "Idiot! How did we produce such a fool? Do you think it’s just a document?" Sierra covered her head, dodging, her arms and neck marked with welts. The cane struck her head; she felt disoriented, a ringing in her ears.

"What else could it be? It's just a document!" Sierra’s eyes burned with resentment.

Master Cameron swung the cane again.

"You fool! Disappear! The Camerons don’t need you!"

It wasn't just a document; it represented opportunity and resources. Sierra, in her foolishness, couldn't comprehend this.

From extreme anger, Sierra fell, bright red blood seeping from her hair, staining the carpet.

"Honey… Ronald, we must stop this. Sierra will be seriously hurt!" Olivia grabbed Ronald’s arm, tears in her eyes.

Chapter 57: With Friends Like These…

Ronald frowned. Despite his anger, he knew his spoiled child was responsible. He stepped forward. "Dad, solve the problem. Your health is important. The Herschire Cultural Park project needs your leadership."

Maggie’s eyes flashed with mockery. He was the man who’d offered to adopt her. His words were more direct than Olivia’s.

Master Cameron’s anger subsided. Ronald helped him to the sofa. He looked at the blood-covered Sierra with annoyance.

"Dad, water."

Ronald poured water. After Master Cameron drank, he looked at the red-eyed Maggie with a complex expression.

"Maggie, Sierra was wrong. I understand your feelings, but Ronald’s right. The Herschire Cultural Park project is our family’s hard work. We can’t let it fail."

Maggie’s eyelashes trembled. She pretended not to understand, saying self-deprecatingly, "I understand. I just don’t understand why Sierra did this. Does she hate me that much?"

"Maggie!"

Sierra, in agony, gritted her teeth, forcing out Maggie’s name, her voice icy.

"Enough, Sierra!" Olivia reprimanded her softly. "Take Sierra upstairs. Call a doctor."

Maggie smiled self-deprecatingly, looked at Olivia, Ronald, and the others, bowed deeply, and said softly, "Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, thank you for raising me. I can’t repay your kindness. But I’m not your blood. I don’t deserve this."

Her words weighed heavily.

Master Cameron started to speak, but Maggie, tears in her eyes, continued, "With my status, I’d never have had this opportunity. Now that I’ve experienced it, I’m satisfied. It’s time to leave, to return to my own world."

Her words severed ties with the Camerons.

"Maggie… what are you talking about? Are you breaking my heart?" Madam Cameron was anxious.