Chapter 250

Phoebe could understand Claire’s thoughts. If she had been in the same desperate situation, with no way out and no one to turn to, she might have chosen the same path of mutual destruction as revenge. But Claire’s current plan for revenge wasn’t going to work. If they wanted to take down the people backing Una, Phoebe had to step in. They couldn’t allow Una to obtain so many high-quality emeralds. However, this approach—hurting the enemy at the cost of hurting oneself—was unnecessary. So, she had to pull Claire back from the edge.

Phoebe squeezed Claire’s hand and looked at her seriously. She said, “You are what matters most. The only way to truly escape and break free is to take back your own luck. Without you fueling her success, Una will lose control. Otherwise, even if she takes over the Woodward Group, she’ll still be stuck taking care of that useless Stanley, using him as a shield. If you want revenge faster, you need to push them to the edge.”

Phoebe continued, “If Una loses her good luck in stone gambling, it will weaken her position in both the Woodward Group and the Woodward family. That means she’ll lose her value to them. And knowing the Woodward family, they won’t let her go easily—not after all they’ve invested in her. If Una wants to keep the power she’s gained and avoid getting tied down by the Woodward family, she’ll have to break free and fight them for control.”

Seeing that Claire was deep in thought, wavering slightly, Phoebe added, “You hate the Woodward family. You want them to suffer the consequences of their own actions. But don’t you want them to hate you too? To want to destroy you but be completely powerless to do so?”

Claire nodded. “I do. I used to want their love, but later, I just wanted them to hate me.”

Phoebe encouraged her, “Exactly. If they hate you, it means you’ve pushed them to their breaking point. Right now, using Una to get rid of them does serve as revenge, but that only makes them hate Una. To them, you’re still a worthless nobody they can discard anytime.”

She went on, “If you really want them to suffer and regret everything, you need a two-pronged attack.”

Claire asked, “What do you mean by a two-pronged attack?”

Phoebe explained, “First, push Una into fighting the Woodward family for power. Let them see her hidden ambitions. Let them tear each other apart. Second, you need to escape their control and return as someone even more brilliant and outstanding than Una. Make them realize how terribly wrong they were back then. Let them regret listening to that ridiculous so-called master, mistaking a worthless stone for a priceless pearl—and to top it off, let that worthless stone turn against them while the real pearl refuses to acknowledge them. Don’t you think their regret and suffering will be even sweeter to watch then?”

A flicker of hesitation appeared in Claire’s eyes. “But… can I really do that? Can I really surpass Una?”

Phoebe nodded firmly. “As long as you try, you absolutely can.”

Since childhood, Claire had been crushed under the weight of both families’ oppression. She had been fed endless messages of “You’re useless” and “You’ll never amount to anything.” Naturally, she doubted herself. So it wasn’t just about getting her to break free; she also needed to rebuild her confidence.

Piscie added, “Not only will you get revenge, but you’ll also prove yourself. And once they’re all crushed beneath your feet, you’ll have the power to live the life you deserve. Why waste your entire life on these trashy people? Just imagine—them, stuck in their own misery, watching you thrive, burning with jealousy and regret. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate revenge?”

If she had the chance to break free, this is exactly how Phoebe would get revenge. Claire listened carefully, thinking it through. If things played out this way… it really would be much more satisfying.

But soon, the light in her eyes dimmed again. She murmured, “But I can’t escape. I don’t know how they do it, but no matter where I go, they always find me.”

Phoebe reassured her, “Don’t worry, I can help you. That so-called master placed a curse on you, tying your energy to Una’s. That’s how they track you. But I can help you take back your luck, counter Una, and sever that connection. Then I can get you out of the country to study something you actually love. If you don’t want to go abroad, I can find you a place to stay and hire tutors for you. When you return—stronger and more accomplished—you’ll see the downfall of the Woodward family. Maybe you’ll even get to stomp on them yourself. By then, they’ll hate you, but they won’t be able to do anything about it. In fact, they might even have to rely on you to survive. And when that day comes, you can do whatever you want with them. You can toss them aside, just like they once tossed you aside.”

The more Claire listened, the more tempted she became. This kind of revenge—she wanted it. Still, she didn’t understand something. “Why are you helping me?”

Phoebe answered, “Because I have a grudge against the horoscope master behind Una. You probably know my family has an adopted daughter. My relationship with her is a lot like yours with Una. Our luck was linked, and they had to steal from me to make her prosper. The mastermind behind all this is the same person. So if I want revenge, I have to destroy their plans and expose them. Now you understand, right?”

Claire was stunned. “So… it’s not just me? This has happened to others too?”

Phoebe nodded. “Yes. I went through the same thing. If I hadn’t met a good mentor, I would’ve been sold off as a child bride in the mountains. My childhood wasn’t much better than yours.”

She had been luckier than Claire. She met Percival. And while the Jenkins family had favored Sienna all these years, they hadn’t reached the level of sheer cruelty and insanity the Woodwards had. Claire had suffered far worse. Just hearing about it made Phoebe’s heart ache. That’s why she wanted Claire to stand up for herself and build a new life. Because only by becoming stronger could they truly show those people—their choices back then were utterly, horribly wrong.

Claire felt the warmth of Phoebe’s hand. For the first time in a long time, she felt warmth in her cold, numb heart. The enemy of her enemy was her friend. She was willing to trust Phoebe this time. She had already hit rock bottom. If someone was willing to pull her up, maybe…. maybe she could try to take a different path. And if someone had been manipulating their fates from behind the scenes, she hated them too. She didn’t have the power to take down that so-called master. But she could help Phoebe. At the very least, she could make sure she wasn’t a burden.

So, she nodded firmly. “Alright, I trust you. I’ll do as you say. What’s my next step?”