Hypocrites

When Dalia looked at Aaron, there was a gleeful smile in her eyes, though her words were filled with reluctance and concern. "Christian will come to take care of you in a few days. Take good care of yourself."

Saira pulled Mrs. Lin out of the room, leaving the person on the bed to open his eyes, unable to suppress the anger and frustration in his heart.

A husband and wife are like birds sharing the same forest, but when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.

Staring at the empty ward, a wave of desolation surged within Aaron.

He didn't have long to dwell on his sadness before the door to the ward was suddenly flung open, and a group of people, led by the third branch of the Lin family, flooded in.

"Big Brother!" Lin Jiahui stepped forward.

"Big Brother, how are you?" Lin Jiahong followed suit with concern.

Aaron felt somewhat comforted by the sight of his brothers—after all, family was still reliable in the end.

"I'm not dead yet."

Lin Jiahui's son couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, is it true that all of the Lin family's assets and shares have been seized by the bank?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

Aaron's gaze swept over the crowd, his heart sinking.

They weren't here out of love or genuine concern for him; they were after the money.

Seeing Aaron remain silent, some grew anxious.

"Uncle, say something! Is it true or not? The shares of the company include our share as well. It's not fair if everything's just gone!"

Faced with the aggressive posture of the younger generation and the sight of his brothers standing by passively, Aaron's anger began to rise.

When had he ever been questioned like this, especially by his juniors?

"Those shares belong to me, Aaron. Since when do I need to explain anything to you youngsters?" Aaron said coldly.

His nephew was displeased. "Uncle, you're wrong. When Grandpa gave you all the shares, it was to ensure the company retained absolute control, not to actually give them all to you alone. Those shares also include my dad's and third uncle's portions."

"Second Brother is right. The company's shares include our family's share as well. We have the right and the qualification to know their whereabouts," the second nephew added.

Aaron ignored the two juniors and looked at Lin Jiahui and Lin Jiahong, "Get out!"

"Big Brother, my sons are right. The matter of the shares needs to be clarified," Lin Jiahong remained unmoved and continued to press.

Aaron looked at the two, his chest heaving with anger. "Fine, very well. I'll tell you—there's nothing left, nothing at all."

"Big Brother, you do love to joke. Those kids are ignorant and spoke out of turn, I'll discipline them later. But now that the stock prices are rising, I think we should take the opportunity to sell. After all, having that girl Zuri as the chairman is simply absurd," Lin Jiahui said with a smile.

In his mind, Aaron was someone who always kept something up his sleeve. It was impossible that he had prepared nothing and just squandered all the family assets.

"If you came here today hoping to get shares, you'll be disappointed. As early as a year ago, the company's capital chain had already broken. The company has been surviving by mortgaging shares. Originally, there was still a lot of money on the books, but it was all taken by the second son. If you want money, go find him."

The second branch of the Lin family had always been the most cunning, and when they saw things going wrong, they had already made preparations.

The third and fourth branches of the Lin family, having received nothing, were naturally unwilling to accept this. Upon learning that Aaron had been discharged and was receiving treatment in the hospital, they rushed over immediately to demand money.

"Big Brother, we know your temper. There's no need to hide anything from us. Today, you must give us our share of the money, or else we won't leave." Lin Jiahong sat down heavily at the bedside, staring at him with an unyielding gaze.

"Believe it or not, you can go check for yourselves. It doesn't matter how much you press me, it's useless. If you want to stay, then stay," Aaron enunciated each word slowly.

The atmosphere in the ward grew tense, the oppressive air making it difficult to breathe.

"Why are so many people gathered here?" A nurse entered, breaking the stiff atmosphere.

After taking Aaron's temperature and confirming it was normal, the nurse turned to the crowd. "After visiting the patient, don't stay too long. The patient needs rest."

Once the nurse left, Aaron closed his eyes, refusing to look at the group any longer.

The two families discussed and decided to leave two people each to watch over him, while the rest went back. They planned to keep an eye on him, believing that eventually, he would slip up.

Aaron was like a prisoner, being watched by his own family.

What is family affection?

In the face of money, it means nothing.

Aaron felt a deep sorrow in his heart, only hoping that his son could come out soon.

Elsewhere, Dalia returned to the Qin household with Saira, only to be met with sneers and taunts from the Qin family, though fortunately, they weren't driven out.

Living under someone else's roof was far from easy, but with nowhere else to go, Dalia and her daughter could only endure the disdainful looks.

At Windsor Academy

Zuri closed her notebook. This was her last class here. From today onwards, she would say a final goodbye to this place.

She glanced at the seat beside her. Since the last time, he hadn't shown up again.

Farida walked into the classroom and noticed her looking at the empty seat. "I heard Kaden has been sent abroad to study by his father. He probably won't show up for the graduation ceremony."

"Let's go! It's our last day here; let's take one last good look at this school."

The three of them walked along the verdant path, basking in the slightly warm rays of early summer.

Farida looked at the two with reluctance. "I want to stay in the country and go to the same school as you."

Her grades weren't good, and getting into the same school as them was difficult. Moreover, her parents had already made arrangements for her abroad, leaving her no room for protest.

Azura patted her shoulder. "It's okay, when the summer holidays come, Zuri and I will visit you abroad, and we'll travel together."

"I'll come back to see you too. I really can't bear to leave you both." Farida's eyes reddened. Meeting two such close friends was her greatest fortune.

She had to leave the next day!

Zuri opened her arms.

Azura opened her arms.

The three of them hugged tightly together.

That night, the three of them went to Nanshan to enjoy the night view, sitting at the top of the mountain, eating barbecue, drinking wine, and looking at the brightly lit city in the distance. They sang their favorite songs together and talked about the future.

The wine wasn't intoxicating, but the people were.

When the song ended, it was time to part ways.

As the first rays of sunlight rose over the horizon, the orange-red light stained the clouds at the edge of the sky, and golden rays bathed the earth as all things came to life.

A luxury sedan stopped not far away, and the driver stood by the door, waiting.

Farida glanced at the driver who had come to pick her up, then turned around to kiss Azura and Zuri on their foreheads. "Don't forget me."

"We won't."

After one last embrace, Farida walked towards the car. Just before reaching the door, she suddenly turned back, looking at the two standing by the cliff. The golden sunlight bathed them, making their figures appear hazy.

"Miss, we're running late."

Farida nodded slightly, then turned around and got into the car. As the door closed, the car slowly drove away.

Zuri and Azura watched the black sedan until it completely disappeared from sight.