Chapter 265

• Liza sighed softly, her voice laced with quiet sorrow. “The basement is damp and infested with cockroaches. I wouldn’t be able to sleep there. If that’s where you want me to stay, I’d rather return to my adoptive mother’s home. Even though we’re not related by blood, at least I have my own room there. And I don’t have to tiptoe around the servants or feel like an outsider.”
• Every word Liza spoke carried the weight of years of humiliation and heartache. Each syllable sliced through the pretense of civility in the room, leaving an indelible mark.
• The young man who had previously spoken in defense of Serena flushed with embarrassment and awkwardly stepped back into the crowd.