Chapter 4 Have You No Shame?

• Upon alighting from the car, Zoey struggled to regain her balance when Finn abruptly sped away, nearly causing her to stumble.
• She was aware of Finn's aversion toward her, given her past actions, which hardly endeared her to him.
• Jonathan made no firm commitment to go abroad; he merely indicated he would contemplate it, then had Finn drive her back.
• Upon entering the Saldana Residence, the servants exchanged meaningful glances, creating an oppressively tense atmosphere throughout.
• Her dad, Kelvin Saldana, sat on the couch, his face contorted with rage, while Marcus wore an equally displeased expression. Witnessing their furious demeanor, Zoey felt a pang of guilt. However, upon noticing Yvette seated beside them, trembling violently, waves of resentment surged within her, threatening to overwhelm her.
• Yvette!
• She had considered Yvette, her closest sister, yet Yvette's collusion with Zeke had brought ruin to their family, culminating in her tragic demise.
• "Zoey, you're finally back. Where have you been? Did you go to see Zeke again? You..." Yvette, who had been anxiously awaiting Zoey's return, rushed over.
• Kelvin, simmering with suppressed fury, exploded upon hearing Zeke's name.
• "You went to see him again? Haven't you caused enough turmoil because of him!"
• Kelvin trembled with anger. Zoey was his beloved daughter, but in recent years, her increasingly reckless behavior had left him disappointed.
• Dad...
• Zoey fought back tears, took a deep breath, and fixed a cold gaze upon Yvette. "I've just returned. How do you know I went to see Zeke?"
• "I..." Yvette didn't anticipate Zoey's interrogation. She continued, "Zoey, you said you liked Zeke and wanted to see him secretly, and..."
• With a sharp slap, the room reverberated with the crisp sound. Yvette's words caught in her throat, disbelief filling her eyes as she stared at Zoey. Only when a burning sensation spread across her cheek did she realize Zoey had struck her!
• "Yvette, have you no shame?" Zoey chuckled, a wide grin on her face, massaging her tingling wrist with satisfaction.
• Kelvin and Marcus were momentarily speechless, stunned by the turn of events.
• Kelvin erupted in shock more than anger. "Zoey! What are you doing? She's your cousin!"
• "Dad, please hear Zoey out first."
• Marcus defended Zoey, inwardly perplexed. Isn't Zoey usually obedient to Yvette? Why would she strike her now?
• "Dad, do you know why I became fixated and pushed Jonathan downstairs?" Zoey suddenly brought up Jonathan, causing Yvette's heart to skip a beat. Meeting Zoey's intense gaze filled with hatred, she felt a pang of fear.
• Zoey stared fiercely at Yvette, her eyes burning with rage.
• "It was Yvette. She told me that if Jonathan got injured, the engagement would be called off. She even suggested I pretend to commit suicide and push Jonathan down the stairs."
• "Uncle Kelvin, I didn't! How could I possibly incite Zoey to harm Jonathan?" Yvette's face was swollen on one side, and her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been deeply wronged.
• Compared to his perpetually unruly daughter, Kelvin placed more trust in his gentle and composed niece.
• Therefore, Kelvin didn't doubt Yvette but instead looked at Zoey with confusion.
• Today's Zoey was very different.
• Zoey knew that her previous reckless behavior made it difficult for them to believe her.
• However, she had prepared for this.
• "Dad, Yvette sent me text messages with her suggestions. Just check her phone, and you'll see."
• Zoey's phone had shattered when she pretended to jump off the building, and her phone was nowhere to be found, so she could only use Yvette's.
• "Yvette, hand over your phone," Kelvin said after looking at Zoey for a moment, his voice stern.
• Yvette slowly took out her phone, but she was inwardly ecstatic. After every conversation with Zoey, she preemptively deleted any incriminating messages. To her, Zoey's plan was foolish.
• She opened the chat history and scrolled to the bottom.
• At first, it was just some sisterly banter, but later, nearly two-thirds of the conversations revolved around Zeke. Kelvin's hatred for Zeke ran deep, and seeing his name made his eyes nearly blaze with fury.
• Furious, Kelvin's mind went blank with anger as he looked at Zoey, filled with disappointment. "You pushed Jonathan down the stairs, and now you're trying to deflect blame by slandering others? How did I end up raising a daughter like you?"
• Yvette felt triumphant inside but feigned a gentle voice, slightly choked, "Uncle Kelvin, there must be some misunderstanding between Zoey and me. It's okay, I don't blame her..."
• Zoey said nothing; she just turned and ran upstairs.
• Her actions made it seem to the others like she was fleeing in shame after her lies were exposed.
• Kelvin felt even more heartbroken and disappointed. His eyes reddened with anger.
• Marcus watched Zoey's retreating figure, suspecting that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
• Less than a minute later, Zoey rushed back down, holding a laptop in her arms.