While Jason interrogated me, I opened the passenger door, yanked Kimberly out from the passenger seat, and tossed her onto the road. I then sat down in the seat myself.

She was completely caught off guard. She crashed to the tarmac with a loud thud and let out a sharp cry of pain.

Jason and Alex quickly rushed to her side, their faces etched with genuine concern as they helped her up.

I swept my gaze across their faces and sneered.

“I am the sole heir of the James Corporation. Who are you?

“You are receiving aid from my family. Therefore, what gives you the right to act so superior in front of me?”

Before heading home, I stopped by the company to take care of a few matters.

When I finally returned, I was greeted by a few uninvited guests.

The housekeeper was setting dinner on the table. Both Jason and Alex were seated on either side of Kimberly. They were gently asking her to eat.

Alex saw me and let out a derisive snort. He lifted his chin and stared at me with an expression of inexplicable condescension.

“Are you aware of your mistake? Are you here to apologize? Let me tell you, Amelia, it’s too late!”

Jason’s face twisted with mockery, and his eyes filled with open disdain as he glared at me.

“Do you have any idea how devastated Kimberly was when you dumped her in the slums today?

“You’re even thinking of cutting off James Corporation’s financial aid for her? Amelia, how can you be so cruel?”

I interrupted him calmly and said, “Just to clarify, I’m not only cutting off her financial aid. I have no intention of continuing to fund you and Alex either.”

Jason’s expression changed and when he was about to retort, the butler, Mr. Williams, interrupted.

“Miss, this isn’t right. How could you cancel their financial aid like that? What are you doing to the James family’s reputation?”

Mr. Williams had been with our family for years. He had been with us ever since my father’s time. He had practically watched me grow up.

He had always acted like a grandfather around me.

“I’ve warned you before that you should not act on impulse. I had never expected you to be so stubborn.

“Do you think you can stop the financial aid just like that? Hurry up and apologize to Ms. Kimberly and Mr. James and reinstate the funding!”

He spoke with such self-righteous authority. It was as though he were reprimanding an undisciplined child.

In my past life, I trusted this “grandfather” so much that I treated him as if he was my father. This was the reason that I was easily manipulated by him and had failed to see through his hypocritical nature.

Alex was irritated and without a second thought, he took the chicken soup prepared for me by the housekeeper and handed it to Kimberly.

“I told you not to act impulsively, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you see the consequences, don’t you?”

I glared at Mr. Williams with a dark expression.

“Perhaps you’re getting old and forgetful, Mr. Williams. Before my parents passed, they made a will. It states that everything in James Corporation belongs to me.

“As the head of the corporation, do I really need an outsider like you to tell me who to support?”

Seeing the shift in Mr. Williams’s expression, I slammed my hand down on the table with force, sending the dishes flying.

“Since you seem to have forgotten your place, there is no longer a place for you in the James family!

“And this applies to everyone here today who doesn’t know their place. Get out!”

I gestured with a swift motion and signaled the bodyguards to toss Jason and the others out.

Just as the bodyguards were about to act, the villa door swung open, and an elderly voice rang out.

“Stop! Let me see who dares to lay a hand on Kimberly?!”

It was my grandmother.

The moment Kimberly heard her voice, she looked up with swollen, tearful eyes. She looked helpless.

My grandmother hurried over and helped her up with a concerned look, but as soon as she saw me, her expression turned cold.

“Kneel!”

I met her gaze without flinching and asked, “Why should I?”

My grandmother was infuriated by my tone, and she slammed her cane heavily against the ground.

“Amelia, you heartlessly abandoned a student supported by our corporation in the public, and now you’re defying your elders. Is this the kind of upbringing you’ve had?!”

I marched up to her, snatched the cane from her hand, and flung it aside.

“If you can’t use your cane properly, then don’t bother with it. Clattering it around like that is incredibly uncouth.

“Selfish and self-centered, you say? If I were truly either of those, I wouldn’t have helped Jason and Alex, nor would I have taken Kimberly in. I would

have just let the Clarks family fall apart!”

Seeing my grandmother gasp for breath in anger, I did not intend to back down.

In my past life, I had always respected her as an elder. After my parents passed away, she was my only family.

Despite her constant sharpness and cruelty, I never once voiced a complaint. I mistakenly believed her harshness was a form of love.

But as I lay on the floor, covered in blood and barely hanging on, she still scolded me in a disdainful tone for dirtying the floor.

Seeing how she had interacted with Kimberly at that moment, it was clear that she lacked the ability to care for the younger generation of the family as she simply refused to care about me!

Kimberly patted my grandmother’s back to calm her down. She shot me a triumphant glance before feigning a weak demeanor.

“Grandmother, don’t be angry. After all, Amelia is the only heir of the James family. It’s only natural for her to be arrogant.

“I’m just a helpless orphan, Grandmother, please don’t let it upset you.”

Instead of calming my grandmother, her words only fueled her anger further.

“Amelia, apologize to Kimberly now!”

Alex grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it at my feet. The shards exploded and sliced into my ankle.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the heir of the James family! In our eyes, you’ll always be beneath Kimberly!”

Jason was the calmest among them. He merely watched me coldly.

“Put those misguided thoughts away. Apologize to Kimberly now, and maybe I’ll give you one last chance.

“And transfer the James Corporation shares you hold to Kimberly as a sign of your sincerity.”

I ignored Jason’s arrogant words. The sharp pain in my ankle made each step more difficult as I walked toward Alex.

Alex was still lost in his fantasy as he imagined me sobbing and begging Kimberly for forgiveness. He had a smug expression plastered on his face.

“Yes, transfer your shares to Kimberly, and kneel down to her for forgiveness. Otherwise, we’ll never forgive you!”

As soon as he finished speaking, I raised my hand and slapped him without mercy. Everyone stared in astonishment.

Kimberly jumped to her feet and screamed, “Amelia, why did you slap him?!”

I shook my hand that had gone numb from the force, and let out a chilly, mocking laugh.

“Yes, I hit him. What about it? If he’s allowed to attack me, does that mean I can’t retaliate?"

Alex snapped out of his shock and tried to push me away, but I effortlessly dodged him. The veins on his forehead throbbed with rage.

“Amelia, you’ve really crossed the line this time!”

I clapped my hands and immediately called for the bodyguards at home.

“It doesn’t matter if I did. This is the James family’s house. If I want you out, you had better leave!”

My grandmother slammed her hand on the table and started shouting about the misfortune of our family.

“How rebellious! How did I end up raising such a granddaughter? This is truly the misfortune of our family!”

Mr. Williams stood by her and glared at me with open hostility.

Jason stared at me in disbelief.

“Amelia, think about this carefully. If you push us out, you’ll have to face the consequences.”

Kimberly, on the other hand, showed no sign of concern as she was convinced I was just bluffing.

But my next move would slap them all in the face.

As the bodyguards escorted them out, their faces were filled with utter disbelief. Kimberly immediately turned to my grandmother.

“Grandmother, Amelia has lost her mind! Get them to let me go!”

My grandmother trembled as she pointed a shaking finger at me.

“What are you doing? Don’t forget, you haven’t taken over the James family yet! Get them to let Kimberly down now!”

I responded with a cold smile and showed no intention of stopping.

“There’s no need for you to worry, grandmother. I’ve already contacted the family’s advisors to begin the transfer of our family’s assets.

“After all, my parents’ will states that I can take control of the family once I become an adult. From now on, I will fully manage the James family, and you can step down.”

When my parents passed away, I was still a minor. Although they left their inheritance to me, it had to be managed by my grandmother.

But once I came of age, she used a variety of excuses to refuse to let me take control of the family.

In my past life, I trusted my grandmother entirely. I was convinced that she was my only family in this world and that she would never harm me. And so, I entrusted the James family to her without a second thought. But reality struck me with a crushing blow.

In this lifetime, I knew all too well that only what was in my own hands was truly safe.

I would never again hand my fate over to someone else!

I snorted coldly and locked my eyes with my grandmother and Mr. Williams.

“Since you care so much about Kimberly, you can both leave the James family with her!”