I made a call to the residential security and turned to head upstairs.

As she was being escorted out, Kinsley took the chance to swipe two bottles of beer from my table, still cursing all the way to the door.

I sat alone in my room for a long time, turning everything over in my head, before finally deciding to call my parents, who were away on a business trip in another province.

The next morning, when I woke up, I saw a message from my brother.

He apologized, saying he’d been too harsh the day before. He claimed Kinsley had spouted all that nonsense because she’d had too much to drink and that she felt terrible once she sobered up.

To show her sincerity, he said, she had specially booked a dinner table to apologize in person.

I didn’t want to go at first. But my brother blew up my phone with over a hundred calls, so many that I couldn’t even focus on work.

In the end, I gave in.

But when I opened the door to the private room at the restaurant that evening, I froze.

Not only were my brother and Kinsley there, but also her mother and that scummy younger brother of hers.

Before I could say a word, her mother, Cassandra Granger, strutted over and smacked me twice, hard, right on the butt, then began circling me with a face full of disdain.

“Kinsley, this girl’s butt is so flat, she’ll have a hard time giving birth to a son. If she were from our village, she’d be married off to some blind cripple if anyone took her at all.”

Her younger brother, Bailey Granger, gave my chest a lecherous once-over, rubbed his chin, and chuckled.

“She’s a bit thin, but not bad. Got some curves. I guess I’ll reluctantly agree to marry her.”

Cassandra shot him a disapproving glare.

“Marry? What marry? Bring her home first. Once she gives birth to a boy, then you can get the certificate. What if she turns out to be a hen that can’t lay eggs? Our family’s not taking that loss.”

Kinsley glanced at me like she was doing me a huge favor and said in a sickeningly generous tone, “Did you bring the property deed? My brother made time today just for you. Go ahead and transfer the villa to him. If he’s satisfied, he’ll take you home tonight.”

When rage reached its peak, laughter was the only thing left.

And today, I finally understood what it meant to be shameless beyond redemption.

I swept my gaze across every one of their faces, then locked eyes on my brother, who stood there with his head bowed like a guilty child.

“Maxwell, you’re just going to stand there and let this happen?”

He stepped over hurriedly and tried to pull me aside, lowering his voice like we were co-conspirators.

“Adeline, your sister-in-law is pregnant. She can’t be upset. Just go along with her for now. Keep the peace.”

I stared at him, stunned.

“Your own sister is about to be handed over like some object, and you’re telling me to humor her?”

He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. “You’ll get married eventually. What does it matter who it is? Marrying Bailey, it’ll strengthen family ties.”

I was trembling, my blood boiling, my chest tight, and my breath shallow.

And just as I tried to calm myself, Cassandra suddenly lunged forward, yanked my bag out of my hand, and dumped its contents onto the table.

She snatched up my wallet and tore it open, and the moment she saw that stack of red bills, her eyes sparkled with unrestrained greed.

She stuffed the entire wad of cash into her pocket, then pulled out my bank cards one by one, grumbling with a sneer, “Didn’t you say you made good money? This is it?”

“Let me tell you, women in our Granger family aren’t allowed to keep money. Try hiding a stash, and we’ll slice your tendons clean.”

Bailey stood up with a wicked grin. “Mom, she probably tucked some away on her body. I’ll do a thorough search. I won’t miss a single cent.”

My fury exploded.

As he came near, I slammed a brutal kick straight into his groin.

He dropped to the floor, howling, curling up like a dying shrimp. I didn’t even spare him a glance as I grabbed Cassandra’s hand and yanked my bank cards back.

She stared at her now-empty hands, then at her son’s purpling face, her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull.

Then, out of nowhere, she let out a high-pitched wail and bolted out of the room, flinging herself down the hallway, kicking and screaming like she’d just lost her soul.

“Everyone, come look! My daughter-in-law cheated with some random man, and when I caught her, she beat up an old woman like me. There’s no justice left in the world!”

“This shameless thing, no one even knows whose child she’s carrying! My son didn’t care; he still took her in, and she repaid him by stealing my coffin money and tricking him into signing over the house! Now she’s kicked our whole family out and refuses to give it back! What did the Granger family ever do to deserve this? I can’t go on. I might as well die!”

With that, she threw herself against the wall, wailing with fake despair.

A few bystanders, clueless about the truth, hurried to hold her back. Their eyes landed on me with contempt.

“You had every chance to live right, and this is what you chose? Hurting an elderly woman like that?”

“Exactly, just look at her. Covered head to toe in designer brands, while her mother-in-law wears the same old jacket. Clearly, it doesn’t work. She probably lives off that poor husband of hers and still dares to act high and mighty. What a disgrace.”

Kinsley came squeezing out of the private room, tears streaming down her face as she howled, “My brother cherished you like his own life, and you turned out to be a filthy slut! We’re not even holding you accountable for seducing strangers and stealing our coffin money. Just hand over the deed to my brother, and we’ll call it even!”

The crowd stood tall on their imagined moral high ground, pointing fingers, cursing loudly, and spitting with righteous fury.

Someone even flung their half-finished bubble tea at me, and a glob of spit landed square on my face.

Sticky. Soaked. Humiliated.

I stood frozen, ears ringing and vision spinning.

And finally, my brother stepped forward.

But not to protect me.

He grabbed my arm, face twisted in frustration, and scolded, “Adeline, you’ve got so much money. It’s just one villa. Just give it to Bailey. Once you marry him, we’re all one family; what’s the difference, whether it’s sooner or later?”

He let out a tired sigh as if I had been the one making trouble all along.

“Honestly, this whole mess is your fault. If you had just listened to your sister-in-law from the start, none of this would’ve happened.”

With that, he fished out a tissue from his pocket and reached out to wipe my face.

I raised my hand and blocked him.

With a cold, cutting stare at his fake concern, I slowly raised my phone.

“I’ve already recorded everything and called the police. Every slanderous word you’ve spoken will be handed over to law enforcement. Get ready to deal with the consequences.”

Cassandra and Kinsley’s faces drained of color, turning ghostly pale.

I let out a scornful laugh. “Trying to take something without giving anything in return? You’d better make sure you’re even worth the trouble.”

Wiping my face, I shoved aside my panicked brother without a second glance.

“From this moment on, you’re no longer my brother. Stay the hell away from me.”

It wasn’t until I returned home that I finally allowed my trembling body to let go of its emotions.

I had always believed the Grangers were shameless, but I thought, at the very least, my brother still remembered what it meant to be family.

It turns out reality didn’t slap; it crushed.

After showering and changing, I crawled into bed, physically drained and mentally exhausted.

Just as I pulled the blanket over myself, an angry pounding echoed from the front door.

“Adeline! Your sister-in-law is pregnant. She can’t go to jail! Go explain to the police that it was all just a misunderstanding!”

“Adeline, stop acting deaf! If anything happens to my son because of this, I swear, I won’t let you off!”

When I didn’t respond, the pounding turned into violent kicks against the door.

Frustrated, I pulled the blanket over my head and didn’t even know when I finally drifted off.

In a hazy daze, I felt something brushing along my collarbone, warm breath trailing dangerously close to my ear.

At first, I thought it was a dream until a chilling voice broke through. “Son, hurry up and strip that little tramp! I’ve got the phone all setup.”

Something in my head exploded.

I jolted awake instantly, eyes wide, heart racing.

What I saw left me completely frozen.

Bailey was on top of me, panting heavily, his disgusting breath hot against my neck as his filthy hands roamed my body.

Not far away, Cassandra stood grinning like a demon, holding her phone up high and filming.

“You little whore! Did you dare to send us to the police? Tonight, my son’s going to ruin you. Once he’s done, even if you don’t want to hand over the house and money, you’ll have no choice.”

My entire body went cold. I had locked my bedroom door. How had Bailey and Cassandra gotten in?

I screamed and fought with everything I had.

Annoyed by the resistance, Bailey slapped me hard across the forehead. The impact slammed me against the sharp corner of the nightstand.

My hair was a tangled mess, and my face was drained of color from the pain. Warm blood trickled down my forehead.

“You didn’t want the wine? Fine. Then, take the punishment. Did you dare to kick me in the groin? Tonight, I’ll show you exactly what I’m made of.”

He tore violently at my clothes.

I trembled in terror, blood and tears streaming down my cheeks.

In the chaos, I caught a glimpse of a familiar hem by the doorway.

Clutching to it like a lifeline, I screamed hysterically, “Brother, help me! Please save me!”

Maxwell stood at the door, hesitating. He looked like he might step inside, but Kinsley clutched his arm tightly, her voice drifting into the room loud and clear. “Think carefully. I’m carrying your child. If you ruin my brother’s fun, I’ll march straight to the hospital and abort it.”

He froze for a moment, then slowly turned and walked toward the door, never once meeting my eyes.

“Adeline, Bailey’s a good guy. You won’t lose anything by being with him. You’re going to marry him anyway. Just treat this as the wedding night coming early.”

“I swear, when the two of you get married, I’ll personally walk you down the aisle and make it the grandest wedding ever.”

With that, he shut the door and locked it from the outside.

My pupils shrank like lightning tearing across a clear sky.

In that instant, everything became terrifyingly clear: Maxwell still had access to the fingerprint lock on my villa, and my room key was lying in the drawer of the living room coffee table.

He had brought Bailey’s entire family in.

He let them enter my bedroom.

He let Bailey violate me.

At that moment, my heart turned to ice.

My voice shook with fury, “Maxwell, how dare you do this to me? Mom and Dad will never forgive you!”

Bailey sneered, “Save your breath. You’ll be screaming soon enough.”

I kicked and fought like mad. Enraged by the struggle, he slapped me again and again in a blind fury.

My strength slipped away, my vision swam, and the metallic taste of blood coated my throat.

“Mom, come hold her legs down. This bitch is wild. I’m gonna finish quick.”

Cassandra’s eyes were bloodshot as she pounced on me. She tied my hands with the bedsheet and yanked at my pants with vicious force.

I cried, sobbing loudly, “Let me go! If you touch me, my parents will tear you to pieces!”

“Spit!”

Cassandra clawed at my legs and barked, “Perfect timing, your parents can see what a filthy fox you are, seducing my son. They’ll be begging him to marry you!”

“Having my son in bed is your blessing. You cheap slut. Won’t behave until someone beats it into you.”

She threw aside my torn pants, and Bailey, unable to wait, jumped up and yanked off his belt.

Not far away, the phone’s red recording light blinked nonstop, aimed straight at me.

I couldn’t move. Tears of despair slipped from the corners of my eyes.

Just as I sank deeper into hopelessness, heavy footsteps thundered from outside.

The door burst open with a deafening crash as bodyguards stormed in.

My father’s furious roar shook the room, “Bastards! What are you doing to my daughter?!”