ke''s grip on Chloe''s throat tightened; he wanted to kill her. He''d opposed Ethan bringing the driver''s daughter into the family. She''d be a menace! Alice''s estrangement from the family wasrgely due to Chloe''s maniption.


    Chloe''s face turned purple; she couldn''t speak. The manager in the passenger seat urged ke, “Let go! What if you kill her?”


    ke released her; Chloe gasped for air, her throat and lungs burning. She''d thought she was going to die. If murder wasn''t illegal, ke would have killed her.


    Chloe, panicked, stammered, “Four, I was young and foolish; I said the wrong things. Please forgive me."


    “Kneel,” ke said coldly, turning on his phone''s video recorder. “Apologize to Alice sincerely, or I''ll make you suffer."


    Chloe knelt, clutching her dress. She was furious. If she could contact her father, she''d have ke killed. Ethan had known ke would resort to violence, yet he still forced her to apologize. The Windhams were treating her worse and worse. She needed an escape route. It was time to meet her supposedly deceased father.


    ke


    pped her when she remained silent."Apologize! Are you deaf?" Chloe, dizzy from the blow, whimpered, “It was my fault. I lied. Alice, please forgive me. It''s not Four''s fault. It''s all my fault. I lied to him.”


    ke grabbed her hair.I said


    said speak to the camera! Apologize properly!"


    Her scalp screamed in pain, but she dared not resist. She''d seen ke attack Alice; he was merciless.


    After beating Chloe, ke took a breath, then kicked her. "Don''t think you can rece Alice as the Windham family''s daughter. You''re an outsider, a pet we keep."


    Chloe''s eyes darkened. She would get revenge; she wouldn''t let ke get away with this." ke told the driver, "Stop."


    ke looked at Chloe with disgust. “Get out. I''ll give you a day to apologize to Alice and earn her forgiveness. Otherwise, I''ll make you suffer what she suffered.”


    Chloe scrambled out of the car, her high heel flying out the window, like discarding trash. She picked up her expensive shoe and watched ke drive away, her resolve hardening. The Windhams favored Alice; she needed a backup n.


    Chloe called the mysterious number. She''d nned to rece Alice and live as the Windham family''s daughter, without involving her father. But now, things were different.


    A middle-aged man answered.“My dear daughter, what do you need?"


    "Let''s meet. I''ll consider your proposal-we''ll work together to ruin the Windham family." Chloe was hurting, but she was consumed by hatred. She wanted the Windhams to regret their actions and beg for her forgiveness.


    "Good. Let''s meet now. I''m free. Come using the method I gave you, to avoid being noticed." "You''re overthinking it. No one''s following me. The Windhams don''t value me; your death didn''t change their hearts!" Chloe''s voice was choked with tears. She''d suffered so much, yet Alice''s departure had made the brothers regret their actions. She hated it. She''d done more than Alice,


    4 Chapter 236


    yet her efforts went unnoticed.


    “Good you see it now. I told you not to be stubborn, but you chose the Windhams. Now you suffer. We''re family"


    I know now. I''ll make the Windhams regret this Chloe''s eyes burned with rage, she wouldn''t forgive the Windhams, or Alice.


    Alice and Jack returned to the hospital. She was affected by learning ke''s cruelty stemmed from believing she''d abandoned him. It was absurd. He''d believed Chloe over her. Jack put his hands on her shoulders ''Don''t dwell on it. He''s the one suffering now” “But I don''t need his false apology," Alice said.


    “You''re right. They''re selfiah They me you for their mistakes,” Jack said, realizing the Windhams had taken Alice''s sacrifices for granted. They only regretted losing her. Their apologies were insincere. "If I''de sooner, you wouldn''t have suffered so much," he added. regret evident in his voice.


    Alice smiled. “No, you came at the perfect time. She''d just been reborn, seeing her brothers'' hypocrisy and determined to leave. Before, she would''ve continued sacrificing herself and wouldn''t have listened to Jack. Jack looked at her. But I want to make it up to you."


    "You haven''t done anything wrong," Alice said, looking up at him.“Jack, I really like you." She tiptoed closer.


    He gently cupped her face. Let me take the lead next time." He kissed her forehead tenderly. Alice hugged him. "Can''t we both take the lead?"


    want to give more," he whispered.


    "You don''t have to," she murmured, nuzzling into his chest. In her past life, she''d longed for her brothers'' love and happiness, but she''d grasped at nothing. This life, she would live for herself, finding more happiness than she''d ever known.


    Jack''s phone rang repeatedly. Alice blushed, reminding him, "You have calls. Something important?"


    Jack reluctantly let go."A meeting. I''ll be backter."


    "Okay."


    Alice watched him leave, touching her flushed face. Was this what dating felt like? She already


    missed him.


    She checked her phone; ke had sent a video of Chloe''s forced apology. She smirked. Dogs fighting over scraps.


    The PR team entered. Alice said, "Ms. Alice, we followed the Windhams. After Chloe was dismissed from the car, she met someone at a café.”


    "Who?"


    Alice sent


    a photo. "We only got a profile shot; the person was cautious. Look." Alice''s face went pale. The man looked strikingly like Chloe''s father!


    This chapter concludes with a dramatic cliffhanger, revealing Chloe''s ndestine meeting, adding anotheryer of suspense and intrigue to the narrative. The Americanized context and


    colloquialnguage. are consistently present.