C8 Viola's Framing!

Lydia's pupils dilated abruptly as she felt the man's weight pressing down on her.

With a surge of anger, she delivered a stinging slap to his face. "Don't touch me!"

Smack!

The sound of the slap reverberated through the room.

The man's cheek flared red in an instant.

"Courting death, are you?" Reece's grip tightened around her neck as he glared at her with icy intensity.

Pain lanced through her throat, contorting her features in agony.

She frantically tried to pry his hand off, desperate for a breath, but the more she struggled, the tighter his grip became, her face turning an unnatural shade of purple-red.

"Cough... cough... Let go, let go!"

Reece gave her a cursory glance, his irritation palpable as he abruptly released her.

He prided himself on his self-control, yet this woman managed to infuriate him every time. He couldn't find his usual calm.

He had only meant to show her sympathy, yet she saw him as the villain.

Damn it all!

"I'm not so desperate that I'd stoop to someone like you!" he huffed coldly, storming out and slamming the door behind him.

Lydia watched the door slam shut, her tense nerves finally easing.

The next moment, she collapsed back onto the bed, utterly drained.

As she regained her composure, the fever's discomforts flooded her senses, and she realized she was ill once more.

Perhaps Reece hadn't intended any harm after all.

She glanced at her left hand, still numb, her expression tinged with embarrassment.

Meanwhile, at the office.

Reece's mood had soured after an unexpected slap.

His annoyance was palpable that morning—everyone seemed to rub him the wrong way.

The project manager eyed Reece's brooding expression and cautiously presented a document. "Mr. Tillman, here's the progress report for today's project."

Reece gave the document a cursory glance before slamming it down on the desk.

His gaze lifted to meet the manager's, a tumultuous storm of displeasure in his eyes. "Two months into the City C project and this is the progress we've made?"

"Mr. Tillman, we had some issues with our raw material suppliers last month, so..."

The project manager stammered out an explanation, but the words died in his throat under Reece's penetrating stare, his anxiety causing him to gulp nervously.

Sweat trickled down the manager's back, soaking through his white shirt.

"I'm giving you one more month. If I don't see the progress I expect, don't bother showing up for work!" Reece's voice wasn't loud, but it was heavy with authority, pressing down on the project manager who barely dared to breathe, let alone stop nodding in agreement.

"Sixth Bro, what's got you so fired up today?"

A curious voice drifted in from outside, followed by Loran, casually dressed in a floral shirt, sauntering into the room.

With a discreet gesture from Loran, the project manager scooped up his documents and made a hasty exit from the tension-filled room.

Once the door clicked shut, Loran turned his attention to the visibly irate man across from him. "Tsk... who's got Sixth Bro all riled up? Must be someone with a death wish!"

"That woman has certainly got a death wish," Reece muttered, his fury reignited by the morning's events.

Without naming names, Loran quickly deduced the identity of the woman Reece was referring to. In their world, the only one capable of getting the usually stoic and aloof Sixth Bro this agitated was—Lydia.

"Is that foolish woman stirring up trouble with you again?" Loran quipped, popping a dark purple grape into his mouth, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

Reece massaged his temples, "No, it's not that."

"Then what did she do to tick off Sixth Bro?" Loran's eyes were wide with curiosity.

Reece's thoughts flashed back to the woman's slap, his expression icing over. He sidestepped Loran's inquiry, rubbing his nose bridge with a headache.

Seeing Reece's reluctance to elaborate, Loran didn't press further.

He stole a glance at his Sixth Bro's vexed demeanor and suggested with a sly grin, "Sixth Bro, there's this new bar on the east side of town. Rumor has it, it's full of beauties. How about we check it out with Second Bro?"

Reece wasn't one for bustling scenes, but today, he was surprisingly quick to agree.

He left some instructions for his work and then joined Loran in the car.

As they drove, Loran mentioned the address, and Reece couldn't help but notice the bar's proximity to the Ellis family estate.

Heh.

It seemed he couldn't escape the shadow of the name 'Ellis'.

With a sardonic smile, Reece reclined in his seat for a brief rest, letting Loran guide him towards the bar.

At that moment, within the Tillman household.

*Ding*

The phone rang, and Lydia's eyes welled up as she saw "Mom" flash across the caller ID.

She quickly composed herself and eagerly answered, "Mom?"

"Yes," Eliza's voice came through softly, pausing briefly before continuing, "Lydia, today is your grandmother's birthday. Your father and I would love for you and Reece to come over and celebrate with her."

"This..."

"Lydia, I'm aware of the tension between you and Grandma, and I understand your reluctance to return to the Ellis family home, but... we have a house full of relatives today. If you skip Grandma's birthday banquet, it will reflect poorly on your dad. It'll make things even harder for him in front of Grandma."

Lydia was cut off before she could respond, Eliza interjecting with urgency.

In her past life, she was oblivious to her parents' struggles, her stubbornness leading to her father being mocked for her absence at the birthday celebration.

This time around, she vowed not to repeat her past mistakes.

Yet...

She glanced down at her still numb left hand and let out a wry chuckle.

Reece already despised her, and after she had slapped him, the likelihood of him joining her at the Ellis family gathering was virtually nonexistent.

Feeling guilty, she fibbed, "Mom, Reece has a major project at his company today and probably won't make it... But I'll be there to wish Grandma a happy birthday."

"Alright, dear, your father and I will be waiting for you."

Eliza, after a brief pause, nodded with joy.

Once the call ended, Lydia stared at the fading light of the screen and whispered, "Mom, Dad, I won't let you down or cause you embarrassment again. This time, it's my turn to look after you."

After freshening up, Lydia, with gifts in hand, hurried off to the Ellis family estate.

"Who's this walking in? Seems like a new face," a guest remarked, noticing Lydia's uneven gait.

Another relative glanced over at Lydia and quipped, "Isn't that the infamous Lydia Ellis?"

"That's the Ellis family's scandalous young mistress, right?" another guest sneered, eyeing Lydia dismissively. "The one the matriarch removed from the family tree out of shame? How does she have the nerve to show up here?"

"Just shameless, haha..."

The two exchanged barbs, each word slicing through Lydia's heart like a razor blade.

She ignored the jibes, laboriously dragging her left leg through the crowd to where Janie, the birthday girl, sat enthroned in the living room.

"Mom, this is a birthday gift from Viola for you—a premium, fully green jade bracelet." A middle-aged woman of high society presented the elegant wooden box to Janie.

Janie beamed as she admired the bracelet, casting an approving glance at Viola. "Ah, my granddaughter Viola knows exactly what her grandma likes. You've put so much thought into this."

"As long as Grandma's happy," Viola responded with a sweet smile, delighting the elderly woman even more.

Janie's laughter filled the room, but it was cut short when she caught sight of a figure hobbling towards her. Her face soured instantly.

The mother-daughter duo exchanged puzzled looks before turning to see what had caught Janie's attention.

Viola's eyes flickered with surprise upon seeing Lydia. Wasn't she the one who despised their grandmother the most?

What brought her back for this birthday celebration?

"Grandma," Lydia greeted, bending in a polite bow to the matriarch seated in the place of honor.

Janie, however, returned her greeting with a scornful smirk. "I hardly deserve to be called 'grandmother.' I fear the folks in Goulcrest would mock me for raising someone who shamelessly throws herself at men!"

Lydia's grip tightened around her gift, her lips pressed into a thin line.

As Lydia endured the mockery, Viola and her mother snickered from the sidelines.

Only after savoring Lydia's discomfort did Viola feign concern, attempting to defuse the tension. "Grandma, let's not dredge up those unpleasant memories. Sister has long realized her mistake, haven't you, Lydia?"

The question was a loaded one, and Lydia's inner smile was cold.

Oh, Viola was seizing the chance to trample on her.

If Lydia admitted her fault, she'd be indirectly confessing to orchestrating the scheme against Reece.

But to deny it would displease Janie.

Either answer would play right into her adversary's hands.

"Sister?" Viola called out again when Lydia remained silent.

Under the watchful eyes of Viola and her daughter, Lydia slowly lifted her head, her gaze settling on Janie.

"Grandma, you've always taught me to uphold the Ellis family's integrity, to never confess to deeds I haven't done. I've lived by your guidance, so I can't confess to something I didn't do. I didn't frame Reece; I was the one who was plotted against. But this incident has brought shame to you and the Ellis family. I was too careless, and for that, I apologize."

Silence fell upon the room; Janie and the others were left speechless, unable to find a single point to direct their anger.

If Janie dwelled on the past, she risked appearing petty and lacking in magnanimity.

Janie turned her attention away from Lydia, her gaze softening as she looked at Viola. "Viola, it's getting late. Let's have everyone seated," she said with affection.

"And you, follow me to the backyard," Janie commanded Lydia, her face stern as she rose and made her way to the backyard.

Lydia followed suit, but as soon as she entered the guest-free backyard, she was abruptly lifted by the arms by the servants.

Frowning, she looked at Janie, "Grandma?"

"You've certainly gotten slick with your words since we last met! Regardless of the actual truth from back then, you've tarnished the Ellis family's reputation. Therefore, without my permission, you are forbidden from setting foot in the Ellis family home again. We have no place for someone like you in our family!"

Janie's expression turned icy as she instructed the servants, "Throw her out. And if she dares to return, beat her to death!"

Meanwhile, a black luxury car was parked across the street from the Ellis residence, separated by an iron fence. The standoff between the Ellis family matriarch and her granddaughter played out clearly in Reece's eyes through the car's glass window.

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