"Is this because of Zhang Xin? Did she threaten you?"
Sera didn't say anything. Instead, she gave the old man her phone and showed him the video. "I am innocent."
"This — " Slowly, the old man's face turned dark. "She— "
"I wanted to avoid her as much as possible. I just want to clear my name. I never hurt her. She did it to scare me."
"That woman!" Considering that Zhang Xin is only the old man's daughter-in-law is not really a Zhang by blood, the video immediately infuriated him. "Augustus! Call my lawyer!" he ordered his secretary. "I want to arrange a meeting now!"
Sera wanted to ask what he was planning to do, but ended up shutting her mouth instead. This has nothing to do with her anymore. After a few more minutes, the old man returned her phone and gave her another set of apologies for what happened.
"But this wouldn't change my mind. I want to announce your existence to the world at your cousin's engagement party. This is Zhang Xin's punishment for what she did."
This old man is quite fearsome and petty. Even Sera doesn't really care that much about her identity. All she wanted now was to use the video against Zhang Xin. As punishment, she wanted to send the video to Zhang Xin and scare her to death.
Alright, maybe she didn't want to murder someone. But she was hoping to make that woman suffer by slowly sending clips of the video every day. She was planning to hack into Zhang Xin's computer and erased her files and just make that woman suffer.
Then she hoped the anger would cause some issues with her health.
And that was it.
To some people, this isn't that grand for an act of revenge. The thing is, she wasn't really here for revenge. She just felt that Zhang Xin owe her something, and she wanted her to pay. The anxiety that Zhang Xin would feel while waiting for the rest of the video should be enough punishment, right?
She could already imagine the woman pacing around, unable to sleep while waiting for the sender to demand some sort of money in exchange for the video.
Of course, she isn't going to ask for anything which would surely anger that woman to death.
"You have suffered enough. When they announced that you are adopted, I didn't intervene. I knew you fell into a scheme and I thought, helping you out would only attract their ire. It would mean that I cared for you and that would anger them even more. For years, I had to pretend that I never cared about an illegitimate child like you. I have to pretend that you don't matter to me."
She didn't miss the sadness in the old man's eyes. "But now that my life is about to end… "
"You seemed too sure that you are about to die. Can't you find any means to live longer?" Her words came before she could even think about it. There was no hint of emotion in her tone. It was as if she was casually talking to an acquaintance instead of her grandfather.
For a few seconds, her words surprised the old man. Not long after, he chuckled. "I am not accepting any treatments anymore. I am tired. I am already almost eighty years old. I have lived enough… It is time for me to go." As much as it hurt him to hear Sera talked to him like this, he didn't have a choice. Aside from their blood, they didn't have any sort of relationship.
He could only blame himself for this matter.
At least Sera had acted as an honest person. She didn't try to console him or made him feel better for his sins. Unlike those people who would try to praise him and use their honeyed tongue to try and get close to him, Sera was just being real.
Her placid reaction somewhat reminded him of her mother, his daughter. However, the calmness in her eyes was different. It didn't have the anger that her mother used to have or any resentment. In fact, he could see nothing in Sera's eyes.
There was just indifference.
It was as if she never cared about the past. The old man stared at Sera's calm appearance.
Since coming in, the woman didn't say too many words. But this actually made him feel good. At least, she isn't some dramatic woman that would cry and vow revenge for the suffering that she experienced. The old man already lived for a long time. He saw people rise and fall; he saw companies succeed and failed.
By now, he knew that the best way to enjoy this life is to live away from the drama, away from the toxic.
"If you don't want me to announce that— "
"I want to know something else." Sera interrupted the old man's voice.
"What is it?"
"The last time… I mean that incident years ago. When I heard that they are planning to announce I was adopted." She hesitated for a few seconds. "I am wondering if they intentionally let me hear the conversation and changed the context for me to act like a crazed woman?" She was hoping that the old man could tell her the truth about the past.
Scratch that.
Sera intentionally asked the question to inform the old man what really happened that night! Hearing the old man's story made her recall Zhang Xin's words, the one that she heard. She clearly said they are going to announce that she was adopted.
But if she was really the heir then… does that mean the announcement would also include that she was a real Zhang? After all, many prominent people were there!
However, Zhang Xin's words didn't include this. She was just clearly talking to her mother about Sera being adopted and it was time to tell the world about this.
"You — " As expected, the old man's expression sank. "You heard that you were adopted… "He mumbled as he lowered his head. 'That night… That night was supposed to be the night that I would announce you as my heir. How did you hear about being adopted? Who did you hear it from?"