Watching Vicky standing at the gate of the sanatorium, drenched in the heavy rain, Joseph's smile grew even wider, his tone filled with mockery.
"My dear niece, you're here quite early." Joseph said.
The sound of his voice was so grating to Vicky's ears, it instantly ignited a blaze of anger within her. She had woken up early to prepare for her grandfather's birthday banquet, braved the pouring rain, and waited at the sanatorium gate, only to be denied entry...
She immediately realized what the gatekeeper had meant earlier.
"Did you tell him not to let me in?" Vicky demanded, struggling to suppress her fury. "I am my grandfather's only granddaughter. Why can't I go in? What right do you have to stop me?"
"Why?" Joseph sneered, his disdain evident. "Because you've already been expelled from the family. You no longer belong to the Smith family. Is that reason enough for you?"
