Nadia was now deeply regretful.
She had intentionally broken the vase.
The pressure had been mounting on her recently.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, Lily had stolen all the spotlight.
During dinner, everyone was fawning over Lily, leaving Nadia feeling belittled and mocked.
That night, she stayed behind to play mahjong with her mother-in-law and the others.
Nadia wasn't good at mahjong, and because it was her first time playing with them, she deliberately lost to please them.
However, she ended up losing a lot of money and was called a fool by her mother-in-law.
Yesterday, she had been humiliated by Royce's friends, shattering her self-esteem.
Today, Franklin had insulted her in front of Royce, calling her "heartless and ungrateful.
" She truly hated Franklin.
This man frequently belittled her in front of Royce, praising Lily instead, which had caused her to harbor a grudge against him for a long time.
She knew about the vase.
When Royce brought it home, he specifically instructed her not to touch it, saying it was very important to the old man.
When she pretended to intervene in the fight and was pushed by Franklin, she hit the table, and the vase was right in front of her.
At that moment, she was so angry that she lost control.
Her mind was consumed with the thought that if Franklin broke the vase, the old man would never forgive him.
In a fit of rage, she reached out and broke it.
She thought that since Franklin was the old man's grandson, he would get a beating at most.
She never expected the old man to be so ruthless, beating Franklin until his back was a bloody mess.
She was terrified by how serious things had become.
Now, with Lily, the troublemaker, here, she was even more worried.
Nothing good ever happened when Lily was around.
But she wasn't too afraid—Royce would support her.
And Karina, who had a grudge against Nayla, would also back her up.
With three witnesses, Lily couldn't stir up any trouble.
Lily didn't need solid evidence, but she wouldn't admit guilt.
"You three claim you saw it? Is that enough to convict Franklin? What a joke." Lily's gaze swept over Nadia, Royce, and Karina.
"Nadia, I suspect you broke the vase and framed Franklin because you have a strong motive.
He called you heartless, and you wanted revenge."
"Royce, I suspect you're an accomplice, covering for Nadia because she's your wife."
"Karina, you're going through menopause, so your mind is muddled and you might have seen it wrong."
Royce: "?" How did she know? Nadia: "?" She knew Lily was a troublemaker! Karina: "?" Menopause again! Lily ignored their reactions and turned to the old man.
"Dad, any of them could be framing Franklin, so their words can't be trusted unless they provide solid evidence."
The old man remained silent.
Malika, despite not wanting to help Nadia, felt obliged to speak up since it involved her son.
"Lily, you keep asking Royce and the others for evidence, but Franklin also has no evidence to prove his innocence.
If he had any, he wouldn't have been beaten so badly."
Lily corrected her.
"Malika, they are the ones accusing Franklin, so they need to provide evidence to prove they're right.
Franklin, being the accused, doesn't need to prove his innocence.
What kind of logic are you using to run a household?"
Malika was speechless, feeling that Lily was being unreasonable but unable to refute her.
Lily pressed on, "If you really think it's unfair, then call the police.
That's the fairest way."
Franklin had endured the beating without confessing, so he must be innocent.
The mention of calling the police plunged the room into silence.
Nadia dug her nails into Royce's hand, and he looked at Lily, annoyed.
"Lily.
.
."
"Call me Aunt Lily!" Lily coldly corrected him.
Royce swallowed his frustration.
"Aunt Lily, this is a family matter.
Reporting it to the police would bring shame to us."
Nadia quickly agreed, "Yes, Aunt Lily, there's no need to make it public.
Think about the family's reputation."
Karina didn't want things to escalate either.
"Lily, Franklin has already been beaten.
Let's drop it.
You're injured too, so go home and rest."
Lily looked at the old man, who remained silent.
She was about to speak when Edmond's cool voice came from behind.
"Lily, come here."
Seeing Edmond, Lily was momentarily dazed.
From the moment she walked in, she had been tense, exhausted, and in pain.
For half an hour, she had been holding on with sheer willpower.
Edmond's appearance was like a release, allowing her to finally relax.
She ran over, her voice unconsciously filled with delight.
"Why are you here?"
Edmond knew she was barely holding on, so he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Why didn't you call me? What are you doing running around?"
His tone was calm, betraying no emotion, but Lily could sense his displeasure.
She nestled into his embrace, speaking softly with a hint of grievance.
"Aunt Fang said you went to the office early.
I thought you had important work and didn't want to bother you."
Seeing Franklin's bloody back had kept her going, but now that Edmond was holding her, she felt her strength give out.
Exhaustion and pain overwhelmed her.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into him.
"I'm so tired, and so sleepy."
Royce watched this scene with a complex expression, feeling a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.
Though he had rejected Lily, he couldn't stand seeing her close to Uncle Edmond.
If not for a shred of remaining sanity, he might have rushed over to separate them.
Edmond slightly bent down and scooped Lily into his arms.
Lily gasped and clung to his neck.
With Lily secure, Edmond turned and walked out, ignoring the people inside.
Karina called out to him.
"Edmond, the vase your mother left was broken by Franklin."
Edmond stopped abruptly, turned around with Lily in his arms, and looked at the shards of the vase on the floor.
Lily tightened her grip around his neck, quickly explaining, "It wasn't Franklin.
They said they saw it, but there's no evidence."
"Okay." Edmond responded softly, not saying more, and looked at the old man.
The old man was also looking at him, their gazes locking.
Edmond's expression was calm.
"You didn't cherish her when she was alive.
Who are you trying to impress with this show of affection now?"
The old man's breath hitched, his face paling.
"Edmond.
.
."
"Is a vase more important than a life?" Edmond cut him off, shattering his delusions.
"That vase wasn't even her favorite.
It's just what you thought she liked.
You always imposed your will on her when she was alive, and even now you won't let her rest."
The shattered vase lay lonely on the floor.
Edmond lowered his head slightly, shadows casting over his face.
"Good that it's broken.
Very good."
The old man trembled, his shoulders slumping as if his strength had been drained.
He sat down on the sofa in defeat, trying to speak but finding no words.
Edmond looked at Franklin, who was lying on the rug.
"Whether you broke it or not doesn't matter.
Since you took the beating, I'll give you credit for it."
Franklin: "?"
His wounds still hurt badly, and he was trying to understand Edmond's meaning when he heard Edmond say, "You can run a bar as a side job, but it can't be your main focus.
You're not young anymore; it's time to settle down.
Once you've recovered, come to the company.
I'll give you the position of manager of the Investment Department Two."
This statement was like a thunderbolt, shocking everyone.
Franklin: "???"
What the hell? Did he just turn misfortune into a blessing? Royce sprang up from the sofa.
"Manager of Department Two?"
Was Uncle Edmond crazy? Letting Franklin into the company was already exceptional.
Normally, the younger generation had to go through the subsidiary companies and bring in projects before they could even step into the main company.