Zuri let go of the door and calmly sat down on the specially made sofa, her clear eyes calmly gazing at him.
Christian's face darkened as he saw her sitting on the sofa he had custom-made for Saira. "This is Saira's room. Taking over her room the moment you come back is quite overbearing, don't you think?"
"Overbearing?" Zuri smiled faintly. "Wasn't it overbearing for her to take over my life for over a decade?"
Christian knew she held grievances, but that didn't justify her taking others' belongings.
He didn't want to argue with her. His gaze fell on the sofa beneath her. "Stand up. This sofa was made for Saira, not you. If you want one, I can get you another."
"Yours? Are you sure?"
Christian found her question absurd. "Of course."
"Do you know if your biological parents' surname is Zhao, Qian, Sun, or Li?"
Christian frowned.
"And, have you started working? Do you have an income?"
Christian's eyes darkened as he stared at her, displeased.
Zuri looked him up and down, "Everything you eat, drink, use, and wear comes from my father's money. You're living off the Lin family's money and yet you boss around the Lin family's only daughter. Doesn't your conscience hurt? Or are you just an ungrateful wretch?"
Christian was an orphan adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Lin. In truth, Zuri was the only one in the family with blood ties to them. Yet, in her past life, the outcome was that the four unrelated people lived happily, while she became the sacrificial lamb for their benefit.
Why did it turn out that way? Was it because she didn't obey them enough in her past life? Or because she wasn't good enough? Or was it because there was no emotional bond beyond the pitiful blood relationship, making it easy for them to discard and sacrifice her?
Indeed, the bond built from growing up together was more important than mere blood ties.
"You used the Lin family's money to buy things, so they belong to the Lin family. What's theirs is mine. So, this sofa and this room are mine."
Christian laughed in exasperation at her shameless logic. He couldn't believe that the biological daughter of his adoptive parents would be like this.
"The design of the sofa is my own. Surely, that makes it mine?"
"Are you sure this sofa is your design?" Zuri asked, looking genuinely surprised.
Christian was amused by her expression. "Of course."
"Wow, it's the first time I've seen someone plagiarize so blatantly." Zuri sat up straight, propping her chin on one hand, her eyes narrowing slightly. "This sofa's design is clearly from Master Emil, released last year. If I'm not mistaken, you copied Master Emil's design, and the additional patterns are your handiwork."
"When I first saw this sofa, I wondered why Master Emil's standards had dropped, adding such redundant patterns to the backrest."
"Now I understand. What a pity. This sofa was originally worth millions, but with those extra patterns, it's only worth a few thousand. Such a shame." Zuri's face showed genuine regret.
After being exposed, Christian's face turned red, either from shame or anger.
In her previous life, it was revealed that this sofa's design was plagiarized from Master Emil. The Lin family, wanting to protect Christian's reputation, made Zuri take the fall, claiming she designed it.
High society knew the truth, but the online community didn't. This incident was leaked by Saira, leading to Zuri being violently attacked online. For a time, Zuri faced relentless harassment, even being followed and almost attacked with acid. Fortunately, she was quick to evade, or the consequences would have been dire.
Through all this, the Lin family not only didn't support her but blamed her for causing trouble and bringing shame to the family. Did they ever consider whose fault it truly was? Was it hers? Did she plagiarize? Did she bring shame to the Lin family?
Ultimately, Aaron and Dalia didn't care about Zuri, her feelings, or anything about her, making it easy for them to sacrifice her without any guilt.
"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret. After all, if you disgrace yourself, it reflects poorly on me too. Since you carry the Lin name, I don't want you to tarnish the Lin Group's reputation or damage Father's company." Zuri's gaze shifted from the doorway back to Christian.
Aaron, standing at the doorway, heard everything clearly.
Aaron's face showed relief as he walked into the room. "You've met each other, so I don't need to introduce you. Christian, take good care of Zuri. She's suffered a lot outside, and as her brother, you must protect her and not let anyone bully her."
Christian, seeing that his father only cared about Zuri while ignoring Saira, felt a surge of resentment and more pity for her. During this half month, facing biased parents daily, how hurt and sad must she have been?
Christian sarcastically replied, "With her strength, does she need my protection? I'll go check on Saira."
Aaron was momentarily angered but quickly dismissed it. "Zuri, you're the most sensible. Don't mind his words."
"The bond between Brother and Saira is truly enviable. At first glance, they could be mistaken for a couple," Zuri remarked meaningfully.
"Don't talk nonsense," Aaron scolded, glaring at her.
Whether it was nonsense or not, she would let everyone know in the future.
At dinner, the table was filled with Christian's favorite dishes. Throughout the meal, Christian and Saira joked with Mr. and Mrs. Lin, making them laugh heartily.
The atmosphere was lively, with Zuri the only one isolated and left out.
She watched coldly as the four of them chatted and laughed, eating her meal silently like an outsider.
Arianwen noticed and felt a pang of sympathy for Miss Zuri.
"I have something for you," Christian said, pulling a ticket from his pocket.
Saira, seeing it was a ticket to Owen's concert, was overjoyed. "Brother, where did you get this ticket?"
Aaron asked, "What about Zuri's?"
Christian looked at Zuri. "Sorry, Zuri. I promised Saira first. I'll see if I can get another ticket from a friend."
His tone was completely insincere.
Zuri smiled inwardly. Just moments ago, Azura had messaged her, securing two diamond VIP tickets.