The air in Rong Hall hung thick with tension. Ella's refusal to kneel had created a palpable shift in the atmosphere. The family members, previously whispering amongst themselves, now stared at her with a mixture of shock and anger. Old Mandam Smith, her face flushed with indignation, glared at Ella, her eyes burning with fury. The other members of the family seemed unsure of what to do."How dare you defy me?" Old Mandam Smith's voice, usually raspy with age, was now sharp and cutting. "You forget your place, girl! I am the matriarch of this family, and you will obey me." She seemed to be trying to regain control over the situation.Ella stood firm, her back straight and her gaze unwavering. She had expected this reaction, and she was prepared for it. "I respect your position as the matriarch, Grandmother," she said, her voice calm and steady. "However, I will not kneel for something I do not believe I have done wrong." She held their gaze to show that she was not afraid.Amy Smith, seeing an opportunity to attack, jumped in. "You think you are always so right, Ella? You are just stubborn and disrespectful. You have embarrassed the whole family!" She seemed happy that she could participate in the attack.Ella turned her gaze towards Amy, her eyes filled with disdain. "Your words are empty, Amy. They do not reflect the truth, and they are merely meant to provoke me. I will not lower myself to argue with you." She was resolved to not get into a back and forth with Amy, as that would achieve nothing.The other family members joined in, their voices rising in a cacophony of accusations. "You are arrogant and proud!" one of her cousins shouted. "You have no manners!" another one added. They all seemed to be taking pleasure in attacking Ella.Ella listened to their shouts, her face remaining calm. She realized that they were trying to break her spirit, to make her kneel and apologize, just like they had done in her past life. She decided that she would not let that happen. "I am not arrogant or proud," she said, her voice still calm and clear, "I am simply standing up for what is right. If you believe I have done wrong, show me the evidence of my wrongdoing."Old Mandam Smith raised a hand to silence the others. "Enough!" she said, her voice laced with anger. "This insolence will not be tolerated. I have decided what is to be done. Ella, you will apologize to Crown Prince James for your inappropriate behavior. That will be the end of this whole matter. I will not have my family shamed like this."Ella was surprised by this statement. In her past life, she had wanted to apologize to Crown Prince James, because she was naive and wanted to marry him. However, she did not want to do that now. "I will not apologize to Crown Prince James, Grandmother," she said, her voice firm. "I have done nothing wrong. I do not admire him in the way you think I do." She was very clear in her statement.The family members gasped at her refusal, their eyes wide with disbelief. Old Mandam Smith looked like she was about to explode with anger. "You continue to defy me, Ella! I will not stand for this. Your actions are a disgrace, and I will not let you ruin the reputation of the Smith family!""I am not trying to ruin the reputation of the family," Ella replied, her voice calm. "I am trying to protect it from harm. The whispers and rumors about me falling into the pond are false, and I will not apologize for something that did not happen. I have no reason to be ashamed, and I will not pretend I do to appease you." She decided to stand her ground, even if it meant facing the wrath of Old Mandam Smith. She wanted to take control of the situation."So you are saying that the rumors are false, and you did not fall into the pond intentionally?" It was Sophia who spoke, her voice thoughtful."That is exactly what I am saying," Ella replied, looking straight into her aunt's eyes. "I slipped, and I fell. It was an accident." She decided that she might as well tell them exactly what happened. She was not going to hide anything."But there are witnesses who say that you were spying on the Crown Prince," Amy Smith said, her voice filled with accusation. "Everyone knows that you admire him, and that you wanted to gain his attention."Ella's face remained neutral. "I have said before, I do not admire the Crown Prince. I admire people with dignity." She looked directly at Amy, making it clear that she did not think highly of her cousin. "And even if I had fallen into the water on purpose, which I did not, I do not believe that would be something to be ashamed of. I do not need to feel ashamed of wanting to gain the attention of someone I admire. However, that is not the truth."The family members were taken aback by her directness and her willingness to challenge the accusations. They seemed to be unsure of how to react. Amy looked frustrated, as it was clear that she did not have a strong defense."Then who can say what happened?" Sophia asked, her voice calm. She wanted to be sure of what was going on, instead of just jumping to conclusions.Ella turned to look at Cindy Smith, who had been silent until now. "Cindy was there when I fell. She knows the truth." She decided to use Cindy, as she knew she was not very intelligent and could be easily manipulated.Cindy seemed startled by being called out. She looked from Ella to Old Mandam Smith, her eyes filled with nervousness. "Well, it's… it's true. Ella slipped, and she fell. She did not fall in intentionally. It was an accident." She did not meet the gaze of any of the family members.The family members were surprised by Cindy's testimony, as Cindy was usually very obedient and did not like to go against the crowd. Old Mandam Smith looked like she was going to say something, but was interrupted by Sophia."So, it seems that there may have been a misunderstanding," Sophia said, her voice neutral. "If Cindy says that Ella slipped, then we must accept her testimony." She knew that the situation was getting out of control, and she wanted to put a stop to it as soon as possible.Old Mandam Smith looked at Sophia, her eyes filled with anger. "You are taking her side? Are you going against your own family?"Sophia sighed. "I am not taking anyone's side, Mother. I am simply trying to be fair. We cannot just accuse Ella without any evidence, and Cindy's testimony has made it clear that we may have been mistaken." She was trying to be diplomatic, but it seemed like Old Mandam Smith was not going to give up so easily."This is not over, Ella," Old Mandam Smith said, her voice low and threatening. "I will not let you get away with this. You will pay for this defiance." She seemed to want to get the last word in.Ella stood firm, her eyes unwavering. "I am not afraid of your threats, Grandmother. I will continue to stand up for what is right, and I will not be intimidated by your power." Her voice carried a hint of command.Sophia, realizing that the conflict would not end without intervention, stepped forward. "Mother, I think it's best if we adjourn this discussion for now. We are all getting too emotional. Let us take some time to reflect on what has been said. It is clear that we cannot come to a resolution today, and it is not good for the whole family to be fighting like this." She was trying to be diplomatic and calm things down.Old Mandam Smith, seeing that she could not win this battle, relented. "Very well," she said, her voice filled with anger. "We will continue this another time." She glared at Ella before turning away.The family members slowly started to leave, their eyes filled with suspicion and distrust. Ella remained standing in the middle of the hall, her head held high. She knew that this was not the end of the conflict. However, she was determined to not let them control her again. She would continue to stand up for what she believed in, and she would not let anyone stand in her way.Cindy came up to Ella, her eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and fear. "You were so brave, Ella," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I wish I could be as strong as you are."Ella looked at Cindy, her face neutral. "You do not need to be strong like me, Cindy. You simply need to be true to yourself." She had to say something, but did not want to show any emotion."But Old Mandam Smith is very angry," Cindy said, her voice trembling. "I'm scared that she will punish you for your defiance."Ella gave a slight smile, showing that she was amused by Cindy's fear. "I am not afraid of her, Cindy. I will face whatever comes my way." She had decided to not show any emotion and keep her thoughts hidden.As Ella left Rong Hall, she could hear the whispers following her. She knew that the family was divided, and that there would be many more battles to come. However, she was prepared. She was no longer the naive girl from the past. She was now a woman with a mission, and she would not let anyone stand in her way. The chapter ended with Ella walking away, knowing that she had won the battle for now, but the war had just begun.