At the banquet, Ezra's hand trembled uncontrollably as he held his phone. He had never imagined that one day, Gianna would hang up on him.

But when he tried calling again, he never heard her voice—only the cold, mechanical prompt telling him that the phone had been turned off.

What the hell was going on?

Gianna hadn't said anything. The only thing he caught was a faint announcement in the background, something that sounded like an airport broadcast. But… How was that possible? Where could Gianna possibly go alone by plane?

"Ezra, what's wrong?"

Maya noticed his unease and walked over with concern. He told her about Gianna's phone being unreachable.

"Don't worry, Ezra," Maya reassured him. "I went to check on her before we left. She was still in her room. There's no way she could've gone anywhere in such a short time."

Seeing that he was still distracted, Maya gently took his hand,

"Ezra, don't go!"

Maya's sudden, desperate scream shattered the noise of the banquet hall like shards of glass cutting through the air.

She staggered and threw herself against the carved table's corner just to stop him, slamming her head so hard that blood gushed down her forehead. Shattered porcelain embedded itself into her palms, but she stubbornly reached toward Ezra's retreating figure as her trembling fingers stretched desperately in his direction.

The crowd instinctively pulled back, leaving only the sounds of blood dripping onto the polished floor to be heard.

Ezra turned around and met Maya's gaze. Those doe eyes that always held a trace of a smile were now filled with tears.

Blood clung to her eyelashes, and her pale lips trembled as she murmured in a broken voice, "Ezra, don't leave me… You're all I have left. I'll do anything if you just come back… Please…"

Seeing Maya 

Gianna ignored everyone and returned to the attic—her small, solitary space—where she quietly tended to her wounds. After finishing, she lay on the bed, staring blankly at the dark night sky.

She wished time would pass faster. She wanted to escape this cold-blooded family as soon as possible.

Over the next three days, the Ramsey family busied themselves with preparations for Maya's celebratory banquet—a grand event for her academic advancement.

Christopher adored her. He even announced that he would be going to the state's public agency to formally adopt her, proudly declaring that she was a hundred times better than his own daughter.

On the day of the banquet, the usually indifferent Christopher—who had never even attended a single parent-teacher meeting for Gianna—wore a custom-tailored suit. It was one he had spent a fortune on.

Meanwhile, no one invited Gianna. It was as if the family had completely erased her existence.

Just before they left, Maya knocked on the attic door. Gone was her usual demure, timid expression. Instead, she smirked at Gianna.

"Gianna, how about you kneel and beg me? If you do, I might convince Dad to forgive you."

Gianna remained motionless. Maya's lips curled higher, unable to suppress her amusement.

"You know, you're better than me in everything, except for one thing. You don't know how to lower yourself. You don't know how to flatter and please the people around you.

"And that's why you can only sit back and watch as I take everything—your lover, your family, even your patent—right out of your hands.

"I'm really curious, though… Why don't you just drop dead right now? Is it fun to live like some abandoned puppy?" She giggled.

…

Maya said a lot more that day. She wasn't afraid of Gianna exposing her. No one would believe anything Gianna said now, no matter what it was.

It wasn't until Gabriel came to call her that she finally left the attic and went with the Ramsey family to attend the banquet.

After Maya was gone, Gianna reached under her bed and pulled out a recording device that was still running. She pressed the stop button.

Today was also the day she would leave this city. Before she left, she wanted the Ramsey family to see, with their own eyes, exactly what kind of monster they had nurtured.

Half an hour later, a car from the medical academy arrived. Seeing that Gianna was carrying nothing but her mother's portrait, the person picking her up looked a little surprised.

"We're leaving now. Are you sure you don't need to pack anything else?"

"No need."

She held the portrait tightly and shook her head. Aside from this, there was nothing she wanted to take with her.

At the airport, she sat in the waiting area, letting the warm sunlight wash over her. This was where her new life began.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Ezra calling her. Yesterday, he had gone back to the restaurant and watched the surveillance footage. Only then did he realize that Maya had lost her balance on her own. Gianna had nothing to do with it.

"Let's meet after the banquet. I went too far last time, and I want to apologize.

"Oh, and I forgot your birthday again… I was busy. But I'll make it up to you this time. I already bought your gift."

He wasn't worried that she wouldn't accept it. He knew her too well.

In the past, no matter how angry she was, all he had to do was mollify her a little, and she would always come back to him without fail.

But this time, Gianna didn't say a single word. The eerie silence sent a wave of panic through him.

Just then, the airport announced that it was boarding time. Ezra's complexion turned pale as he asked, "Wait… What was that sound? Where are you?"

Gianna ended the call. She pulled out the SIM card, pinched it between her fingers, and snapped it in two.

Empty affections could no longer sway her. Not from her father, her brother, and not even the childhood sweetheart she once loved. She wanted nothing to do with any of them.

With that thought, she stepped forward and never looked back.

At the banquet, Ezra's hand trembled uncontrollably as he held his phone. He had never imagined that one day, Gianna would hang up on him.

But when he tried calling again, he never heard her voice—only the cold, mechanical prompt telling him that the phone had been turned off.

What the hell was going on?

Gianna hadn't said anything. The only thing he caught was a faint announcement in the background, something that sounded like an airport broadcast. But… How was that possible? Where could Gianna possibly go alone by plane?

"Ezra, what's wrong?"

Maya noticed his unease and walked over with concern. He told her about Gianna's phone being unreachable.

"Don't worry, Ezra," Maya reassured him. "I went to check on her before we left. She was still in her room. There's no way she could've gone anywhere in such a short time."

Seeing that he was still distracted, Maya gently took his hand, her eyes brimming with grievance. "Gianna must still be upset that I took her patent. It's all my f

Chapter 9