Chapter 6 Continuing Her Studies

Caleb eventually walked out midway, leaving the rest to be handled without him.

Luckily, the Reynolds family's pull made sure the registration was processed smoothly despite his absence.

Mary personally oversaw the paperwork, her expression brightening the moment she held the marriage certificate.

"Wonderful, Lilliana. When Simon and Silas are back, we'll all sit down for a proper family dinner."

Simon and Silas Reynolds were Jolie's adopted sons, and they were twins.

Years ago, Jolie had taken the two boys in when she struggled to conceive again.

Unlike Caleb, whose aloof, cutting nature often kept others at a distance, Simon and Silas were well liked and easygoing.

Truth be told, Lilliana had always been more familiar with the two brothers than with Caleb in her previous life.

She offered no resistance, only a meek nod of acceptance.

After a brief pause, she ventured softly, "Mary, I haven't finished school yet. Would it be all right if I continued my studies?"

In her previous life, fear and insecurity had pushed her to abandon her education for the sake of her children.

Jolie's constant coldness and contempt made her bury the topic forever.

But with this second chance, Lilliana saw things clearly-if she wanted to reclaim her mother's things, she couldn't rely solely on the Reynolds family's power.

With a scowl, Jolie interrupted, not giving Mary the chance to respond, "The family gives you everything you need. Why take unnecessary risks? If something happens to the babies, who will bear the blame? It's better you quit school and focus on staying healthy."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Mary's face too.

In her heart, nothing outweighed the children's safety.

Lilliana offered a soft, reassuring smile. "Mary, I'd never risk the babies. I just want to keep learning so I can raise them well."

Her voice was calm and almost demure, the picture of sincerity.

Mary's sternness melted, and a wave of tenderness warmed her chest. She gave a small dip of her head in agreement. "Alright. Knowledge is always a good thing."

Lilliana dipped her head obediently, though determination flashed in her eyes like a hidden spark.

She had another motive for going back to school-she wanted to push Alina to the edge.

Alina had loathed her for as long as she could remember.

Once, Alina had destroyed her left ear, bullied her relentlessly, and made her life miserable.

Eventually, Alina had even taken her children's lives.

This time, Lilliana was determined to drag Alina into the open and grind her down until she had nothing left.

She kept her plan from Caleb, saying nothing about her plan to return to school.

Caleb's comings and goings barely touched her days-he left before dawn and often didn't come back until late, lingering at the club far more than at home.

Lilliana saw no reason to rush.

The next morning, she went to school.

But just as she reached the school gates, a tall figure stepped into her path.

"Lilliana, why didn't you come to the private room I reserved that night?"

The voice jolted her. She lifted her gaze, and for a moment the world tilted, as if the past and present no longer aligned.

Standing there was Ethan Santos.

Once her childhood companion, he had also been the boy who teamed up with Alina to torment her-bullying her mercilessly, leaving her deaf in one ear.

At first, she didn't know about his cruelty.

She'd believed Ethan's kindness was real, convinced he'd always cared for her.

In her previous life, that illusion shattered the night Alina locked her in a suffocating basement, where Ethan struck her over and over, his rage merciless.

He hurled accusations-calling her shallow, accusing her of flaunting Caleb's children while living in comfort as his wife.

He sneered that she was nothing but an orphan daring to act superior in his presence.

He snarled that death was the only place for her, and her children deserved to rot beside her.

Had she not stumbled into the wrong room and ended up in Caleb's bed, he claimed, he never would have missed his best chance to impress some important client.

In that moment, she finally grasped the cruel truth-that the boy she grew up with had become the man who hurt her most.

The light drained from Lilliana's eyes, leaving only calm resolve.

Her voice was steady as she asked, "What do you want?"