Chapter 9 He was rejected by Yunice

Elsie glanced at the silent crowd and took the initiative to speak, "That room originally belonged to Yunice. I was already planning on switching with her tonight."

Owen frowned. "You have asthma and need to stay in a room with better air quality."

Then, he looked at Yunice, his tone softening. "You can have my room, but you have to promise not to use such methods to get attention again."

Owen assumed that Yunice had only stolen something to vent her unhappiness about her room being taken over, hoping everyone would pay attention to her-like an abandoned kitten deliberately making a mess.

Hearing Owen was willing to take the smaller room, Elsie immediately refused, "Owen, you work overtime every night. That small room is too cramped and won't help you relax. I'll just swap rooms with my sister!"

Owen was touched. Elsie was the only one in this family who understood his hard work, unlike a certain someone who just had a sullen face and vented her frustrations every day.

Sensing Owen's hostility, Yunice finally spoke. "I never intended to move rooms. I was just saying I didn't steal anything."

Her voice was calm, each sentence a flat statement of fact, making Owen and the others seem unreasonable in comparison.

Paul stood to the side, feeling an inexplicable frustration.

Yunice lifted her gaze, a sharp glint in her eyes. "I don't know how Giana could have lost her phone, but that jade bracelet is very important to me. Since it's gone, please call the police for me."

Giana and Elsie exchanged glances. Was Yunice really that bold?

They knew full well that the phone and bracelet were, indeed, missing, and Yunice must have taken them.

If she dared to call the police, what was she planning?

Family matters shouldn't be made public. Regardless of whether Yunice stole the items or not, Owen didn't want to involve the authorities.

He stood. "No need for the police."

After that, he picked up his laptop and looked at the house's surveillance footage.

Yunice had only been home for two or three days. The automated security system detected movement, and with few people in the house, it was easy to check.

However, after watching the footage on high speed, Owen found that only Giana and Elsie had entered the room on the second floor at that time. Yunice spent most of her time in her small room, rarely coming out.

Owen's gaze darkened as he turned to Giana. "You're the only one who's entered Elsie's room in the last few days."

Yunice couldn't have just disappeared. How could she have gotten past the security system undetected?

Yunice curved her lips slightly. No one in this room would guess that I know programming, right?

In the eyes of the public, a lunatic is just someone with a mental illness. But they forget one thing-there's a thin line between genius and madness.

Mental asylums hold both lunatics and misunderstood geniuses.

I entered the institution at eighteen, right after finishing my college entrance exams, just as my life was supposed to begin.

They all considered me a useless loser. Who would have thought I could learn something in that place, let alone manipulate the house's surveillance system?

Giana gaped at the footage, struggling for words before finally blurting out, "The camera must be broken! Yeah, that's it! I didn't steal anything! I swear!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a loud phone ringtone echoed in the air.

Giana watched in horror as Owen bent down and pulled a phone from between the couch cushions.

It was hers-the very same phone she'd claimed Yunice had stolen and thrown into a sewer.

Owen's expression turned grim. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "Didn't you say Yunice took your phone and threw it down the drain?"

So why was it here, perfectly intact?

Giana was too shocked to argue. Only then did she realize she had been framed.

Elsie, who had originally wanted to defend Giana, fell silent the moment the phone was found.

Yunice's voice turned cold. "Next time you lose something, try looking for it first before accusing someone."

Then she turned to Elsie. "And please help me look for my bracelet. It's very important to me."

Elsie fell silent.

Without another word, Yunice left the living room and returned to her small room.

The others sat in an awkward silence.

After a while, Owen said, "Elsie, are you sure the bracelet is missing?"

"Huh?" Elsie didn't expect to be questioned so suddenly and didn't answer right away.

Owen seemed unconcerned with her answer. He stood. "Let's go search your room again. Maybe it just fell somewhere."

Since we have wronged Yunice today, we must find the bracelet and return it to her.

As Owen and Giana went upstairs to search, Paul turned to look at the small room.

He hesitated before finally walking over and knocking on Yunice's door.

She had been back for so long yet hadn't spoken a single word to me.

After a long pause, the door finally opened.

Yunice stood in the doorway. Seeing him, she asked, "Yes?"

Paul suddenly felt awkward. His eyes glanced at the cramped room behind her.

It was so small.

Even the maid's quarters at my house are bigger than this.

Yunice was still the Saunders family's eldest daughter. How could they treat her like this?

A dull ache struck his chest. After a long while, he finally understood what he was feeling.

Anger.

I can bully Yunice, but I won't let anyone else do it.

We grew up together, and she was always my shadow. I even once boasted that anyone who wanted to bully my "little fiancée" had to go through me first!

How did things change so much in just three years?

Pretending to be nonchalant, Paul took a step forward. "Are you really going to make me stand here? You're not going to invite me in?"

Yunice blocked the doorway. "It's dirty in here. Mr. Paul, you'd better not sit."

Paul froze. Mr. Paul?

This was the first time Yunice had called him "Mr. Paul."

His expression stiffened, and he tried to explain, "Are you mad? I wasn't looking down on you yesterday. You misunderstood."

Truthfully, I did look down on her. But then, I realized I was too harsh.

Yunice is my best friend. I shouldn't have treated her like that.

However, she still didn't let him in. "Mr. Paul, we are adults now. We should keep our distance. What will people say if they see you in my room?"

Paul glanced upstairs, then scoffed, "I used to be in your room all the time. Besides, we're engaged."

"That childhood engagement is outdated and meaningless. Besides, I have a mental illness-it might even be hereditary. I'll talk to your parents soon and call off our engagement," Yunice said.

Paul was stunned.

Yunice wanted to break off the engagement?

Me? Rejected?

Paul's ego was bruised. I wanted to end things myself, but I'm the only one who can start it!

Just as he was about to retort, Yunice closed the door in his face.

Paul was left standing there, rejected once again.

At that moment, Owen came downstairs and saw Paul by Yunice's door.

Paul, feeling guilty, changed the subject. "Did you find the bracelet?"

Owen was not easily fooled. He stared at Paul with a wary expression. "What are you doing outside Yunice's room?"