I Will Repay You Double

"Aunt Wan, didn’t you always say you’d believe me no matter what? Whether it was last time when Xin’er tried to frame me, or now, you haven’t seemed to trust me much lately!" Grace looked at her. "When you act like this, it really hurts my feelings!"

Grace Wan’s eyes flickered, and she put on a show of sighing, but said nothing.

...

The search went on all the way until almost noon.

The guards dug up every inch of Serenity Pavilion, but still couldn’t find the Antler Serpent.

Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu had no choice but to give up reluctantly. She ordered the guards to withdraw, then personally instructed the steward to restore Grace’s garden.

Then, the whole group prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Jason Zhuo called out.

Everyone turned to look back.

"Second Brother, you lost," Jason Zhuo said. "Apologize to Grace!"

"Why should I apologize to her?" Kevin Zhuo retorted. "She totally deserved it! I didn’t hit the wrong person!"

He turned to Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu and said, "Grandmother, the only reason I took action that day was because I suspected the Imperial Advisor’s divination had something to do with her! Grace admitted it herself—she said she was the one who did it!"

"You’re lying!" Jason Zhuo snapped. "I heard it myself—you forced Grace to admit it! She was cornered and had no choice but to say she summoned that lightning! How is that a real confession?"

"She totally admitted it!" Kevin Zhuo argued stubbornly.

"Enough!" Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu shouted, her face dark with anger. "Kevin, you made the bet, so you have to honor it. Do as Jason said—apologize to Grace!"

"Grandmother..."

"Apologize!" Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu commanded.

Kevin Zhuo nearly bit through his lip, his expression sour.

But in front of Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu, he didn’t dare act out too much.

He swaggered over to Grace, looking fierce, and spat out each word: "Grace Zhuo, sor-ry!"

"Is that how you apologize, Second Brother?" Grace looked at him coolly.

"That’s enough, isn’t it? You give her a little respect and she thinks she owns the place!" Kevin Zhuo snapped.

"Well, I don’t accept your apology!" Grace stared him in the eyes, enunciating each word: "Kevin Zhuo, remember this—what you did to me, I’ll pay back double!"

With that, she turned and walked inside, calling out, "Hope, Claire, see the guests out!"

Hope and Claire came over and slammed the door shut with a bang, sending a cloud of dust right into Kevin Zhuo’s face.

Kevin Zhuo spat out the dust and, pointing at the closed door, raged, "Double payback? Seriously?! You useless thing, you dare talk to me like that? Fine! I’ll be waiting for you to slap me in the face!"

Grace ignored him and walked in without looking back.

Inside, Hope and Claire crowded around her, crying, "Miss Lawrence, Second Young Master had people dig up our garden and bullied you so badly! When Prime Minister comes back, you have to tell him!"

Grace waved her hand, "Don’t cry. Just tidy up the house."

Honestly, she didn’t feel much about this humiliation.

They’d always bullied her like this before.

Back then, it was all behind closed doors.

Now, the conflict was out in the open—no more hiding.

Crying and getting angry wouldn’t help at all.

Only by becoming stronger could she truly change things.

Next, she needed to go into seclusion for a few days.

She told Hope and Claire to cover for her, then entered the Sanctum.