Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Unreasonable Demand

The strangest part was that such mud shouldn’t have existed in their pristine residential area at all, yet there it was, smeared across their faces and clothes.

The moment they stood up, humiliation and rage twisting their expressions, a chilling thought surfaced in unison.

Someone had cursed them. Seething, they returned inside and collapsed onto the living room sofa, changing clothes in tense silence.

Their eyes met, fury mirrored in both gazes, before Mr. Almond finally broke the silence.

“It must be Lana. That girl was a jinx from the very beginning.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Almond paused for a brief moment before nodding along, irritation sharpening her tone.

“Indeed. Ever since she appeared, nothing good has happened. She’s pure bad luck.”

Mr. Almond’s fists tightened as his voice dropped lower.

“The orders from above are increasing. If we don’t deal with Lana soon, the higher-ups might take back everything they’ve given us.”

Those words sent a cold ripple through Mrs. Almond. Her fingers curled tightly, a chilling glint flashing through her eyes.

“If I had known her true identity earlier, I would have made sure she never lived past the age of 10.”

A trace of regret flickered through Mr. Almond as well. Dark thoughts surfaced unbidden.

’If only I had drowned her when she was little… or chopped her up and fed her to some stray dog,’ he mused grimly. Things would have been so much easier.

His gaze lowered to the table, and after a moment, he spoke in an eerily calm tone.

“Do you think Mrs. Brenda would be heartbroken if she found out that we knew about the swap when Lana was nineteen?”

Mrs. Almond’s expression softened slightly as she responded, her voice unusually restrained.

“We’ll make it up to Brenda. She’ll understand.”

Hearing that, Mr. Almond clenched his fists once more.

“From nineteen to twenty, we tried countless methods to kill Lana. Yet she survived every single one. Now she even seems to have gained some unnatural power, enough to stand against us and even the Everheart family.”

A flicker of panic flashed through Mrs. Almond’s eyes as she turned to him.

“Has she contacted her real family already?”

Mr. Almond shook his head slowly.

“Impossible. If she truly knew, she would have caused a scene long ago. She wouldn’t be this silent.”

Only then did Mrs. Almond relax slightly, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“For a moment, I was truly scared.”

Mr. Almond cast her a sharp glance.

“If you keep acting like a frightened cat, our cover will be blown sooner or later.”

Her brows knit together as she looked at him. “Then what should I do?”

His eyes narrowed, calculating and cold.

“We make sure Lana constantly feels guilty. It’s time to move some chess pieces.”

Mrs. Almond nodded, though confusion churned quietly in her heart, unsure of what her husband was truly planning.

Meanwhile, Lana, after finishing her lecture, returned to the mansion.

As usual, she immersed herself in drawing talismans, preparing for the upcoming flash buy, and organizing her cultivation schedule.

The meeting with Monica was drawing closer, and her days were packed to the brim.

Just as she was absorbed in her schedule, a mishap happened.

To be precise, the invitation hadn’t come directly from Brenda.

It had been delivered by Ashton, acting on Brenda’s behalf.

When Ashton approached Lana at the university entrance, she arched a brow.

He stopped in front of her, his gaze complicated and unreadable, as if several emotions were tangled together behind his eyes.

Extending the invitation toward her, he spoke in a measured tone,

“Brenda’s birthday is being celebrated.”

Lana lowered her eyes to the card, her fingers brushing against the smooth paper, before lifting her gaze back to him. Her brows furrowed slightly as she tilted her head.

“What do you want?”

Ashton’s lips curved into a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I just want you to understand the difference between a star and mud.”

Hearing that, Lana shook her head slowly and looked at him with clear pity.

“I truly don’t understand why you’re calling Brenda mud.”

Those words ignited Ashton’s temper instantly. His expression hardened as he pointed a finger at her.

“You’re crossing a line.”

Lana found his anger almost amusing. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she looked at his hand and then back at his face.

“From which angle have I crossed the line?”

Even though she had already severed all ties with the Almond family, they still refused to let her go.

’What kind of obsession do they even have with me,’ she wondered, a cold irritation settling in her chest. Her voice turned sharp as she spoke again.

“Move.”

Ashton didn’t budge. He stared straight into her eyes, his voice low and insistent.

“This is very important for Brenda. She needs to learn to let go, and she can only do that by seeing the past. The difference between you and her isn’t gone yet.”

Lana’s gaze darkened slightly.”What do you mean?”

Ashton clenched his jaw before continuing,

“Until now, Brenda has suffered so much because you were swapped at birth. It’s only right for you to act a little miserable in front of her. Maybe that way, whatever resentment she still has in her heart will finally disappear.”

Lana burst into laughter, the sound clear and mocking in the open space.

“I might have misunderstood you as an understanding brother,” she said calmly, “but if loving someone requires pushing another person down, then that love is already corrupted. Why is there even a need to make someone feel superior just because they feel inferior? Just tell them they aren’t inferior, and that should be enough.”

Her eyes narrowed as she continued,

“Do you really need to make sure that Brenda feels superior by stepping on me? Not to mention, I’m not going to participate in some pathetic act where I act pitiful, humble, or like a beggar when I’m not.”

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