Chapter 3

A sudden force struck Ivanna from behind, nearly sending her tumbling down the steps. She fought to steady herself until she finally stood firm. When she lifted her head, Adrian was pulling Lydia up from the ground and protectively shielding her behind him. His eyes burned with fury, reproach, and condemnation. "Ivanna, you've gone too far. No matter what, Lydia's your sister. How could you treat her like this?" "My sister?" Ivanna couldn't help but laugh aloud. She remembered the day Lydia had first come to her house. She'd warmly held her hand and called her "sister." At that time, Adrian had shoved Lydia aside and stepped in front of Ivanna. He'd said that the daughter of a mistress had no right to call Ivanna her sister. But now, after all these years, everything seemed to have changed. "Forget it, Adrian," Lydia said, her voice shaking and eyes brimming with tears. "Ivanna didn't mean it. She's right... I was shameless to think I could ever be her sister. I didn't recognize my place. It's my fault." At some point, the other dancers had come out of the theater and were now surrounding them in a circle. "Lydia, you're just too kind! That's why people step all over you!" "Exactly! You're Lydia's boyfriend, right? Let me tell you, Ivanna has always acted like this in the theater. She carries herself like she's above everyone else just because she thinks she dances better than the rest of us." "That's right. Now that Lydia's the principal dancer, I'd love to see how Ivanna still plans to show off." "She bullies people just because she's a little older. So what if she dances well? Without character, she's still worthless!" Their voices piled on one after another, as though Ivanna had committed some unforgivable crime. Meanwhile, Adrian didn't deny being Lydia's boyfriend. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed intently on Ivanna. "Ivanna, apologize. Then, we can put this matter behind us." "Apologize?" Ivanna lowered her head and let out a short laugh. She rubbed her aching ankle, straightened her back, and walked step by step toward Lydia. "Watch closely. This is what it means to bully someone." Ivanna raised her hand and slapped Lydia across the face three times. As she did so, everyone stood frozen in shock. When she was done, Ivanna flicked her hand and tilted her head. Her cold voice cut through the silence as she looked at Adrian and said, "Do you see now? When I bully someone, I never apologize. She deserved it anyway." She then turned and strode out of the theater, her head held high and her steps firm. It was only by doing this could she hide her reddened eyes and trembling lips from everyone's view. Ever since Kimberly's death, Ivanna had never allowed herself to appear weak. She knew there were far too many people waiting to laugh at her downfall. … That evening, Felix summoned Ivanna back to the Hale residence under the pretext of a marriage alliance. The moment Ivanna stepped inside the residence, she saw Lydia crying on the couch, her face swollen. Meanwhile, Adrian sat beside her in silence, his expression dark and unreadable. Suddenly, Felix grabbed a cup from the table and hurled it at Ivanna. However, she dodged in time, causing the cup to shatter against the floor instead of her head. "You insolent fool! Kneel!" Felix yelled. "Why?" Ivanna icily asked, her face hardening. Felix flicked his eyes toward two bodyguards standing nearby, and they immediately stepped forward and forced Ivanna to the ground. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't fight against two strong men. Ivanna gritted her teeth, fury blazing in her eyes. If looks could kill, Felix would have been torn apart a thousand times over. He sneered. "Lydia is your sister. Not only did you fail to look after her, but you'd even dared to slap her. Ivanna, I've been far too lenient with you. "Bring the whip!" He wanted to teach her a lesson. But Ivanna let out a sharp laugh. "Stop acting like you're some kind of saint. You tricked my mother into marrying you and used my grandfather's inheritance to save your failing company! "Let's be honest, you're just a live-in son-in-law! And yet, you still had the nerve to cheat. Lydia calls me her older sister, but who really knows which of us is older? "What right do you have to punish me? You despicable coward!" With every word Ivanna spat, Felix's face grew darker. When a maid eventually brought over a whip, Felix snatched it up, then turned and handed it to Adrian. "I may not have the right to do this," Felix coldly said, "but you do, Adrian. After all, you're going to be part of this family. "I'll let you deliver the ten lashes."