When Katie appeared, everyone turned to look at her. Under the scrutiny of so many gazes, Katie’s face remained emotionless. She was dressed simply, wearing a plain short-sleeved top. But on her head rested an exquisite regal gold tiara, her neck adorned with an emerald necklace, her wrists decorated with jade and gold bracelets, and her finger sporting a massive pink diamond ring. Laughter broke out from the crowd around her. “Katie looks so tacky, wearing all her jewelry at once. She looks like a walking lottery winner.” “She probably did it on purpose, flaunting her expensive stuff just to embarrass Sally.” … Ignoring the ridicule, Katie walked straight up to Sally with calm composure and said, “Congratulations, you’ve finally become a member of the Maddisons today.” In her previous life, Katie’s nightmares had begun the day Sally officially became a Maddison. No matter how hard she tried to please her brothers, to behave, or to prove herself, none of it mattered. They took Sally’s side. Eddie had even once said he wished Sally were the Maddisons’ biological daughter. This time, Katie wouldn’t cling to any illusion of familial affection. When Sally saw all the expensive jewelry Katie was wearing, a flash of jealousy flickered in her heart, though she kept it hidden. Shrinking her shoulders, Sally lowered her gaze and said timidly, “Katie, I know you’re upset, but don’t worry, I won’t try to take your brothers from you. After all, I’ll always just be an outsider, and you’re their real sister. How could I possibly compare to you?” Her voice grew softer and softer, and by the end of her words, her eyes were already red with unshed tears. Katie’s lips curved into a mocking smile. What a perfect little damsel in distress. In her past life, Sally’s innocent facade had fooled her completely. She only realized the truth on the brink of death, but by then it was too late. Clifford, seeing Sally’s teary eyes, immediately spoke up. “Sally, don’t cry. Who said you’re an outsider? From today onward, you’re my sister too.” Sally lowered her eyes to hide the fleeting satisfaction that flashed across her face. Eddie stepped forward and presented a box. “Sally, this is a gift for you.” Sally looked shocked and flustered. “Eddie, isn’t this a gift for Katie? How could I possibly take it?” Katie glanced at the box and wasn’t the least bit surprised. In her past life, Eddie had also decided on her behalf to give this limited-edition figurine—something she had waited a long time for—to Sally as a gesture of apology. Eddie said, “Take it. It’s what she owes you.” Clifford frowned and said sharply, “Katie, even though Sally doesn’t blame you for pushing her into the pool, and Eddie has already offered this gift to apologize for you, where’s your sincerity?” Katie nodded and said calmly, “I understand. That’s why I brought my own apology gifts.” She began removing all the jewelry she was wearing, placing each item one by one onto a tray. “This is the regal gold tiara from Rowan.” “This is the emerald necklace from Eddie.” “Then, it’s the century-old saffron from Zach.” “And this is the rare pink diamond ring from Clifford.” “This is the jade bracelet from Norris.” “And the last one. It’s the golden trophy from Melvin.” Katie placed each item on the tray with deliberate care. “These are all incredibly important to me. As a gesture of apology, I believe they show enough sincerity.” She had anticipated that Clifford would demand she apologize and had prepared for this in advance. Ever since Sally joined the Maddisons, her brothers had stopped giving her anything meaningful. These were the only valuables she still had left. In the end, these items would inevitably be taken back by her brothers anyway—always under the guise of giving them to Sally. When Clifford saw the items on the tray, his expression froze. These were the things Katie had once cherished the most! How dare she? Eddie’s lips tightened. “Katie, what’s the meaning of this?” Katie’s tone was indifferent. “I told you—this is my sincere apology. Clifford, do you think it’s enough?” Her expression was calm, her emotions unreadable as if nothing about the situation bothered her in the slightest. Sally stared at the tray, confused. She couldn’t understand what Katie was up to this time. Was this some kind of clever trick to retreat in order to advance? Feigning reluctance, Sally said, “Katie, these are gifts from your brothers. They’re too valuable, and I really can’t accept them.” Clifford’s anger flared. “That’s right! These are gifts we gave you. How can you just hand them over to someone else?” Sally’s smile froze slightly, and she bit her lip lightly. “Exactly, Katie. I’m just a someone else. How could I possibly deserve such gifts?” Realizing his words sounded wrong, Clifford quickly corrected himself. “Sally, that’s not what I meant. I’ll pick out new gifts for you. How could you accept something that’s already been given to someone else?” Sally immediately broke into a soft, tearful smile. “Thank you, Clifford.” Clifford’s heart softened at once. Now this was how a sweet little sister should behave. Eddie sighed in exasperation. “Katie, what kind of tantrum are you throwing this time?” These were gifts that Katie had always treasured, refusing to let anyone else even touch them. The fact that she was now giving them all away to Sally as an “apology” made Eddie uncomfortable. Was she trying to sever ties with them? Or was she angry because he had taken her figurine and given it to Sally? Eddie didn’t believe Katie truly wanted to give these things away. “She’s just doing this to vent her frustrations,” Clifford said, scowling. “Does she really think we can’t see through her? Katie, when will you ever learn to grow up and act more like Sally?” Katie’s face remained expressionless. “These gifts are worth millions. As an apology, I’m asking—is it enough? Clifford, don’t tell me you’re too attached to them to let them go?” Clifford choked on his words, unable to respond. How could he admit that? Reluctantly, he muttered, “Do I seem like that kind of person?” “Then let everyone bear witness,” Katie said coldly. “These gifts are now my compensation.” Eddie’s irritation grew. “Katie, stop being ridiculous.” How can she so casually give away such important gifts? Is she trying to provoke Clifford? Or are we not important to her anymore? “Eddie, do I look like I’m joking?” Katie pushed the tray into Sally’s hands. “They’re yours now.” Including the six Maddison brothers—she didn’t want any of them either. Sally’s expression grew awkward. She could sense that Eddie and Clifford were a bit unhappy, and holding the tray made her palms feel uncomfortably hot. Katie’s move had caught her completely off guard. If she didn’t handle this situation properly, it might backfire and cause the Maddison brothers to resent her. Katie was suddenly much harder to deal with than before! Before Sally could respond, Katie turned on her heel and walked away. “Katie, stop right there!” Clifford shouted angrily. He was furious that Katie had used the gifts he gave her as part of her so-called apology. What kind of apology was this? But Katie didn’t even look back. Eddie frowned. “Katie is getting more and more out of hand.” He felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest. The emerald necklace he had given her had been purchased with the first money he ever earned—it had special meaning. Meanwhile, Clifford felt as though he had punched a pillow, his frustration bubbling over. “I agree. She’s doing this just to spite us.” Sally clenched her teeth, listening to their conversation. Katie’s “retreat to advance” strategy seemed to be working—she couldn’t let that woman win. Holding the tray, Sally said softly, “Eddie, Clifford, did I do something wrong again? How could I possibly take Katie’s most cherished belongings? What should I do?” D*mn Katie for putting me in this position! Clifford’s face hardened. “Since these are her apology gifts, you should keep them. I bet she’ll regret it in three days, and when she does, I’ll make sure to teach her a lesson.” He couldn’t wait to see Katie regret her actions and plan to mock her mercilessly. Eddie, trying to smooth things over, said gently, “Sally, just keep them for now. Once Katie cools down, return them to her.” Katie had thrown tantrums before, but in the end, she had always come around. He didn’t believe she truly didn’t want these gifts anymore. “Alright. I’ll take good care of them,” Sally said, her voice soft and obedient. Eddie sighed, looking at the sweet and well-behaved Sally beside him. She reminded him of how Katie used to be. He hoped she’d come to her senses soon…. Back in her room, Katie lay down. The aftereffects of falling into the pool had left her feeling feverish and dizzy. Closing her eyes, she began to think about how to leave the Maddisons for good and live independently. In her previous life, after graduating high school, her grades had been good enough to get into a prestigious university. But because of one comment from Clifford, she had enrolled in Sally’s second-tier school instead. She became Sally’s personal servant, taking the blame whenever something went wrong. If she disobeyed, her credit card would be frozen. Though she was a rich heiress, her life had been worse than a student on financial aid. Sally eventually stole her carefully crafted thesis project, framing her as a plagiarist and getting her expelled. This time, none of that would happen. She was going to a top-tier university! As for tuition and living expenses, she could earn prize money by competing in professional gaming tournaments. With the gaming skills she had honed in her past life, she could still make a living this way. After the banquet ended, Eddie walked to the door of Katie’s bedroom. Hesitating, he knocked, but there was no response. The door was locked from the inside. “Eddie, Sally seems to have a fever. Come check on her!” someone called out behind him.