"They lost their daughter, Brenda," he said, forcing logic into his voice. "And you’ve been enjoying the life meant for her. So naturally, you have some responsibility to take care of them."

For a moment, silence followed.

Then... Clap. Lana began clapping slowly.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Ashton as if she were examining something absurd.

"You’re a senior professor, right?" she said, her tone filled with mock curiosity. "I’m genuinely starting to wonder who even hired someone like you."

Her lips curled faintly. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

She stepped closer, her gaze sharp.

"Because Brenda was raised by them, she should repay them. But since she’s not here, you want me to do it instead?"

Her voice dropped, cold and cutting.

"What kind of twisted logic is that?"

Ashton opened his mouth to respond... but before he could speak, another voice cut in.

"What? Lana isn’t from the Perry family?"

Brenda had arrived.

Her sudden outburst made the surrounding students fall into stunned silence as they processed her words.

If Lana wasn’t their daughter...

Then Brenda’s abuser wasn’t Lana’s parents

Which meant...she was just as innocent as Brenda.

Ashton closed his eyes briefly, frustration flashing across his face.

’Idiot,’ he thought bitterly.

Taking a breath, he forced himself to continue.

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re biologically related or not," he said, turning back to Lana, his voice softening unnaturally.

He even blinked in an attempt to appear gentle. "You should accept them as your parents. After all... you don’t have anyone else."

Gill immediately nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes," he added. "We can even pay for your university fees if that’s what you want."

Beatrice stepped forward, taking it even further.

She grabbed Lana’s hand, her grip warm yet forceful.

"I’ve already checked blood compatibility," she said emotionally. "Even if we’re not related, if you ever need a kidney, a liver, or even a cornea... I’ll be the best match for you."

Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I would do anything for you..."

Her performance was nearly flawless. It might have fooled anyone else.

But not Lana. She let out a soft chuckle.

Then, without hesitation, she shook Beatrice’s hand off.

Turning to Ashton, she said calmly, "Since you believe relationships aren’t defined by blood... why don’t you adopt them as your own parents?"

Ashton’s face changed instantly, pale, then green, then flushed red with anger.

"You..."

Lana raised her hand slightly, silencing him without even looking at him.

She turned her gaze back to Gill.

"What did you say?" she asked. "You’d cover my expenses?"

Her lips curved faintly.

"Do you even know how much the tuition fee of this university is?"

Gill froze.

Lana laughed softly.

"Oh, right... you wouldn’t," she continued. "Especially since you should already know this is my final year here."

Gill’s face turned red, then pale.

That had indeed been part of his plan... but he never expected her to expose it so effortlessly.

Lana then shifted her gaze to Beatrice.

"And what was that about organ donation?" she asked lightly. "Sure, let’s go ahead with it."

She tilted her head, her voice turning almost casual.

"I’ve been feeling like my kidney isn’t functioning well lately. I might actually need yours."

The moment those words left her mouth, Beatrice’s face drained of color.

She instinctively stepped back, hiding behind Gill, her earlier confidence completely gone.

The surrounding students immediately caught on.

Whispers turned into judgmental stares.

"So it was all an act..."

"They’re scammers..."

"How shameless..."

Their voices grew louder, one after another, until the pressure became unbearable.

Ashton stood frozen, his face burning with humiliation as the crowd turned against him.

Not far away, Brenda stared at Lana, her expression blank, lost in confusion.

After settling everything, Lana turned to leave.

But Ashton suddenly stepped forward again, blocking her path.

"You..."

Before he could finish... Slap.

The sharp sound echoed through the entrance.

Ashton’s head snapped to the side as the force sent him stumbling backward, crashing onto the ground.

He could already feel a few of his teeth on the left side loosening, shifting unnaturally as if they might fall out at any moment.

His vision blurred slightly from the shock as he raised a trembling hand, pointing at Lana in disbelief.

"You..." he stammered, his voice unsteady, "you actually dared to hit me?"

Lana glanced at him, her eyes calm, almost amused, before letting out a soft chuckle.

"What were you about to say?" she asked lightly. "Were you going to curse me? Or say something unpleasant?"

She tilted her head slightly, her expression turning colder.

"Go ahead," she continued. "After all, you’ve been doing that ever since I cut ties with the Almond family."

Her lips curved faintly.

"At this point, I’m starting to wonder if that family is just... obsessed with me."

Ashton’s face turned pale, his lips trembling as humiliation and anger clashed within him.

But Lana had already turned away. She walked forward.

Behind her, Brenda quickly caught up, her breathing slightly uneven, her expression urgent.

"You already knew... didn’t you?" Brenda said, her voice tight. "You knew you weren’t related to the Perry family."

Lana let out a faint chuckle, not even bothering to slow down.

"Even if I did," she replied calmly, "what does that have to do with you?"

Brenda’s brows furrowed as she stepped in front of Lana, blocking her path.

"There is a difference!" she insisted, her voice rising slightly. "If you’re not from the Perry family... then your real parents might actually be good people."

Her eyes softened slightly, a trace of guilt flickering within them.

"That means... it wasn’t your parents who hurt me," she added quietly. "So you shouldn’t have to carry that blame."

She took a deep breath, her voice lowering. "I’m sorry."

Lana’s gaze remained steady, her expression unreadable.

’If only things were that simple,’ she thought quietly.

Even if Brenda’s life had been more relatable, even if her situation evoked sympathy...it did not erase the truth.