Ghost Exorciser: The Oust Fake Heiress Strikes-Chapter 320: Warning

Cassandra blushed and lowered her head modestly.

"It’s nothing," she said softly.

Garrison spent the next several minutes indulging in flirtation before Cassandra finally left.

........................................

Soon afterward, Garrison called Brenda to his study.

When Brenda entered, she looked at him calmly.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked.

Her indifferent tone made him pause.

Recently, he had realized that Brenda might have been upset because none of the family members had tried to pamper her the way they once did.

Suppressing his irritation, he took out a box and slid it toward her.

Brenda opened it.

Inside lay a green jade bracelet.

She froze. Garrison chuckled lightly.

"You don’t need to feel so touched," he said casually. "I bought it at an auction on a whim. It didn’t mean much."

Brenda let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. She placed the bracelet back into the box.

"If you had taken even a moment to find out what I like," she said calmly, "you would know that I prefer platinum bracelets, not jade."

Garrison was stunned.

In his memories from his past life, Brenda had always smiled gratefully whenever he gave her gifts. But now she rejected it without hesitation.

Still, afraid of losing her cooperation, he forced down his anger.

"I understand," he said with a strained smile. "I’ll remember your preferences next time."

Brenda ignored the attempt.

"What do you actually want?" she asked.

Realizing she would not indulge him, Garrison spoke directly.

"I want you to pretend to invest in that land project in front of Lana," he said. "Make it look profitable so she’ll follow."

Brenda frowned.

"Are you even in your right mind?" she asked bluntly.

"We belong to completely different departments. If I cros path with her and suddenly start talking about land investments to her, it will look deliberate."

Garrison realized the flaw and adjusted quickly.

"I can find out Lana’s schedule," he said. "You just need to follow it."

Brenda cut him off.

"Why should I?" she asked coldly.

"Shouldn’t you ask one of your subordinates? Why involve your sister, someone you haven’t ’compensated’ for twenty years?"

She stared straight at him.

"You’re asking me to promote something that may not even be profitable. It could very well be a trap. Why are you so determined to make Lana buy it? Do you want to ruin her life?"

Garrison’s jaw tightened.

Brenda continued, her voice sharp with realization.

"Why do you hold such animosity toward her? She’s alone. She doesn’t even have a powerful backer. Yet you refuse to leave her alone."

Garrison forced a smile.

"It’s for you," he said. "To get revenge for you."

Brenda laughed outright.

"If that’s the case, I don’t want any revenge," she replied. "So stop whatever plan you’re scheming."

Garrison fell silent.

Brenda shook her head.

"You can’t even convince yourself that you’re telling the truth," she said. "You’re lying. You just can’t stand seeing her do better than you."

She turned to leave.

Garrison slammed his hand on the table, furious.

"I’m your brother!" he snapped. "You should be on my side!"

Brenda paused, then let out a bitter laugh.

"I, too, thought you were my brother," she said quietly. "Until all of you made me realize I was nothing more than a product to display."

With that, she walked out.

A hollow feeling lingered in her chest.

Garrison’s words had only confirmed her suspicion; her brothers’ concern had never been genuine.

They only cared about appearances, about proving something in front of Lana.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

...............................

She had originally taken the day off, but in the end, she went back to the university anyway.

As she wandered across the campus, she spotted Lana in the distance, just coming out of the Mystic Department.

After hesitating for a moment, Brenda walked straight toward her.

When Lana saw her approaching, a faint headache formed immediately. ’She’s here to cause trouble again,’ she thought.

But Brenda stopped in front of her and spoke softly.

"I’m sorry."

The moment Brenda said those words, Lana froze.

For a second, it felt as if her ears were ringing. Even Mr. Crow, perched nearby, seemed startled into silence.

Brenda lowered her head slightly and continued, her voice unsteady.

"Whatever I said before... however I hurt you... I’m deeply ashamed," she said. "If I’m given a chance, I want to correct everything."

Lana pressed her lips together before asking flatly, "Are you drunk?"

Brenda’s head snapped up, anger flashing across her face.

"I came here to apologize," she said. "Why are you making this difficult?"

Lana let out a sharp laugh.

"If you come with this kind of attitude," she replied coolly, "do you really think you’ll be forgiven?"

Brenda fell silent, her expression tightening.

"That’s not what I meant," she said after a pause. "I just wanted to apologize. I was... caught off guard by your reaction."

Lana shook her head.

"I can’t forgive you," she said honestly. "There are too many things you did wrong."

"I can apologize for them one by one," Brenda insisted.

But Lana shook her head again before she could continue.

Her feelings toward Brenda were far too complicated.

She could sympathize with her, yes, but she could not forget that in her previous life, Brenda had been the one who killed her.

It was a tangled emotion that even Lana could not name.

Seeing Lana’s refusal, Brenda took a deep breath.

"I won’t force you," she said quietly. "But there’s something you should know."

She hesitated, then added,

"That land project... Garrison or Cassandra may approach you again. They might even send someone else to convince you it’s a good investment. Don’t invest in it."

After a brief pause, she asked, "Cassandra already mentioned it to you, didn’t she?"

Lana stared at Brenda in stunned silence. She had never expected Brenda to go against her own brother for her sake.

Taking a slow breath, Lana nodded.

"I understand," she said simply. "Thank you."

She turned to leave.

Brenda watched her go, noticing that Lana’s gratitude had been sincere, without mockery or hostility.