Lilah flung her bag onto the floor, sank into the sofa, and crossed one leg over the other with deliberate ease before unleashing a scathing tirade. "Who gave you the guts to yap in front of me, you illegitimate brat?"

"You!" Elissa sputtered, ready to run crying to Lachlan, but Lilah's voice beat her to it, her gaze locked on Lachlan, sharp and unyielding. "You have two choices—either pay for my hospital admission or let me work at the company."

Without a second thought, Lachlan rejected the latter option and folded his arms. "Don't even think about getting near the company."

A faint smirk tugged at Lilah's lips. "What? Hiding something you don't want me to uncover?" Her tone turned icy as she pressed on. "Grandma said my mother's shares make up the majority—and those belong to me. If you won't let me step into the company, I'll start by auditing the books."

She rose smoothly, intent on leaving.

Elissa, watching her father's face darken, leaned closer and muttered bitterly, "She's faking her illness, Dad—just trying to come back and grab your fortune."

Lachlan's expression clouded over, a muscle in his jaw twitching. That fucking old hag! That old woman had sworn to hand over the shares once Lilah recovered, yet she'd told Lilah everything. If only Lilah were as gullible as before. Instead, she'd grown sharp and defiant—completely beyond his control. He would have to rethink his strategy.

The following morning, the shareholders' meeting commenced. Lachlan occupied the seat of power at the head of the table, his posture relaxed but commanding, his tone heavy with self-assurance as he steered the discussion. He exuded the image of a seasoned chairman, polished and unshakable.

"Since there are no objections," the host declared smoothly, "Mr. Lachlan Walsh will remain chairman and CEO of the company..."

Just then, a crisp, confident voice sliced through the room from the doorway. "Isn't it inappropriate to hold a board meeting without notifying me—the third-largest shareholder?"

The door swung open with deliberate force. Lilah stepped inside wearing fitted sportswear, her high ponytail swinging as she walked. Every head in the room turned toward her, startled by both her audacity and her poise.

Lachlan's expression darkened, and he shot to his feet. "What on earth are you doing here?" he barked, his composure cracking.

The interruption stirred a ripple of whispers until one of the shareholders spoke up. "Mr. Walsh, do you know this young lady?"

Realizing he'd exposed himself, Lachlan forced an awkward smile. "She's a junior member of my family... The meeting's adjourned. Thank you, everyone."

With a vice-like grip, Lachlan caught Lilah by the arm and steered her out of the room.

Lilah didn't resist, merely watching him with unreadable calm as he pulled her along.

Behind them, murmurs rose among the shareholders.

"That girl is the spitting image of the late chairwoman. I heard the previous chairwoman died while giving birth years ago. Could that girl be her daughter?"

"Now that you mention it, the girl really does resemble the former chairwoman! But what about Elissa Walsh? Wasn't she supposed to be the former chairwoman's child?"

"That's what they claimed, yet none of the late chairwoman's shares ever went to Elissa."

The gossip drifted through the hallway just as Elissa was passing. The words struck like needles, and her face twisted with fury. Goddamn Lilah! Couldn't Lilah just stay the hell out of her life?

Meanwhile, inside the office, Lachlan's composed mask cracked now that they had no audience. "What the hell are you after?" he demanded, voice low and sharp.

Lilah tilted her head, a faint, mocking smile curving her lips. "I offered you a choice last night," she said lightly. "Since you refused to pick one, I went ahead and made the decision for you."

His jaw tightened, rage flaring. "Fine. Ten million for your treatment. But after that, you're never setting foot in the company again."

"Too late for that." She picked up a glass of water, sniffed it with faint disgust, and then set it back down. "Given your rotten ethics, I'm raising the price to fifty million."

The air between them crackled. Lachlan's fury darkened his face, but Lilah didn't so much as blink. "Don't tell me that in just over a decade, my mother's fortune has shrunk so much that you can't scrape together fifty million."

She stepped in close enough for him to feel her breath. "If that's really the case, Lachlan Walsh, I'll be conducting a full audit myself."

There was no trace of humor left in her expression. Under that unyielding stare, Lachlan was uneasy. Grinding his teeth, he snapped, "As long as you stay out of the company's affairs, I'll give you the fifty million."

"Then I'll wait for the transfer," she replied aloofly.

Several steps toward the door, Lilah stopped short and swung around to face Lachlan. "Lies remained lies. You'd better reveal the true origin of that illegitimate daughter of yours. If she so much as smears my mother's name, your entire family would answer for it."

The moment Lilah shut the door, a crash from the office sounded like glass and wood colliding. A smirk eased across her face.

"You feeling pleased with yourself?" A menacing voice drifted up from behind Lilah.

When Lilah turned, she was met with a hard, icy glare—Elissa's narrowed eyes burning with malice.

A derisive scoff left Elissa's lips. "You really think you can stir up trouble at the company? Your mother's shares don't transfer to you until you're married—where did you get this 'third-largest shareholder' nonsense? That's complete bullshit!"

A single brow lifted on Lilah's face. "Go ahead and tell the board then," she said flatly. "It would be the perfect time to let everyone know you're born out of wedlock. Do you actually have the guts to do that?"

As Elissa seethed barely beneath the surface, Lilah let out a contemptuous laugh and walked out of the Walsh Group as if the place bored her.

Outside the building, Lilah thumbed a number on her phone without hesitation. "Be ready to buy Walsh Group stock at a moment's notice," she ordered into the line.

She had done her homework: the Walsh Group's liquid reserves were under one hundred million, and extracting fifty million would cripple its cash flow. If the company's finances teetered, Lachlan would be forced to sell shares to steady the company—an opening she planned to exploit without mercy.

Those fools in the Walsh family thought she was penniless, her late mother's inheritance locked away. None of them had the slightest clue that she'd quietly amassed a sizeable block of Walsh Group shares on her own. Calling herself the third-largest shareholder wasn't empty bravado—it was the truth.

Meanwhile, sensing that something wasn't right, Lachlan immediately ordered an inquiry into the identity of the company's third-largest shareholder. Yet, the details were sealed under strict confidentiality, beyond his reach. A cold prickle of unease crept down his spine.

But he quickly consoled himself that he was merely overthinking it. How could Lilah, who'd spent her life in the countryside, possibly pull off something so elaborate? Even if Lilah truly were the third-largest shareholder of Walsh Group, it didn't matter. Once Elissa married Cayden, Lilah would be nothing more than a powerless nuisance—something easily crushed beneath their heels. He almost laughed at himself for letting that insolent brat rattle him at all.

Without wasting another second, Lachlan called Elissa.

Following Lachlan's orders, Elissa started haunting the entrance of the Spencer manor, hoping to bump into Ava.

Word was, Ava was Cayden's sole weakness. Elissa figured that if she could win Ava over, she'd not only secure the West District project but also lock in her place as Cayden's wife. Once that happened, she'd finally be free of the humiliating act of pretending to be Lachlan's legitimate child.

But after days of waiting without so much as a glimpse of Ava, irritation gnawed at Elissa.

Elissa was turning to leave when a slim figure rolled quietly out from the manor gates in a wheelchair.

Elissa's eyes gleamed with calculation, and she hurried forward. "Hello, Miss Spencer. I'm Elissa Walsh," she said in a practiced, sugary tone.

Ava recoiled inwardly at the intrusion; she had never liked strangers breaching her space. Yet, when Elissa's name reached her ears, something flickered in her gaze—Lilah had mentioned that name before.

Lifting a delicate hand, Ava traced a few words in Elissa's palm. "To your home."

Elissa went still for a heartbeat before her face lit up with excitement. "Of course! I will take you to my home right now!"

Though Elissa despised playing the servant—especially to someone confined to a wheelchair—she forced a sweet smile, fussing over Ava with exaggerated care. Every gesture dripped with false warmth, the kind reserved for people she secretly looked down on but needed to please.

Ava remained silent the entire way, her face an unreadable mask. The quiet only stoked Elissa's irritation, though she hid it behind her polished grin.

Halfway through the drive, Elissa's phone buzzed. A friend's name flashed on the screen, reminding her of the birthday party she'd been desperate to attend.

Elissa's brows pinched together. She'd clawed her way into that elite circle, and skipping the event could mean being shut out for good. Her gaze flicked toward Ava's calm figure, and a sudden idea bloomed. "Miss Spencer," she said brightly, "a friend of mine is celebrating her birthday tonight. Why don't we stop by together? Once it's over, I'll take you straight to my home..."

Inwardly, Elissa smirked. Showing up with Cayden's sister would instantly elevate her status. Those snobby socialites would be tripping over themselves to get close, and she wouldn't have to beg her way into their circle ever again.

Elissa's plan might have been perfect—if Ava hadn't flatly refused. The moment Elissa turned, Ava had already pushed the car door open and started maneuvering her wheelchair out on her own.

Elissa's jaw tightened in fury, but the icy authority radiating from Ava's calm face froze her in place. That quiet strength, inherited from growing up beside Cayden, made Elissa instinctively yield.

Before Elissa could react, Ava had already crossed the street, her wheelchair rolling steadily through the crowd.

Watching from the curb, Elissa's complexion drained of color. If Cayden's precious sister got hurt, she'd be finished. Panic clawed up her throat as she darted toward the intersection—only for the traffic light to flash red. Trapped at the curb, she could only stare as Ava vanished into the bustling street, her pulse hammering in dread.

Elissa's whole body shook uncontrollably. When her knees buckled, she crumpled to the ground, despair crashing over her. That was it for her. She was completely screwed!

Meanwhile, at the Spencer Group headquarters, Cayden sat at the head of the long conference table, his tailored suit as sharp as the glint in his cold eyes. The dull ache in his body only intensified the ruthless edge in his expression.

No one in the room dared to breathe too loudly; the silence was suffocating.

Then, his phone buzzed.

"Mr. Spencer." The trembling voice on the other end came. "Miss Spencer is missing!"

Lilah knelt before Ava and gently brushed away the girl's tears with her thumb. "Hey, don't cry. Where's your family? Why are you out here all by yourself?"

Confusion flickered across Ava's face before unease pulled her gaze to the floor. She couldn't bring herself to admit that she'd slipped out because she missed Lilah terribly. By now, Cayden had surely realized she was gone—his calm façade cracking into worry and anger in equal measure.

Cayden was indeed frantic. Though fury burned in his chest, concern outweighed everything else. Without hesitation, he went straight to find Elissa, who had taken Ava earlier.

When confronted, Elissa turned ghostly pale. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she dropped to the floor, sobbing as she scrambled to explain.

Cayden's expression remained ice-cold—he didn't care for her pitiful tears. All that mattered was the footage showing Ava leaving the car, crossing the street, and then vanishing from sight.

"Mr. Spencer, I-I swear I'm telling the truth. Miss Spencer said she wanted to go to my house..."

"Get lost!" Cayden's boot connected with her side, sending her sprawling. "If anything happens to Ava, your entire family will pay for it."

Wracked with agony, Elissa clutched her stomach, her whole body trembling beyond speech. Panic clawed through her chest—this was beyond repair. Even though her father adored her, he wouldn't shield her if the Walsh Group got dragged into the fallout.

Elissa fumbled for her phone with shaking hands. Only Dillon Walsh, her eldest brother, might be able to pull her out of this disaster.

Unaware of her frantic call, Cayden kept replaying the moment Ava disappeared on the screen, his jaw tightening with every passing second. He had no idea that not far from the scene, Lilah was sitting beside Ava in a cafe.

Lilah patiently fed Ava. As they were about to finish eating, Ava pointed at her plate, holding up two delicate fingers.

Lilah blinked, puzzled by the gesture at first. She was momentarily confused until Ava pointed at her leg. Realization dawned on Lilah, and a shadow of sorrow crossed her face.

Back during Ava's first operation, Lilah had promised a second surgery to fully restore her mobility—an operation due around right now. But now, her own deteriorating health made such a procedure impossible.

Lilah's fingers curled unconsciously, and when she finally spoke, her voice rasped with regret. "I can't perform the surgery for you right now…"

Though baffled, Ava smiled gently, showing no trace of blame.

Lilah then squeezed Ava's hand and made a promise. "I'll try to make it happen soon."

The truth was, Lilah wasn't sure she ever could. Still, she couldn't bear to extinguish the spark of hope shining in Ava's eyes.

"It's fine." Ava traced the words into her palm.

A sharp ache twisted in Lilah's chest, the kind that hollowed her out from the inside. For the first time, she had truly understood frustration.

Silence settled between them. After a long pause, Lilah pulled out her phone, scrolled to the contact Cayden had left her, and snapped a photo of Ava. She sent it with a location attached.

"Your brother will be here soon," Lilah murmured.

Ava's fingers tightened slightly around Lilah's, her eyes reluctant to let go of the moment. She had grown comfortable in Lilah's company.

Meanwhile, Cayden received the message and exhaled in relief—but the faint curve of his lips didn't reach his eyes. A dangerous gleam surfaced there as his gaze slid toward Elissa. The two Walsh family daughters surely knew how to pull off a charade.

After snapping an order for Saul to haul Elissa into the car, Cayden took off toward Ava in a rush.

After a while, the quiet in the cafe was ripped apart by a sudden, echoing thud.

Lilah had just footed the bill when a body came crashing to the floor beside her. She instinctively backed away and then froze at the sound of a familiar, painful cry.

"Elissa? What on earth are you doing here?" Lilah blurted out.

"Lilah! You ruined me! I'll fucking kill you!" Elissa shrieked, her eyes blazing with hate.

Elissa hadn't expected Lilah to be the one who had found Ava. In her mind, all her misfortunes traced back to Lilah. With a furious snarl, she lunged toward Lilah.

Lilah sidestepped the first blow, then the second, irritation flickering across her face. On the third attempt, she kicked Elissa squarely in the stomach, sending her sprawling. Straightening, she frowned as her gaze locked on Cayden—already standing protectively in front of Ava.

A sharp, predatory edge clung to Cayden as he advanced toward Lilah, his expression dark and unreadable. "Miss Walsh," he said coolly, "don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Lilah's brows knit as she pressed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lilah was irked by his questioning, especially with Elissa dumped at her feet.

Ava's hands fluttered, her gestures frantic as she tried to smooth things over, but she hardly spoke to begin with, and now, anxiety locked her voice away completely.

Not wanting to distress Ava further, Cayden forced down his fury. "One Walsh daughter abducts Ava, the other just happens to rescue her. Tell me, what exactly am I supposed to think?"

He stepped closer to Lilah, his voice dropping to a low, cutting murmur. "Quite the elaborate plan your family has cooked up for the West District project."

The accusation hung in the air like a blade, sharp enough to make even the bodyguards stiffen, a chill running down their spines as they glanced uneasily at Lilah.