The instant Natalie caught sight of Eileen, the smile on her face stiffened.

A trace of alarm flickered through her eyes, but she buried it almost at once.

"Eileen? You are out of prison?" she asked.

"Today was the day Eileen got released. I happened to run into her on the way here, so I drove her back. She is still part of the family, after all."

Jason rushed to explain, worried Natalie might get upset.

"Eileen, you've gotten so thin in prison. I'm sorry..."

Natalie's voice shook faintly, and her eyes were quickly filled with tears.

Eileen looked at her and gave a scornful laugh.

Natalie still wore that same weak, pitiful look. She had fooled everyone with that act.

Beside them, Jason's expression hardened at Eileen's mocking laugh.

He shot her a glare. "Eileen, Natalie is speaking to you. Why are you not replying to her?"

Natalie lightly pulled at Jason's sleeve. "Jason, please don't speak to her that way..."

Without warning, she stepped forward and flung herself into Eileen's arms, sobbing.

"I've missed you so much all these years. Every single day, I worried about how you were doing in there..."

Eileen fought down the impulse to shove Natalie away. The costly perfume clinging to Natalie was in cruel contrast to the coarse clothes rubbing against Eileen's skin.

All around them, the guests began murmuring, their voices growing louder by the second.

"So she's the Hewitt couple's real daughter, and she actually went to prison?"

"Seriously? You didn't know? That whole thing caused a massive scandal back then. They said she pushed the Wade couple's daughter down the stairs. The girl nearly died."

"But she looks so pretty and kind. It's hard to imagine her doing something like that."

Every whispered word landed in Eileen's ears. Each one cut into her like a knife driven straight into her chest.

After four years behind bars, she had already turned into a laughingstock among Oraland's upper class.

A bitter ache surged through her, but she forced it back down.

She eased Natalie away from her and stared straight into her eyes.

"You were worried about how I was doing in prison?" Eileen's voice was not loud, yet it brought the entire room to an immediate hush. "Natalie, do you truly care about my life in prison? During those four years, why didn't you come see me even once?"

Her voice remained calm, but every word sliced clean through Natalie's lie.

Natalie went still for a beat. Panic flashed across her face before she put on that wounded expression again.

"Eileen, I thought seeing me would only make you feel upset. It was all my fault..."

Eileen gave a cold laugh. "You're right. It was all your fault. If not for you, I would never have gone to prison."

Her eyes swept over every member of the Hewitt family, sharp as a knife. "Not one of you dared to visit me because you couldn't face the person who took the fall for Natalie. You were scared I might change my testimony."

Her words landed like a bomb.

The whispers around them instantly grew louder.

"What? Did she really take the blame for Natalie?"

"No way. Natalie is such a kind person. She has to be lying!"

"Enough. All of you, stop talking!"

Jason's voice slashed through the noise, his irritation impossible to miss.

He stepped in front of Natalie, shielding her, and glared at Eileen.

"Eileen, you just came back, and you're already making a scene? Today is Natalie's birthday. I already warned you in the car."

Eileen looked at him coldly. "It's also my birthday today. Do you still remember that, Jason?"

Jason looked caught off guard for a moment, but his face quickly turned stern again.

"Even so, you have no right to falsely accuse Natalie in front of everyone. She may not be related to you by blood, but she is still our sister. What happened back then is in the past. The evidence was clear. The court already gave its verdict. There is no reason to drag it up again now."

"Eileen, if I've upset you, I'll apologize with a piece of cake. Please don't be angry..." Natalie turned and walked over to the dessert table. She cut a small, delicate slice of cake and held it out to Eileen.

To anyone watching, she looked thoughtful and sweet. But Eileen caught the faint smugness hidden in her eyes.

A rush of fury surged up from inside Eileen, nearly breaking through her restraint.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, she took the cake. Then, she threw it straight onto Natalie's head.

A strange, fierce satisfaction spread through her.

For the first time in four years, she had finally gotten back at the person who had made her suffer, but this was far from enough...

White cream slid down Natalie's hair, destroying the careful styling she had spent so much time on.

"Ah! My hair!"

Natalie stood there in a daze, frosting all over her, looking utterly disgraced.

At that very moment, a young, striking man rushed in from outside.

It was Landen Hewitt, the third son of the Hewitt couple and now a famous young actor.

He had specially made time to come to Natalie's birthday party. He had never expected to walk in on a scene like this.

"You ex-con, how dare you do this to Natalie?"

At the sight of Natalie being humiliated, Landen clenched his jaw and swung a hand toward Eileen's face.

Eileen reacted at once, shifting aside and dodging the slap with ease.

Four brutal years in prison had taught her how to defend herself.

Landen's strike missed. He froze briefly. Then, his face darkened with rage.

"You... you actually dare to dodge? I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of the Hewitt family today!"

"So you still think I'm someone you can push around whenever you please?"

Eileen looked him right in the eye, her voice thick with sarcasm and disappointment.

Landen parted his lips, but no words came out. He turned instead to Natalie and gently wiped the frosting from her face.

"Natalie, are you okay?" he asked in a gentle voice.

Natalie nodded and held back her tears. "Landen, I'm fine. Eileen just got out. It's only natural that she's upset with me. This is my fault, but I truly meant well..."

Eileen let out a cold laugh. What a flawless little performance.

"That's enough," Jason said at that moment.

His expression turned grim, and anger flashed in his eyes. "Eileen, if you have complaints, take them out on me. The Hewitt family will make it up to you for those years in prison, but don't let your emotions upset Natalie—"

"No need to say anything else," Eileen interjected evenly. "If my presence here makes everyone so uncomfortable, I'll go."

She turned to leave, but Landen caught hold of her arm to stop her.

"Go? You humiliated Natalie today, and now, you think you can just walk away? No way!"

Eileen looked at him with cold contempt. "Let go of me."

"I won't!" Landen snapped. "You owe Natalie an apology!"

Eileen did not say another word. She simply wrenched her arm free with force.

Jason stepped between Landen and Eileen, his face growing even darker.

The Hewitt family had already been embarrassed tonight. With so many guests watching, this should never have become such a spectacle.

Jason lowered his voice, and the threat in it was unmistakable. "If you keep this up, don't blame me for showing you no mercy."

"Mercy?"

Eileen let out a quiet laugh, but there was not a trace of humor in her eyes. "Jason, the day you sent me to prison with your own hands, you already showed me no mercy. Whatever sibling bond we had was gone. Starting today, I have nothing to do with the Hewitt family."

Her words brought the whole room to silence. Even Natalie lifted her head in shock, and a flicker of unease crossed her eyes.

"What are you saying? You think you can just walk away from this family? Are you really willing to do that?" Landen did not believe a word of it. His voice was full of mockery. "I don't trust it, unless you—"

"Unless I give up everything from the Hewitt family?" Eileen finished the sentence for him, determination glinting in her eyes. "Fine. From this moment forward, I sever every tie with the Hewitt family. There is nothing left between us."

"Good. Very good." Jason gave a cold, mocking laugh, and his anger only grew stronger. "Since that is what you want, then I have fulfilled my duty as your brother. The Hewitt family owes you nothing now. You may leave."

Eileen did not waste a single word on him. She turned around and walked straight for the door without the slightest pause.

Halfway out, she suddenly thought of something. She had nearly no money. She did not even have enough to pay for a ride.

"Wait." Eileen came to a stop and turned back to look at Jason. "I do not have any money. Can you lend me a hundred dollars? I will pay you back in the future."

The request clearly caught Jason off guard. "You do not even have a hundred dollars?"

"No, I don't," Eileen replied evenly. "For the past four years, you have not given me a single cent."

Her words pierced straight through whatever composure Jason had left.

He said nothing for a moment, then took a bill from his wallet and held it out to her. "Take it. And do not come back here again."

Eileen took the money without thanking him and turned away once more.

Outside the house, the sunlight was still harsh and bright. A faint redness had crept into her eyes.

Today was her twenty-second birthday. It should have been a day to celebrate, yet it had become the day she cut herself off from everything in her past.

Eileen drew in a slow breath, trying to steady the storm inside her.

She swore that, one day, she would take back everything that had been owed to her over the last four years, and she would do it on her own terms.

With the hundred-dollar bill in her hand, her first thought was to book a ride, but she stopped herself.

She had nowhere to go.

After thinking for a while, she slipped a hand into the worn pocket of her clothes and pulled out an old scrap of paper.

A phone number was written on it.

Patricia Flynn, an elderly woman she had met in prison, had given it to her before she died. She had said it belonged to someone Eileen could rely on after her release.

Eileen walked over to the roadside and borrowed a phone from a passerby.

The call was answered almost at once. A calm male voice came from the other end of the line. "Hello, who is this?"

"Hello. I am a friend of Patricia Flynn," Eileen said in an even tone. "She gave me this number before she died."

There was a brief silence on the other end. Then, the man's voice grew serious.

"Please wait a moment." After a short verification, the voice returned to normal. "Patricia did leave instructions behind. Please tell me where you are. I will send a car to pick you up."

Ten minutes later, a black high-end car pulled up in front of Eileen.

A middle-aged man in a crisp suit got out and gave her a careful once-over. "Are you Patricia Flynn's friend?"

Eileen gave a small nod. "Yes."

The man dipped his head. "Please, get in. My boss is waiting for you."

The car soon rolled off at an unhurried pace. A short distance away, someone had seen the entire scene.

Marc Stewart, Jason's driver, had been smoking near the entrance when the scene caught his eye.

"Was that Eileen? She just got into a limited-edition Rolls-Royce?"

He gaped in shock, yanked out his phone to take a photo, and called Jason at once.

Inside the house, the birthday celebration had resumed, but the mood had clearly cooled down a bit.

Jason's phone began to ring. When he saw Marc's name, he knitted his brows and stepped away to pick up the call.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Hewitt, I just saw Eileen get into a Rolls-Royce. It's one of those limited models. There are only 100 in the world." Marc spoke in an urgent voice.

"A Rolls-Royce?" Jason did not buy it. "You've got to be wrong. How could someone with no money at all have such a car picking her up?"

"It's real. I took a picture. I'll send it to you right now."

Not long after, Jason received the photo.

In it, Eileen stood beside the car while a suited man held the door open for her with clear respect.

Jason's face shifted at once.

Meanwhile, the car made its way down the city's main road. Eileen sat by the window, watching the view slide past.

Four years had gone by. The city had changed greatly, yet some things stayed exactly as they had been.

Silence filled the car. The driver glanced at Eileen now and then through the rearview mirror but did not speak.

Eileen stayed quiet, too, wondering about Patricia's real identity.

During those four years in prison, the old woman had never spoken of her past. She turned every visitor away, yet she taught Eileen countless things no ordinary person would ever know.

"May I ask how long you've known Patricia?" The driver was the one who finally broke the silence.

Eileen kept her eyes on the scenery rushing by. "Four years."

"Where did you meet?"

"In prison," Eileen answered briefly and did not say anything beyond that.

At last, the car came to a stop in front of a towering office building. The driver stepped out and opened the door for Eileen. "Please follow me."

Eileen went with him into the elevator. They then headed straight for the top floor.

When the elevator doors slid open, a spacious office came into view.

A middle-aged man in a dark suit stood before the floor-to-ceiling window with his back to them.

"Mr. Gilbert, Patricia's friend is here," the driver said softly.

The man, Rodger Gilbert, turned to face Eileen at an unhurried pace, his eyes sharp with scrutiny. "So you're the person Patricia mentioned before?"

His gaze traveled over Eileen from head to toe. "You look far too young."

Eileen did not reply at once. Her eyes swept across the office instead.

The room had been furnished with quiet luxury. Beyond the towering glass windows, the whole city sprawled beneath them. The person who owned this place was clearly a man of immense money and influence.

"I am Patricia's student," Eileen finally said.

A trace of astonishment crossed Rodger's face. "Patricia's student? She never had any students before."

Eileen exhaled softly as her mind slipped back to four years ago.

Not long after she was sent to prison, a fight broke out one day.

A group of tall female inmates had cornered an elderly, gray-haired woman and were trying to snatch away her meal.

Eileen had only just arrived back then, yet she interfered anyway. She was beaten badly for it.

From that day forward, the elderly woman, Patricia, treated her with kindness and began teaching her all kinds of things.

From defending herself to difficult medical principles, from the use of herbs to acupuncture, Patricia passed on everything she knew without reservation.

Throughout those four years, Patricia never received visitors and almost never mentioned anything about her past.

Eileen had once asked her why she had landed in prison. Patricia had merely smiled in that unreadable way of hers and said she had chosen to come there.

One month before Eileen's release, Patricia's condition took a sudden turn for the worse.

Before dying, she handed Eileen a phone number and told her to reach out to its owner after leaving prison. She also warned her to be careful.

Eileen gave Rodger the short version. "Before she died, she left me your number and told me to come find you."

Rodger fell into deep thought after hearing that.

The office grew still, and the only sound left was the steady ticking of the clock on the wall.

"In the medical field, Patricia was called Healer Enigma. Five years ago, my mother came down with a strange disease. Even the finest hospitals could do nothing for her. Later, I paid an enormous price to bring Patricia to treat her."

Rodger rose from his seat and walked over to the window, standing with his back turned to Eileen.

He continued, "Patricia said she could heal my mother, but she needed time to prepare the medicine. On the third night after the treatment began, she suddenly gave me something, asked me to keep it safe, and said she had urgent business to handle. After that, she disappeared without a trace. I did not dare touch the item she gave me. I could only keep using the prescriptions she had left behind to keep my mother's condition stable. But for five years, her condition has only worsened. And now, she..."

A spark of hope lit Rodger's eyes. "Are you really Patricia's student? Can you save my mother?"

"I can try," Eileen said evenly. "But I need to check on the patient first, and I also need to see the thing Patricia left with you."

Rodger drew in a deep breath, as though weighing a major choice.

After a brief pause, he grabbed his phone and called someone. "Get the car ready. We're going to the hospital now."

Twenty minutes later, a luxury car came to a stop outside the city's most exclusive private hospital.

Rodger brought Eileen straight to the VIP area on the top floor.

Along the way, every member of the medical staff greeted Rodger with clear respect.

"My mother's attending doctor was specially brought in from abroad. Even he has no solution," Rodger said quietly as the elevator climbed. "You are my last hope."

Eileen said nothing.

Patricia had taught her a lot of things, but the thought of facing an illness even top experts could not treat still left her uneasy.

The moment the elevator doors opened, a neatly dressed middle-aged woman hurried toward them.

"Rodger, why are you here so late? Your mother had another episode earlier. The doctor said—"

She suddenly stopped talking the second she noticed the young woman standing beside Rodger. She knitted her brows. "And this is?"

"Honey, this is Dr. Flynn. I brought her to treat my mother," Rodger replied.

Rodger's wife, Amy Gilbert, gave Eileen a slow once-over, noting her plain clothes and worn appearance. Disdain flashed through her eyes.

"A doctor so young? Where exactly did you find her? Is she even reliable?"

Before Eileen could say anything, Rodger spoke first. "She is Patricia's student."

"Patricia? The one who vanished five years ago?" Amy looked surprised, but suspicion quickly returned. "How do you know she isn't a fraud? Plenty of swindlers prey on rich families like this."

Pain tightened Rodger's expression. "My mother does not have much time left. Even the specialists have stopped trying. This could be our final chance..."

"That is precisely why we cannot act recklessly," Amy said with firmness. "She has to prove she is capable of doing this."

Eileen finally opened her mouth. "Mrs. Gilbert, the dull ache in the knuckle of your right little finger is an early symptom of rheumatism. You should stay away from the cold to prevent your condition from getting worse."

Amy dropped her eyes to her hand in shock. She did have that problem, yet she had never told anyone about it.

Before she could speak, Eileen continued, "And those migraines of yours, especially when stress hits, are caused by an issue in your cervical spine."

Amy's expression changed at once. She stared at Eileen in shock.

"H-how do you know that?" she asked.

"Observation. Now, may I see the patient?" Eileen said.

Amy hesitated for a brief second, then moved aside. "I am still not completely convinced. I will stay and watch the entire process."