Chapter 3 She’s No Simpleton

Lana suddenly burst into laughter.

Carol was the one who had tried to take advantage of Lana and paint her in a negative light.

"Oh? You sent me to the countryside when I was 5 years old. You made me drop out of school when I was 15 years old. Then, you married me off when I was 18 years old. Is that how you treat your family?"

The Clarks' faces changed color in response to Lana's words. They had nothing to say to counter that. After all, it was all true.

Carol had wanted to take the moral high ground and make Lana take the fall. She hadn't expected Lana to tell everyone the truth as it was.

Was this the same quiet, introverted Lana as before?

"Seriously? Aren't the Clarks super well-off? They made a 15-year-old drop out of school?"

"Their biological daughter was sent abroad to further her studies, while the adopted one probably doesn't even know how to spell. And Carol claims they treat her as family."

"Carol should get off her high horse. If I was treated like that, I wouldn't want to hug her either."

Carol panicked when she heard everyone's criticism.

She wasn't going to dance to Lana's tunes. She knew that only the weak were worthy of sympathy. So she immediately took hold of Lana's hand.

"The past is in the past, Lana. I'm back now. From now on, I'll fulfill your wishes, no matter what they are."

The sight of the sisters holding hands and making peace touched everyone. Even Chris was moved to tears.

"Carol is an angel! How can she be so kind? After everything Lana did to her, she's still helping her."

Meanwhile, Lana's eyes lit up at Carol's words. "Really?"

Carol nodded. Despite her facade, all she felt for Lana was contempt. Did this country bumpkin fall for her act?

Besides, what kind of requests could Lana, who hadn't even seen much of the world, come up with? She probably just wanted money.

However, Lana's next words left Carol dumbfounded.

"If that's the case, I want you to give me everything you have right now."

What? Was Lana daydreaming? How shameless could she get?

Everyone was staring at her in disbelief. They couldn't fathom how someone could be so greedy.

Lana laughed as she watched Carol's complexion become pale. "What's wrong? Are you scared? You don't want to give anything up?"

Carol was as white as a sheet. Her hands clenched tightly into fists as she stared at Lana.

Lana smiled coldly. Things had already come this far. Yet Carol was still acting as if she could fulfill her wishes.

"Why are you so nervous? I was just joking."

Mockery flashed in Lana's eyes, still covered in a heavy layer of makeup. Her voice was cold.

"Look at you. You've gone pale from fright. Remember, don't go promising things you can't accomplish."

Had Lana been joking with Carol the entire time? Everyone realized that she wasn't as greedy as they had initially thought.

On the other hand, Carol's expression showed how she couldn't wait to rip her adoptive sister to pieces on the spot.

With just a few words, Lana had exposed how hypocritical Carol truly was.

"I thought Carol was being sincere when she said that. It sounded like she was going to give up her life for Lana."

"Her life? Didn't you see Carol's face? She looked like she wanted to kill Lana right then and there!"

Sarah was infuriated. All of Carol's efforts had gone down the drain with just a few words from Lana.

Sarah was about to scream at Lana like she usually did. However, Carol stopped her in the nick of time.

"Mom, Lana was just joking with me. I think we should go home now."

Carol's image had already been ruined here. If they continued, they would only end up being the butt of the joke.

This was supposed to be Carol's time to shine. But Lana had made them look like fools. Now the Clarks wanted nothing more than to make her life a living hell.

Zeke shot Lana a fierce glare and ushered his wife and children away.

Lana whistled playfully and followed suit after seeing the Clarks scurry away. Her movements were indescribably carefree.

Did they think they could control her just as they had before? They could dream on!

As she was walking away, she felt as if someone was looking at her.

She turned around, and her eyes landed on the VIP room on the second floor of the airport.

Meanwhile, in the VIP room, Liam immediately looked away. After having spent three years with Lana, he finally realized that she was no simpleton.

"Liam, did you … just smile?"

Liam Kane could smile? Chris felt like it was a miracle.

Liam didn't answer. But Chris began to explain his fleeting smile earnestly. "Ah, Carol's back now! You've got a good head on your shoulders. Your days will only get better from here."

Then, he suddenly said to Liam, "Let's go."

"Where?"

Chris clicked his tongue. "To escort your fiancée home, of course."

Liam didn't recall ever agreeing to this.

Seeing how he remained impassive, Chris gave him an exasperated look.

"Why are you so calm? Carol's home. Shouldn't you be picking her up as her fiancé? I've already made the arrangements for you."

Liam got to his feet, much to Chris' relief. Could he have finally come to his senses?

Yet what Liam said next left Chris surprised. "Whoever made the arrangements can go pick her up then."

…

Back at Clark Residence, Sarah started venting her anger the moment she set foot inside. "Nadia! Where the hell are you? We're home. Are you going to serve us tea or not?"

Liam not showing up for Carol was one thing. But Lana stealing Carol's spotlight was another. It was infuriating beyond words.

Lana dragged her suitcase behind her. The moment she set foot in the house, she saw a beautiful woman limping out of the kitchen with a tray in hand.

"Welcome home, Zeke and Sarah." Nadia Clark served tea for the others.

"You're finally back, Carol. That's great."

Carol didn't even smile at her. All she did was nod. It was a sufficient response.

Before Nadia could even set down the tray, Jennifer began to order her around.

"I want dragonfruit, Aunt Nadia!"

Nelson immediately chimed in, "I want cantaloupe."

Nadia could barely catch her breath before she turned back to the kitchen. "Alright!"

Lana frowned. The Clarks were getting more brazen by the day. Even Nadia was being bossed around.

Nadia was the illegitimate daughter of the late Vesper Clark. She had been the apple of his eye.

Vesper had passed away six years ago. Afterward, Nadia's status in the family was reduced to nothing. She was no different from Lana.

"Aunt Nadia!"

Nadia looked up and finally noticed Lana's presence. She was delighted.

"When did you return, Lana? Why didn't you tell me?"

Lana was just about to respond when Jennifer grew impatient.

"Are you two going to keep talking? I want dragonfruit. Did you not hear me?"

Jennifer was being extremely rude. It didn't sound like she was speaking to an elder. The way she treated Nadia was no different from how she would behave with a servant.

Both Zeke and Sarah were speaking with Carol in a hushed tone. They didn't think there was anything wrong with the way Jennifer was acting since they also usually treated Nadia like that.

Lana frowned. "Do they always treat you this way, Aunt Nadia?"

Nadia faltered. She didn't dare look at Sarah. She quickly dragged Lana off to the kitchen with her.

"Welcome home, Lana. Let me know if there's something you want to eat. I'll prepare it for you."

Nadia's reaction suggested that the Clarks treated her badly.

"What are you so afraid of, Aunt Nadia?" Lana suddenly grabbed Nadia's arm. She couldn't watch Nadia work for them and be at their beck and call. "Tell me if something is wrong."

Before Nadia could speak, Sarah seemed to have had enough of Lana.

"Don't meddle in affairs that don't concern you, Lana! Leave if you don't want to stay here. Don't coddle Nadia.

"She's just a cripple. She lives off of us. We've shown her generosity by having her work to earn her keep. What else does she want?"

Jennifer crossed her arms and stood up. She joined her mother's side and proudly raised an eyebrow.

"We're being kind by letting her work. She wouldn't dare resist, even if we made her do more outrageous things. It's not our fault she depends on us."

Nadia turned pale upon hearing their words. Tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes.