Chapter 3

"Today, as long as I'm here, no one will slander my daughter!"

My hands tightened instinctively as I clutched the urn close to my chest.

Robert’s sharp eyes caught my movement. His gaze flicked to the urn and locked onto the Elsa doll perched on top.

"Irene, look! That’s the doll!" he shouted.

Irene’s face lit up with triumph, her voice icy as she said, "Caught red-handed. Are you still going to deny it?"

She reached out to grab the doll from my hands.

I instinctively cradled the urn closer, shielding it, but to them, my actions looked like guilt.

With a cold scoff, Irene gestured to Robert, and together, they lunged at me, prying my fingers apart.

"No! Don’t!" I screamed, trying desperately to protect my daughter’s urn, but their combined force was too much.

With a loud crash, the urn hit the ground.

Ashes scattered everywhere.

I fell to my knees in despair, reaching out helplessly.

"What is this? Why is it so filthy?" Robert recoiled, covering his nose in disgust.

"Hubert, have you lost your mind? Bringing this trash here—what’s wrong with you?" Irene snapped. "Are you doing this on purpose because you know Robert is allergic to dust?"

Turning to the security guards, she barked, "Clean this mess up! Flush it all down the toilet!"

I couldn’t hear another word she said. My mind had gone blank, consumed by the sight of my daughter’s ashes being treated like garbage.

"Stop! Don’t touch it!" I cried out, my voice echoing through the space as I scrambled to gather the ashes with my bare hands.

The guards, fearing I’d cause a scene, pinned my shoulders down, immobilizing me.

I struggled desperately, but all I could do was watch as they swept my daughter’s ashes away like dirt on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Lily. It's all my fault," I whispered, my voice trembling.

“I failed to protect you when you were alive, and even in death, I let you suffer this humiliation.”

The thought crushed me, and a surge of anguish overwhelmed me. Blood rose in my throat, and I spat it out in a violent cough.

"Hubert!"

Irene shrieked in alarm, quickly gesturing for the security guards to let me go.

I struggled to crawl toward the ashes, but my body felt heavy and powerless. All I could do was drag myself forward, inch by inch, like a pitiful worm.

Robert smirked as he watched my pathetic state, his lips curling in amusement, ready to taunt me.

But just then, his phone rang.

He answered it confidently, but the smug look on his face vanished the moment the hospital director's voice came through the line, "I'm sorry, Mr. Easton. The heart that was originally a match—well, the donor’s family suddenly changed their mind. The surgery for Yuki can’t proceed."

The director’s next words hit like a thunderclap.

"Yuki’s condition is already critical. If we miss this opportunity, she could face fatal risks at any moment."