Clarence was the first to move. He grabbed Claudia and yanked her back, shoving her hard before she could swing again. Her lower back slammed into the corner of a cabinet—right where she'd been hurt the night before. Pain ripped through her, sharp enough to steal her breath, but the sound of it got swallowed by the chorus of outraged voices. No one noticed. Every eye was on Lydia's face. Zane shot Claudia a murderous glare before bolting for the first-aid kit. Jasper and Lottie crowded around Lydia, fussing over the swelling. Lydia herself just sat there, stunned. That wretch actually hit me? Sure, Claudia had acted out before—but always with words. Never hands. Their fights always ended the same: Lydia calm and composed, Claudia fuming and defeated. Never the other way around. What had gotten into her tonight? Rage gnawed at Lydia's chest, but when she finally spoke, her voice came out soft, trembling, perfectly wounded. "Claudia, I know you don't like me… but what exactly did I do wrong today?" Wilson rounded on his daughter. "Why did you hit Lydia?" Claudia let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Then why did you hit me?" Her chin lifted. "Violence first, verdict later. Didn't I learn that from you?" Wilson flinched—thinking of the slap he'd just given her—but anger quickly swallowed the guilt. "I hit you because you hired someone to run Lydia off the road. And you still dare deny it? Is this what I taught you? To hurt your own family, break the law, and feel no shame?" "Hired someone?" Claudia's mind flicked back to last night's accident, and her mouth curved into a cold smile. "So… where's the proof?" Wilson jabbed a finger at her. "Proof? The driver already confessed—you bribed him. If Lydia weren't so kind and forgiving, you'd be in jail right now. Do you understand that?" "So besides the driver's so-called confession, you've got nothing." Lydia jumped in right on cue, voice shaking just enough to sound fragile."Claudia, I never knew you hated me this much. If you really can't stand me, I'll leave. I'll walk out of the Lancaster family, leave Liberty City, disappear from your life, okay? Just… don't keep fighting with Mom and Dad because of me. The Lancasters will always be your home. Yours alone." Claudia snorted. "Heh. If you really wanted to disappear, you would've done it ages ago." "Watch your mouth!" Wilson roared. "The only reason Lydia is in this family is because of you. What right do you have to drive her out?" Claudia's lips pressed tight. The words she wanted to throw back rose in her throat, hot and cruel—but she couldn't say them. Because she knew. Lydia's mother had died for her. That truth had chained her for over a decade—cost her her parents, her brothers, her home, her future. She was guilty. She was the one who had to bow her head and pay. Zane came running back with the medicine and shot her a look full of disgust. "If anyone needs to go, it's you. Having a sister like you is shameful. Before, you were just spoiled. Now you're a criminal." Clarence's voice went cold. "Claudia, apologize to Lydia." Claudia drew a steady breath. "I'm not confessing to something I didn't do." Wilson's rage flared again. He raised his hand—but this time, Claudia slipped out of reach. She turned to Lottie and Jasper, both silent. "You two think I did it too?" Nothing. Not a single word. Claudia's smile turned brittle. "Got it." She pulled out her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. Facing them, she said evenly, "Even if I were guilty, the law decides that—not your baseless verdicts. I'm not taking the fall." The Lancasters froze. That ungrateful girl—she'd called the cops. Wilson sank onto the sofa, panting with fury. Behind her ice pack, Lydia's face flickered with panic. "Family business shouldn't be aired in public," Wilson snapped. "Lydia has already forgiven you—she didn't want to make things worse. But since you insist—fine. Then live with the consequences." Clarence hesitated, then said coldly, "If you're convicted, the Lancasters won't bail you out. Think about that." Even now, none of them thought they were wronging her. They all figured she was bluffing—just bold because she thought they had no proof. Arrogant. Infuriating. Somewhere in each of them was the same thought: If we can't teach her a lesson, the police will. Only Jasper stepped forward, catching Claudia's wrist. "Claudia, apologize to Lydia. As long as she doesn't press charges, this ends here." Zane piled on. "Yeah, you slapped her twice for no reason. Just apologize already." Claudia let out a low, cutting laugh. "Those two slaps? One paid back Dad's that I took on her behalf. The other was for the thugs she hired to come after me last night. Cause and effect—both of them. Why should I apologize?" Lottie's eyes filled with disappointment. "The driver already confessed, and now you're accusing your cousin of hiring thugs? Claudia, you're the one wronging her. She lost her mother because of you. No one expects you to treat her like a saint, but the least you could do is stop repaying kindness with cruelty. You've gone too far, for too long." No one asked where Claudia had been last night. No one asked if she was hurt. You can't reason with people who refuse to see. Claudia's laugh came out hollow. “Right. Of course. What else can I say? I'm exactly the ungrateful villain you've all called me for years. And now you think you've finally seen the real me?" Seeing her about to clash with their parents again, Jasper stepped in—gentle, but firm. "Claudia, if this is about me, I swear—there's nothing between Lydia and me. Please don't gamble your future over this. Just apologize, and it's over." The driver had claimed he needed money for a sick relative. Everyone decided Claudia had acted out of jealousy—thought Lydia was a threat, and did something reckless. Jasper and Claudia had grown up together, dated officially for three years. Their engagement had been postponed again and again—yes, partly because of Lydia, but not in the way Claudia thought. She used to be kind, pure, gentle. Why couldn't she see reason now? Why fight Lydia at every turn? Claudia looked at the man who, on paper, was her boyfriend—the man who used to stand in front of her, shield her from the world. How many times had he picked the other side now? "No." Her voice didn't waver. "If you want to brand me as someone who paid to hurt a person, I'm not swallowing it." Because Claudia refused to bow, the very next day, she was hauled back to the station—this time, with the whole family in tow.