Aaron's face drained of color, a mix of embarrassment and bitterness washing over him. He hadn't given much thought when he and the others had discussed Simone. However, after hearing the recording, their words were laid bare for all to see. Suddenly, seeing the situation from an outsider's perspective, he realized their behavior had been excessive. In front of the gathered crowd and the live audience, he turned to her and said, "I'm sorry. We crossed a line before, and for that, I apologize. We took Jodie's word for it without verifying the facts and accused you. It was our mistake, and for that, I apologize." Simone regarded him coldly and responded, "I reject." To reject an apology was to withhold forgiveness, so she continued, "If causing harm could be resolved with a mere apology, wouldn't that be a farce?" Zac chimed in, "Exactly. What good is an apology now? Simone is done with all of you attention-seekers. She doesn't need your apology." She nodded. "Precisely." In her past life, she might have craved an apology, but in this life, she neither needed nor cared for it. She never expected that, after all the twists and turns, her loved ones and ex would fail to understand. Only Zac understood her and saw through her true feelings. Her gaze fell on the man, her eyes softening with warmth and a hint of a smile. Meanwhile, Leon had been fixated on Simone since she played the recording. After hearing the recording, his heart ached. He had no idea she had been subjected to such treatment in the Gray Family. She had never spoken ill of her family in front of him or complained. Who would have thought that the reality would be so unbearable? He blamed himself even more for not inquiring about these matters more often. Instead, swayed by his mother's words, he had lost his love and care for her. What had he been doing all those days? No wonder Simone knew about his secret meetings with Jodie and wanted to break up after helping Jodie with the variety show. He deserved it. He had let the girl he had protected for so many years suffer so much. Moreover, he was also one of the people who had hurt her. His heart now felt like it was being pierced by countless needles, causing him pain, especially when he saw Simone being questioned by Andrew, and Zac immediately stepping forward to shield her. He also remembered every episode of the show before. Aaron and Luca had questioned Simone, but Zac had instantly come out to protect her, disregarding his public image or popularity with the audience. What had he himself done? Before coming to Cebros, he would always be there for her whenever she needed help. But since he arrived here, he had been influenced by others and learned to ignore her. He had become the kind of person he used to despise. Then, he noticed that Simone's gaze toward Zac had a different sparkle than before. It broke his heart even more, knowing that things were moving in a direction he did not want to see. He wanted to say something, but he was at a loss for words. Could he blame Aaron and the others? Although he hadn't gone as far as they did, he had also hurt Simone. So, how could he have the right to blame them? Should he stand up for Simone as Zac did? But Zac had already taken the initiative, and if he stepped forward now, it would seem insincere. Although he didn't want to admit it, he knew Simone didn't need his protection now, even if he offered it. After all, when she needed him before, he was nowhere to be found. What would it mean if he defended her now? He found it laughable. Meanwhile, Aaron was also feeling extremely uncomfortable. Simone, his sister, had rejected their apologies, indicating they had deeply hurt her. She used to be so forgiving and kind to all of them. He pursed his lips and looked at her, saying, "Even though you rejected it, I still want to apologize. I want to make amends for the mistakes I made in the past." Simone immediately shook her head. "No. I don't need this. As long as you don't bother me anymore, I'll be grateful enough." Her words were harsh, but the people around her didn't think she was being unreasonable. Instead, they understood her perfectly. Simone just wanted some peace. Otherwise, why would she sever ties with them? At that point, Aaron felt like his heart was being stabbed. Suddenly, he remembered the cute little girl who used to follow him around, a memory that had become blurry. He composed himself and spoke again, though with some difficulty. "Okay, since this is what you want, I will respect your wishes in the future." Simone didn't need apologies or compensation; she just wanted them to stay away from her. What else could he do? Andrew, standing in front of everyone, didn't know what to say at that moment. Still, he voiced his thoughts, "We're blood-related. Do you need to make such a big deal out of it?" She stared at him directly and said, "Actually, I do. And besides, I'll say it again in front of everyone. I've severed ties with the Gray Family, including you. So, please don't talk to me about being blood-related. It just sounds ironic and ridiculous to me." She couldn't comprehend the thought process of these scoundrels. Just because we're family means you can hurt me all you want without being held accountable? Why should that be the case? Aaron reached out and pulled Andrew aside. "Andrew, please stop saying such foolish things. And stop talking without considering the consequences. The one who was hurt by us is Simone; only her feelings matter the most. Now, you're standing here as the perpetrator, saying such things. I can't even bear to listen to it." Andrew was stubborn enough to spew such words. What Simone hated the most was them using "family" as a weapon against her. Embarrassed to be called out by his younger brother in public, Andrew said, "We didn't mean to hurt her before. Besides, she might've misunderstood us. I thought that since we're family, we could reconcile if she could resolve the misunderstanding with Jo." He truly didn't think he had done anything wrong. "We didn't make a mistake in adopting Jo. It was a decision made by our parents. So, Jo is innocent, too. That's why I wanted Simone not to hold it against her. The conflict between them is not that big of a deal. Will everything be fine if they both take a step back? Jo took the initiative to greet Simone first. Isn't that an attempt to reconcile and make amends? Since Simone didn't respond, I decided to speak up for Jo."