Listening to Susie's shrill voice, John could no longer contain his fury. With a thunderous bang, he slammed his palm against the table and bellowed, "Unbelievable! It's just selling a house! How dare you raise your voice at me?" His roar sent a jolt through everyone in the room. Still seething, John continued, "The family is in crisis! You're all adults now, shouldn't you be making sacrifices for your own household? If we lose this house, can't we just rent another?" Among the Gray sisters, Susie had always been the most defiant. Without missing a beat, she shot back, "Then why don't you have Zac contribute? He has more than enough money!" Smack! The instant Susie's words fell, John sprang to his feet and struck her across the face hard. A glaring red imprint instantly surfaced on Susie's cheek. Everyone stood frozen, stunned into silence by the sudden act of violence. They rushed to her side. Raelynn's heart clenched at the sight of Susie's swelling face, and tears brimmed in her eyes. In disbelief, she demanded, "John! Have you lost your mind? How could you actually hit Susie?" Susie cupped her burning cheek, too stunned to react. She couldn't believe that John had struck her. All because she had suggested that Zac contribute to the Gray family, so Julie and Rosie wouldn't have to sell their home. Her dad had hit her for that. He had never laid a hand on her before, not once, not even when she was a child. Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed at John, disbelief etched into her face. John realized his reaction had been rash too. But as the head of the Gray family, apologizing was out of the question. Retracting his hand, he spoke coldly, "Zac's money is off-limits. No one is to touch it." Zac's eyes flickered. He hadn't expected John to protect him so fiercely, even going so far as to strike Susie. In the Gray family, aside from himself, John had always doted on Susie the most. Had she not been so loyal to him since childhood, helping him with countless matters, Zac would have long since worked to drive a wedge between her and the rest of the family. It took Susie a long moment to snap out of her daze. Still seething, she shouted, "Why? We've already sold everything! Julie and Rosie's houses are gone, and now you want to sell the last one too? We've spoiled Zac for years, given him everything, and now, when we're struggling, he won't even lift a finger to help? We've poured money into him! His accounts are overflowing! He owns so many properties! If he helped, at least we'd have some breathing room! Dad, how can you be so blatantly biased?" Her furious accusations made John's face darken. Any fleeting remorse he had felt for striking her vanished in an instant. Susie was about to continue when John cut her off. "Enough! Zac is an orphan! If he gives away everything he has, how will he ever feel secure? How will he survive in the future?" "Secure?" Susie let out a cold laugh, as if she had just heard the most absurd joke in the world. Clutching her swollen cheek, she retorted, "He doesn't feel secure? He owns countless properties! How could he possibly lack security? Meanwhile, we have nothing left. Dad, does our security not matter to you?" John stiffened. As the head of the family, he was used to having his decisions go unquestioned. Aside from that rebellious son, Arthur, no one in the family had ever dared to challenge him like this. His voice turned rigid. "You are not the same as Zac." "And why not?" Susie's fury boiled over, stripping away her last shred of restraint. She shrieked, "Just because he's your illegitimate son?" The words sent a chilling silence through the entire room and beyond. Even the hallway outside fell eerily still. Everyone turned to Susie in shock. Smack! John, unable to suppress his rage any longer, struck her again. This time, he didn't hold back. The sheer force of the blow sent Susie stumbling backward, crashing onto the floor. John didn't even stop to consider whether he had gone too far. Pointing at her crumpled figure, he roared, "Susie! Who gave you the audacity to spout such filth?" He had completely lost control. The words "illegitimate son" sliced through him like a blade, igniting an uncontrollable fury. His voice thundered through the room. "Zac is my son! He is my rightful son! He is not an illegitimate child! He is not!" Everyone was too stunned to move. John's furious outburst echoed through the hospital halls, turning heads even from a distance. Raelynn and the others scrambled to Susie's side in panic. "Susie! Susie, are you alright? Say something!" Raelynn's voice trembled with anguish. She couldn't let her precious daughter suffer such a ruthless beating. Julie and Rosie crouched beside Susie, their hands shaking uncontrollably.