Too Late，Guardian: I’m His Now

I was fifteen when the Don of the Volkov family, Hudson Volkov, took me in. To the world, Hudson was a cold-blooded wolf. But with me, he was gentle. Patient. He was my guardian, and the man I’d loved for ten years. I dreamed of being his woman. It took me taking three bullets meant for him for the old man to finally give his blessing. But while I was recovering, Hudson announced he was marrying Bianca, the daughter of a man who’d saved his life. Last time, I threw a fit. I cried and screamed until Hudson gave in. He promised he’d marry me and leave Bianca. But on our wedding day, Bianca was snatched. She called Hudson for help, over and over, but he was at the altar with me. He never picked up. She died. Hudson was torn apart by guilt, and he blamed me. "If it wasn't for your selfish jealousy, Bianca would still be alive!" I open my eyes, and I'm back. It's the day of their engagement party. This time, I just smile. "Congratulations on your wedding, Uncle Hudson." I decided to let him go. To stop fighting for him. Chapter 1 The moment I walk into the engagement party, every eye is on me. They all know what to expect. I know what they're thinking: She's here to burn the place down. After all, everyone in New York knows the girl the Volkov Don adopted is head over heels for him. Even Hudson steps in front of Bianca, his voice a low warning. "Liriel. Don't make a scene." But I'm about to disappoint them all. I just flash my brightest smile, my voice dripping honey. "I'm just here to wish Uncle Hudson a happy wedding." "I was young and foolish. To make up for it, I even brought you two an engagement gift." Hudson's brow furrowed. Ever since I came of age, I’d been so blatant about my feelings that I’d stopped calling him Uncle Hudson, using only his first name. It had been a long time since he’d heard me call him that. I turn and snap my fingers. My bodyguards immediately bring forward several velvet trays. "A little something for Bianca," I say, pulling back the red cloth. Piles of flawless diamonds and gems glitter under the crystal chandeliers, blinding everyone. "Wishing you a long and happy life together," I say with a grin. Just then, a strange, transparent line of text floats across my vision. 【OMG NOOO! You're his endgame! Hudson's just paying off a debt, he doesn't love Bianca!】 【Bianca is the long-lost daughter of one of the family's capos. The old man saved Hudson's life, so he's marrying her to protect her and help her get on her feet in New York. He's gonna dump her in a month, after she turns 25 and gets her inheritance.】 【Don't be fooled by his stone face, his heart is breaking! He's cold to you because he's pissed the bodyguards let you run around before your wounds healed. When you got shot, you were bleeding out, and he damn near drained himself giving you blood! My God, how could he not love the girl he raised!】 The words swarm in front of my eyes, but I force down the ache in my chest and pretend not to see them. I look at Hudson, trying to seem casual, and hold out my right hand. "Since you're getting married, I'd like back what I gave you." Hudson frowned. "What?" "The sapphire ring. The one I designed and gave you for my 18th birthday." The room went dead silent. It wasn't just a ring. It was my declaration. I had given it to him at a Family dinner, in front of everyone, telling him it was my heart. I had announced to the world that the ring was my love for him. Hudson had looked exasperated, calling me ridiculous, but he never took it off. And because of that, I always believed he loved me back. Hudson's face was a mask. He didn't speak. "Oh, that ring..." a timid voice broke the silence. Bianca, in a white couture gown, stepped out from behind Hudson like a frightened doe. In her hand was the familiar sapphire ring. "I saw it the other day and thought it was so beautiful, so Hudson gave it to me." Bianca bit her lip, her eyes welling up. "Liriel, please don't be mad at Hudson. I'll give it back." She held her hand out to me. I started to reach for it. Suddenly, Bianca's fingers went limp. The ring clattered onto the marble floor. Then, as if by accident, her stiletto heel took a step forward. Crack. The sharp, slender heel landed squarely on the sapphire. The crack of the shattering gem echoed through the silent hall. That was my heart. My pride. Crushed to dust under her heel. "Oh my God!" Bianca gasped, crouching down. "I'm so sorry, Liriel, I didn't mean to! I'll pick it up for you!" She reached for the sharp fragments. She hissed, jerking her finger back as a bead of blood welled up instantly. "That's enough!" I said, reaching for her. But in the next second, Hudson grabbed my wrist in a death grip. His jaw was tight, his voice harsh. "Liriel. That's enough." "Were you going to hit her? In front of everyone? Over a broken ring?" A broken ring. I stared into his eyes. Maybe he saw the tears gathering there, because his tone softened a fraction. "What's gotten into you..." "You misunderstood." I forced a bitter smile, pulled my hand away, and opened my clutch. I took out a neatly folded white handkerchief and held it out to him. "I was just going to say, it's just a ring. What's broken is broken." "Uncle Hudson, you should probably see to your fiancée's hand." Chapter 2 My unprecedented obedience cracked his cold facade. He didn't take the handkerchief. A flicker of panic he couldn't hide crossed his eyes. "Liriel," he said, his voice softening unconsciously, "your wounds haven't healed. Go back to your room and rest." I looked at him and curved my lips into a small, empty smile. "Of course, Uncle Hudson." I turned, my back ramrod straight, and walked out of the hall under everyone's gaze. It wasn't until I was in the empty garden, the night wind on my face, that I realized I was shaking from head to toe. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, and the tears I'd been holding back finally broke free. "Liriel!" My best friend, Anna, came running after me in her heels. She pulled me into a hug, her voice laced with pain. "Why didn't you fight for him? This isn't you! You know if you make a scene, Hudson will always give in!" I buried my face in her shoulder and closed my eyes, a bitter taste in my mouth. Fight? Last time, egged on by those comments, I crashed the party. I successfully ruined the engagement and got my wish: I married Hudson. I thought I'd finally found happiness. But on our wedding day, Bianca was kidnapped by enemies after her inheritance. She called Hudson again and again, begging for help, but he was at our wedding. He didn't get a single call. She was killed. The ransom was never paid. Hudson was devastated. Consumed by guilt, he started to hate me. "If you hadn't been so selfish and jealous, if you'd let me marry her and protect her, Bianca would still be alive!" He had roared at me, looking at me like I was the enemy. After that, he refused to see me. Not even when I was pregnant with his child. Not even when I had a nervous breakdown, fell down the stairs, and miscarried in a pool of my own blood. He was still cold. "You owed Bianca that." In the end, I took the remains of our unborn child, poured gasoline all over the Volkov estate, and lit a match. The pain of the fire is still seared into my bones. This time, I won't make the same mistake. I'm letting him go. And I'm letting myself go. I wiped my tears and pushed Anna away gently. "I'm fine, Anna. I'm not in love with him anymore." I walked to the second-floor study and knocked on the old Don's door. The old man sat behind his desk. Seeing my pale face, he let out a deep sigh. "My dear child, you've been wronged." I walked to him and dropped to my knees. "Godfather, I heard the Family is considering an alliance with the Thornes in Chicago." I looked up, my gaze steady. "I'll do it. Send me." The old Don was shaken. He sighed, looking at me. "Liriel, Dexter Thorne is a wild card. A different kind of animal. You don't have to do this just to run from Hudson..." "No, I'm serious," I cut him off. "The Volkov Family raised me for ten years. This is the only way I can repay you. And I want a change of scenery. A new start." The old Don was silent for a long time. Finally, he opened a drawer, pulled out a thick file, and handed it to me. "This is the five-hundred-million-dollar trust fund your parents left you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I've added another five hundred million from my personal account. A gift." "Take it. Go to Chicago. Live a good life." I looked at the file, my eyes blurring with tears again. I bowed deeply. "Thank you, Godfather," I choked out. "Thank you for everything these past ten years." "Get up," the old Don said, helping me to my feet. "Godfather, I have one more request," I said, taking a deep breath. "Please, keep the marriage alliance a secret from Hudson. For now." The old Don nodded. "Alright. I promise." I took the file and turned towards the study door. I gripped the handle and pulled it open. In the dim light of the hallway, a tall figure stood silently by the door. My heart skipped a beat. Hudson was leaning against the wall, his tie loosened, a half-smoked cigar between his fingers. Through the haze of smoke, his voice was dark and rough, heavy with a suffocating pressure. "...What are you keeping from me?" Chapter 3 My heart hammered against my ribs. I dug my nails into my palm to keep my composure. Politely, I took a step back, putting distance between us. "Nothing," I said, forcing a perfect smile. "Just planning a wedding surprise for you and Bianca." The hand holding the cigar stilled. He was silent for a beat, then said, "Liriel, it's good that you're thinking clearly. I'm ten years older than you. I'm your guardian. Stop this nonsense about being in love with me. You should be meeting people your own age, not wasting your time on me." The comments appeared again. 【He's so full of shit! He's only saying that because you're pulling away and it's killing him!】 【He just thinks you're too young right now! He's not with you because he's trying to protect you from the gossip!】 【That's right! He just paid a fortune to have New York's best jeweler repair that broken ring! He can't let you go!】 I lowered my eyes, hiding the sarcasm in them. Repair it? What's broken is broken. "Don't worry, Uncle Hudson." I looked up and agreed without a fuss. "I won't bother you anymore." I turned to walk toward my bedroom. My parents had left me property; it was time to pack my bags and move out. But Hudson grabbed my arm. "Liriel, wait." He stared at me. "Have you forgotten what day it is?" I paused. "Ten years ago today, you came to the Volkov family," Hudson said, his gaze softening. "We made a promise. Every year, on this day, our anniversary, I'd grant you any wish." The comments went wild. 【Quick! Tell him you want to be with him!】 【He'd give you his life if you asked! This is your chance!】 I looked at the man I once loved so desperately. "Sorry, Uncle Hudson." I tried to smile, but it didn't reach my eyes. "There's nothing I want. Let's just call off that promise." Hudson was completely stunned. His lips parted, as if to say something. Just then, the sound of frantic footsteps and choked sobs came from the staircase. "Hudson!" Bianca rushed up, soaking wet and a complete mess. Her designer dress clung to her body, her hair was dripping, her makeup was ruined, and she was crying her eyes out. She threw herself into Hudson's arms, trembling. "Hudson... I was in the restroom, and some women cornered me and threw cold water on me..." Bianca sobbed, looking at me with fear in her eyes. "I heard them say... that Liriel sent them! Because I broke the ring, she wanted to teach me a lesson!" Hudson quickly took off his suit jacket and draped it over Bianca's shaking shoulders. When he looked back at me, the shock and confusion in his eyes were gone. All that was left was ice-cold disappointment. "Liriel," his voice was frigid. "I taught you many things, but I never taught you to play these kinds of dirty tricks." My heart felt like it had been ripped open. I tilted my head back, forcing the tears back. "I didn't send anyone," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "That's not my style. When I'm done with someone, I'm done. Why would I scheme to get back something I don't want?" Hudson's expression flickered, a complex emotion in his eyes. But Bianca just cried louder, pulling out a crumpled note. "I don't want to blame Liriel, but they threw this at me..." She handed the note to Hudson. I saw the words: "You gold-digging bitch, get out of the Volkov family. Hudson is mine!" Hudson's face darkened completely. He looked at me, his tone colder than I'd ever heard it. "Liriel, you're a pathological liar! When did you become so manipulative?!" "As your guardian, it's my duty to discipline you in your parents' place!" "Guards! Take her to the cellar. Lock her down for twelve hours! No one gives her food or water without my permission!" Two bodyguards rushed forward. "I said it wasn't me!" I panicked, instinctively trying to get to him to argue. "Get back!" Hudson shoved me by the shoulder. I was caught off guard. My lower back slammed hard into the sharp corner of the wall. "Ugh..." I let out a muffled groan as a tearing pain shot through my waist. I looked down. The gunshot wound, not yet fully healed, had split open. Dark red blood quickly soaked through the bandage, blooming like a horrifying flower on my white dress. But Hudson had already turned away, holding the crying Bianca. A bodyguard beside me panicked and was about to call out to Hudson, but I stopped him. "Let's go," I told the guard. "Take me to the cellar." Ten years of being raised by him. I would pay back the debt, bit by bit. From now on, Hudson and I were even. Chapter 4 The cellar was cold and damp. I was still recovering, and the wound in my back was bleeding. After only three hours, I lost consciousness and fell into a feverish delirium. In the haze, I was fifteen again. My parents were dead, and my relatives were circling like vultures, trying to carve up my inheritance. Then Hudson, twenty-three at the time, appeared like a god. He stood in front of me, his voice steady and strong. "Don't be afraid. I'll always protect you." Burning with fever, I mumbled in my sleep, "Liar... you lied. You don't protect me anymore..." A cool hand gently wiped the tears from my eyes. Hearing my words, the hand froze. A heavy, suppressed sigh echoed in the darkness, and then the sound of footsteps faded away. Two days later, I woke up in my own bed. The blood-stained dress was gone, replaced with something clean and comfortable. The wound on my back had been stitched up again, with no sign it had ever been torn open. 【Don't be sad, Liriel! Hudson cares about you! He canceled a hundred-million-dollar arms deal to rush back and be with you!】 【He hired the best surgeon in New York to give you the finest cosmetic stitches so you won't have a scar!】 I looked at the glowing words, a ridiculous flicker of hope in my heart. Was it really him? Just then, I heard a car engine cut out downstairs. I threw off the covers and, despite my weakness, went downstairs. I had to see him. I had to ask him if he finally believed I hadn't sent those women after Bianca. But as I reached the living room, I was met with a pair of dark, furious eyes. Hudson strode toward me and grabbed my arm. The force was enough to crush bone. "Liriel, how far are you going to take this madness?!" he demanded through gritted teeth. I was stunned. "What are you talking about?" "Still playing dumb?" Hudson sneered. "Don't lie to me. Did you use my name to get Bianca fired from her internship? You had her publicly humiliated, she had a breakdown, and she fell down a flight of stairs!" My face went pale. I shook my head. "I didn't! I don't even know where she works!" "Who else hates her enough to do something like this?!" Hudson wouldn't listen. The injustice of it all ignited my anger. I lifted my chin defiantly, meeting his mocking gaze. "Hudson, you underestimate me," I said, trembling with rage, my nails digging into my palms until they bled. "If I really wanted her gone, I would have run her out of New York so she could never come back. You think I'd waste my time with these childish games?!" The raw determination in my eyes made him hesitate for a second. Just then, his phone rang. It was a voice message from Bianca. He played it in the silent living room. Bianca's weak, pitiful voice filled the air: "Hudson, don't blame Liriel... She's young, she doesn't know better. I was just a little scared, it's not a big deal. It's my fault, really. If I had just agreed to leave when Liriel first told me to, she wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures. It's all my fault..." Her words sealed my "guilt." Hudson's face turned to ice. He looked at me, his eyes filled with nothing but cold disappointment. "Liriel, you've disappointed me more than I can say. You have no remorse." He let go of my arm, his authority as the Don returning. "Since you used the Volkov family's power to ruin Bianca's job, I'm taking away your power to be reckless." He turned to face all the men in the hall, his lips parting to deliver a cold, hard sentence: "Put the word out. From this day on, Liriel has nothing to do with the Volkov Family." Chapter 5 Those words shattered my heart. Nothing to do with the Family... The comments frantically tried to explain it away. 【Don't be sad, Liriel, this is all part of Hudson's plan!】 【He's doing this so he can marry you later without any baggage! Once he severs the adoption ties, no one can use your relationship against you! He's protecting you!】 Protecting me? My heart was a cold, desolate wasteland. They didn't understand. In the New York mafia, losing the protection of the Volkov Family meant one thing. It meant I went from being a princess to a piece of meat for the wolves. The trouble came fast. The next day, I went to the cemetery to visit my parents' graves. As I was leaving, several black SUVs surrounded me. It was the other mafia daughters, the ones who were always jealous, the ones I'd clashed with before. They dragged me into a car and took me to a villa in the suburbs. "Well, well, Liriel. Look how the mighty have fallen." They sneered, grabbing my hair and shoving my head into the freezing outdoor pool, again and again. Water filled my nose, my lungs. The terror of drowning made me struggle wildly. When they finally dragged me out, half-dead, someone threw my phone at my face. "Here's your chance. Call your Uncle Hudson for help," they mocked. "But he's probably busy with his fiancée. No time for a pathetic stray like you." With trembling hands, I dialed the number I knew by heart. Ring... ring... The call was rejected. I gritted my teeth and dialed again. I called countless times. It was rejected countless times. The last shred of hope died in the endless dial tone. I lay on the cold ground, my heart dead. They laughed even harder. "See? The Volkov Family has completely abandoned you." After they'd had their fun and, seeing I was close to death, got scared of having a body on their hands, they kicked me a couple of times and left. I forced myself up on my last ounce of strength and, dragging my soaked body, walked step by step back to the Volkov estate. The butler was horrified when he saw me, bruised and battered. "Miss Liriel! My God, I'll inform the Don at once..." "Don't," I said, my voice weak but firm. He had already announced to the world that I had nothing to do with the Volkovs. Even if he knew, he probably wouldn't care. I walked into the room I had lived in for ten years and started to pack. I threw all the couture dresses, the expensive jewelry, the limited-edition bags, and even the toys from my childhood that Hudson had given me into trash bags. I took nothing. I left with a single small suitcase containing my parents' belongings and the marriage alliance agreement. I walked out of the estate and didn't look back. In the car, I pulled out my phone and saw Bianca's latest Instagram post. It was a perfect nine-photo grid. In the pictures, Hudson had booked out the most exclusive garden restaurant in New York to celebrate her birthday. The caption read: "Thank you for remembering my peanut allergy and even canceling your trip to Miami to stay with me. I'm the happiest girl in the world." The comments were filled with congratulations from Hudson's mafia friends. When Hudson first took me in, they all thought I was a burden and never accepted me. But now, after just a few days, they had all embraced Bianca. I looked at the rare, gentle profile of Hudson in the photo. The tenderness he once reserved only for me was now someone else's. Through a blur of tears, I liked the post. Hudson, this time, you're free. Chapter 6 Half an hour later, the taxi pulled up to a luxury penthouse apartment building by Central Park. It was a gift from my parents for my twelfth birthday. My mother had once gently stroked my hair and told me that no matter how stormy the world got, this place would always be my safe harbor, a place no one could take from me. The moment I opened the door, the familiar scent of sandalwood washed over me. The apartment still held traces of my parents' lives; every piece of furniture gave me a long-lost sense of security. I threw myself onto the sofa, exhausted and hurt, and fell into a deep sleep. For the next few days, I stayed in the apartment, nursing my wounds. I didn't think about Hudson once. Even the annoying comments had gone silent. One day, my friend Anna, seeing I was down, insisted on taking me shopping. She was stunned when she saw me at the coffee shop. I had chopped off the long, waist-length hair I'd kept for years, replacing it with a chic, shoulder-length bob. I'd shed the sophisticated dresses I once wore to seem older for Hudson, now in a simple white t-shirt and jeans. "Liriel, you... what happened to you?" Anna's eyes were red as she touched my hair. I just shrugged and stirred my coffee. "I'm about to be married off to Chicago for the Family. A new look for a new life, right? Time to say goodbye to the past." Anna sighed, her voice a mix of sadness and acceptance. "Alright. Then let's go to that new Michelin three-star restaurant. A celebration of your new life." But as the waiter led us into the lavish restaurant, I saw them: Bianca and Hudson, with an elderly couple, surrounded by a swarm of reporters with cameras. Anna's face went dark. She grabbed my arm to leave, muttering, "Damn it. Lost my appetite." I didn't want to see them either, but before we could get out the door, Hudson called my name. "Liriel?" Bianca immediately came over, holding the elderly couple's arms, and introduced them warmly. "Liriel, what a coincidence. These are my adoptive parents. They were so good to me during the years I was separated from my real parents." "Hudson was worried I'd miss them, so he brought them here and even opened this restaurant for them." Her voice was dripping with smug satisfaction. I looked at her calmly and said flatly, "Congratulations. I hope you all have a nice meal." Bianca's eyes darted around, and she sighed as if by accident. "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you. My adoptive mother has severe asthma and can't stay in the cold guest rooms. Could you... let them have your master bedroom? The big one that faces south?" Anna was shaking with rage, ready to curse Bianca out. I gently held Anna back. Looking at Bianca's challenging face, I smiled magnanimously. "No problem. I won't be using it anyway. They can have the room. They can even throw my stuff out." The smile on Bianca's face froze. She clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily, so calmly. I turned to leave, not caring, but Hudson caught up to me. He looked down at me, his voice gentle. "Liriel, this is just temporary. I know you don't like Bianca. Your parents left you that apartment, right? Why don't you stay there tonight? I'll have someone pack your things and send them over." I looked at his self-righteous expression and almost laughed. He didn't even know I had already moved out of the estate. "No need to trouble yourself, I've already—" "Hudson!" Bianca's voice cut me off. "The reporters are waiting! We need to go do the interview!" Hudson turned his head. As he raised his hand to soothe Bianca, I clearly saw the blinding Cartier wedding band on his ring finger. It was an identical match to the one on Bianca's hand. Of course. The broken ring was already forgotten. A new one was a better fit. I looked away and walked out of the restaurant with Anna, not looking back. In the car on the way home, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Hudson: [What were you going to say?] I stared at the screen, typed "Nothing," and hit send. I could see he was typing for a long time, but no reply ever came. Chapter 7 The next morning, I was jolted awake by Anna's frantic phone call. "Liriel! Turn on the news! Something huge happened!" Anna's voice was panicked. I shot up in bed and opened the news alert on my phone. The headline was stark: [SHOCKING! Restaurant Owned by Volkov Don's Fiancée's Adoptive Father Under Investigation for Severe Food Poisoning!] But when I clicked on the article, my blood ran cold. Where a photo of Bianca's adoptive father should have been, there was a crystal-clear picture of my dead parents. I immediately called the media outlet and demanded they change the photo. The editor hemmed and hawed, refusing, until I threatened to call the police. Only then did he spill the truth: "The Volkov Don provided the photos himself!" My mind went blank. Without even changing, I stumbled out of the apartment and hailed a cab straight to Hudson's corporate headquarters. I had to ask him to his face. Why would he do this? When I reached the door to the CEO's office, it was slightly ajar. I was about to push it open when I heard the angry, confused voice of his second-in-command, Dimitri. "Boss! Why would you use a photo of Miss Liriel's parents to take the fall?! They're dead!" Hudson's tired, cold voice came through the door. "Because the person behind this is Liriel." "She 'ran into us' at the restaurant yesterday, pretended to be generous and give up her room. Two hours later, there's a massive food poisoning incident. Bianca's adoptive parents are simple people. They'd never use bad ingredients." Hudson let out a cold laugh. "Liriel is incorrigible. She's jealous of Bianca, so she framed her parents. If she's going to pull stunts like this, she needs to learn there are consequences." Every word was a needle, stabbing into my chest. The love I once had for him was now the only evidence he needed to condemn me. I stood outside the door, my hand clamped over my mouth to stifle any sound. I finally understood. Hudson had never trusted me. In his heart, he had already decided I was a wicked woman. Ten years of devotion, all for a ridiculous, one-sided mistake. I turned and left in a daze, without ever opening that door. When I got back to my apartment, the sight that greeted me sent me spiraling. My address had been leaked online by angry mobs. The front door was splattered with bright red paint, the lock broken. I rushed inside to find the walls covered in graffiti: "MURDERER," "VICIOUS BITCH." The antique furniture my parents had left me was smashed to pieces. And the one and only family photo I had treasured for ten years was slashed to ribbons, floating in the filthy water of the toilet. This was my last safe harbor. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I just silently packed what little I had left, called a cleaning service, and then contacted a real estate agent to sell the ravaged apartment at a low price. After all that was done, I took a cab to the airport. Sitting in the departure lounge, with ten minutes until boarding, I took out my laptop. I sent the evidence I had spent a fortune to dig up overnight—the real list of substandard ingredients from Bianca's adoptive father's restaurant, along with my parents' death certificates from ten years ago—to every social media platform on the internet. I tagged the Volkov Group and Hudson's personal account. The caption was a single, sharp sentence: "Hey, Godfather. Care to explain how dead people crawl out of their graves to open a restaurant? Maybe the signature on this invoice will give you and your fiancée the answer you're looking for." Less than five minutes after I sent the proof, news sites exploded. My phone started ringing off the hook. Chapter 8 A sarcastic smile touched my lips, but my heart was a desolate wasteland. That invoice was easy enough to find. If Hudson had even a shred of trust in me, the truth would have come out long ago. The airport announcer called for boarding. I lowered my eyes, turned off my phone, snapped the SIM card in half, and tossed it in the trash. From now on, none of this was my problem. ... (Hudson's POV) An hour earlier. Volkov Group, top-floor office. "...But I still don't think Miss Liriel would pull a stunt like this." Hudson's second-in-command, Dimitri, said with a frown. "Do you remember when she was sixteen, transferred schools, and got ostracized?" Hudson, leaning back on the sofa, narrowed his deep-set eyes at the question. "What's your point?" His voice was low, but a flicker of unease he didn't recognize stirred within him. "When she transferred, all the kids at the new school shut her out. But she didn't throw the Don's name around to get respect, and she didn't wallow in self-pity. She couldn't be bothered to suck up to them. Instead, after a month of being alone, she proved herself with a straight-A report card. Then, she collected testimony from every student who had been bullied by those cliques and reported them directly to the school board." Dimitri brought up the old story, his voice full of regret. "I've been by the Don's side a long time. We basically watched her grow up. Boss, with all due respect... you've been coming down on her way too hard lately." Hudson's heart skipped a beat. Only now did he realize that he had been constantly punishing Liriel for Bianca's sake. "That's because she was taking my indulgence for granted, getting arrogant! I can't let Bianca be bullied under my nose!" The tapping of his fingers on the armrest grew erratic. Hudson's brow furrowed, his deep voice laced with a hint of panic. "After all, with her personality—" But as the criticism left his lips, he suddenly realized something. The world was always saying that Liriel had grown arrogant under his protection. Over time, he had started to believe it himself. But now, he couldn't think of a single truly bad thing Liriel had ever done. "But Miss Liriel... she's never actually done anything wrong." Dimitri's voice was quiet. Seeing Hudson wasn't angry, he found his courage and continued. "The media writes about her that way because the paparazzi always use your scandals for headlines. Miss Liriel sees it, feels bad for you, and calls to complain. But for years, everyone in the Family has known she's a good, obedient kid. She's bold, sure, but that's because you and the old Don truly loved her and raised her to be a confident, shining star in New York. But she also secretly funds community centers in poor neighborhoods..." The expression on Hudson's face slowly grew complex. He glanced at Dimitri and asked in a low voice, "You two are close?" Dimitri's ears turned a little red. "Miss Liriel is very generous. She always brings us coffee and pastries when she comes to see you..." Then Dimitri realized something. He looked at Hudson, his expression serious. "All this time, all these incidents of Liriel bullying Bianca... is there any concrete proof? Or is it... just Bianca's side of the story?" The words hung in the air. The room was dead silent. The color drained from Hudson's face.