’Oh well. Knowing Clara, pushing her too hard would only make her push back even harder. It’s probably for the best that we both cool down. Once her anger fades, things will go back to normal.’

...

Clara Grant ran out of Seth Quinn’s apartment. Hearing the door close behind her, she stopped on some strange impulse. She turned and stared blankly at the closed door for a long time. It wasn’t until someone stepped out of the elevator and walked past that she snapped back to her senses and rushed toward it.

The moment she was inside the elevator and the doors had shut, Clara Grant’s tears began to fall again. ’Just then, for a split second, I was actually hoping Seth Quinn would chase after me, grab my arm, and tell me not to leave!’

But Seth Quinn hadn’t chased her.

’That’s right. Why would he chase after me? And even if he had, what would change? We’re just going to end up as strangers anyway!’

...

When a listless Autumn Shelby returned home, Evan Shelby, Yvette Zimmerman, and Cherie Rhodes were all there. The moment Evan Shelby saw her, his eyes locked onto her, as if trying to read something from her face.

Yvette Zimmerman, on the other hand, immediately rose and went to her daughter’s side, taking her by the arm for support.

But despite her concern for her daughter’s health, her first question was about her attempt to find Seth Quinn.

"Autumn, how did it go? Did you find Seth Quinn? What did he say?"

Autumn Shelby was already annoyed by Seth Quinn’s indifference, and even more so by the fact that he’d abandoned her to chase after Clara Grant. Her mother’s question was the last straw, and she snapped. "Ugh, can you just stop asking?"

"Autumn, I’m just concerned about you. You..." Yvette Zimmerman’s voice was much softer now, as if she was afraid that speaking any louder would only irritate her daughter more.

But even with such caution, she still managed to upset Autumn Shelby, who flung off Yvette Zimmerman’s hand and raised her voice sharply.

"Concerned? Ask yourself, are you really concerned about *me*? Or are you just concerned about whether Seth Quinn and I will rekindle our old flame? Whether I might become the young mistress of the Quinn Family again? Whether the Shelby Family can once again latch onto the great tree that is the Quinn Family?"

"Autumn, you..." Faced with her daughter’s accusations, Yvette Zimmerman was stunned for a moment, at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Cherie Rhodes, who had been standing to the side, hurried forward. She took Autumn Shelby’s other arm and said to Yvette Zimmerman, "Yvette, please don’t press Autumn right now. She still hasn’t fully recovered and shouldn’t get agitated. Why don’t we let her go upstairs to rest first?"

Cherie Rhodes was only trying to diffuse the tension, but in the next second, Autumn Shelby turned on her.

Autumn flung Cherie Rhodes’s hand off and sneered, "Are you trying to mock me? Who the hell do you think you are? You’re nothing but a shameless, unofficial mutt who’s brazenly living in our house. How dare you lecture me!"

"Autumn, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just worried about your health," Cherie Rhodes explained, looking terrified and wringing her hands nervously.

Autumn Shelby shot her a disdainful look. "Hmph. As if I need your concern! If you’ve got time to worry, go worry about that lowly daughter of yours!"

"That’s enough!" Evan Shelby, who had been silent until now, was clearly angered by what she had just said to Cherie Rhodes.

’Even if Cherie Rhodes’s status in the family was low and awkward, Sarah Shelby was his daughter—just as much as Autumn was. For Autumn to openly call Sarah ’lowly,’ wasn’t she insulting him as well?’