Chapter 4

I glanced at the students gathered around to watch the drama, my tone calm:

"She's the one who ran into me."

Rafael frowned:

"Come on, what's the point of making excuses?"

"Did she sprain her own ankle just to frame you?"

His voice dripped with sarcasm.

I glanced at Giuliana's aggrieved face and said flatly:

"Yeah, because she knew someone would come running over like a dog to defend her without asking any questions."

The hallway fell silent for a moment.

Giuliana looked up with grievance, sobbing softly:

"Claudia, I know you don't like me, but how can you insult Rafael like that?"

"He was just trying to speak up for me..."

Rafael clenched his fists, knuckles white with restraint.

"Claudia, do you have to be this unreasonable?"

"Looks like these past few days haven't taught you where you went wrong."

I cut him off abruptly:

"If you think I'm being unreasonable, then don't associate with me anymore."

"I'll tell my parents when I get home. You'd better prepare yourself mentally."

[There she goes again, using her family's power to control me whenever she loses her temper.]

[Ha, it's all an act. If I give her the cold shoulder for a few days, she'll come crawling back like always.]

[Once she cools down in a couple days, I'll make her apologize to Giuliana.]

His inner voice laid out all his thoughts crystal clear.

"Do whatever you want. I don't care."

After a long pause, Rafael coldly dropped that single sentence.

Then he bent down, slipped one arm under Giuliana's knees, and lifted her into his arms.

"Bear with the pain. I'll take you to the nurse's office." He looked down at her, his voice gentle.

Giuliana rested against his shoulder, tears still streaking her face.

But the corners of her lips curled upward, and the look she gave me carried a hint of provocation.

I ignored them and turned toward the classroom.

My father finished handling overseas business and returned home that evening.

The study door closed. He sat behind the desk and casually tossed a stack of documents onto the table.

"Take a look. The Harrington family submitted these."

"That project on the east side of town—Rafael's father has approached me several times, but I've held off on making a decision."

"Claudia, what do you think?"

I understood my father's attitude toward the Harrington family.

All these years, Harrington Industries had relied on Walker Corporation's resources and connections to gradually establish a foothold in the business world.

My father had always been straightforward and forthright. He despised the Harrington family's calculating shrewdness.

In the past, I'd been infatuated with Rafael. Out of love for me, my father kept investing in and handing projects to the Harrington family.

After all, back then, my father genuinely considered Rafael a future son-in-law.

But after hearing about recent events, he'd clearly lost the patience to maintain that relationship.

I looked at him calmly:

"Dad, I was foolish before, but I've figured things out now."

"Our partnership with the Harrington family ends here."

He smiled faintly and pushed the stack of project proposals aside:

"Alright, then we'll do as you say."

"But I want you to remember—you're my precious daughter, the future heir to this company."

"Claudia, you don't need to bow your head to anyone."