Nattalie Huang stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor.
Her expression was unreadable, her tone cold.
"Do whatever you want," she said flatly. "Because I'll do the same."
Without another glance, she turned to leave.
The room fell silent, disappointment thick in the air — until a voice broke it.
"You're not going to ask me why I'm here?"
David Huang's voice carried both irritation and hurt.
When Nattalie looked back, his eyes were sharp — wounded, even.
Norte Huang, clearly entertained by his younger sister's ability to distinguish between family and annoyance, tossed a random object at David without hesitation — a plastic bottle, light enough not to hurt but accurate enough to make a point.
"Ow! Hey!" David yelped, clutching his head. "What's wrong with you?! You trying to give me a concussion?!"
Norte rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "Please. Your brain's thinner than a thread. A plastic bottle wouldn't even make a dent. Maybe if it were glass…"
David stared, wide-eyed. "So you actually wanted to hit me with glass?!"
Norte ignored him completely, muttering under his breath,
"Wouldn't make much difference. His brain's already scrambled."
Vincent, who was standing nearby, raised a brow — clearly having heard every word. Norte simply turned away, pretending not to notice.
Meanwhile, Nattalie paused halfway up the stairs and tilted her head.
"Oh? You want me to ask?" she said, feigning innocence.
David blinked. Was she mocking him, or genuinely asking? He honestly couldn't tell.
Still, he nodded slowly. "Yes. If you're curious, that is."
"I'm not," Nattalie replied coolly, not even hesitating.
Laughter erupted around the room.
David's face turned red.
"Nattalie Huang!" he bellowed, furious now. "How dare you speak to your brother like that?!"
But she was already halfway up the stairs.
Without looking back, she waved dismissively, the picture of calm defiance.
David fumed. The others exchanged weary glances — the kind that came from years of surviving identical family storms.
A long sigh rippled through the room.
Norte folded his arms, his expression thoughtful. "So what now? Are we just going to let Lilie keep acting like this?"
No one answered immediately.
Lilian's voice trembled as she finally spoke.
"I can't bear to see our daughter like this… her fate has been so cruel."
Vincent nodded solemnly. "I agree with Mother. But will she be alright, Father? I just—" his voice faltered, "I just hope what happened that day never happens again."
Nakulla Huang's face darkened. The memory was still fresh, still sharp.
He could only sigh heavily.
"I don't know, Vincent. I wish I could promise you that. But all we can do is hope things don't repeat themselves."
David Huang spoke again, frustration lacing his tone. "That's not the point! The real issue here is her request."
Vincent shot him a warning look. "Watch how you talk. She's your sister, not some stranger. Don't call her 'that girl.'"
David raised his brows and grinned without humor. "Fine. My dear sister, Lilie," he said mockingly. "But tell me—what are we supposed to do when she suddenly decides she wants to be an actress? To hide her real identity and live under a stage name?"
Lilian frowned but spoke firmly. "That's not sudden. It's her passion, David. Ever since she was little, she's loved the spotlight—the admiration, the stage. Acting and modeling have always made her happy."
David threw up his hands. "Happy? It's madness! After what happened that day, she still wants to risk everything? Has she forgotten how close we came to disaster during her graduation ceremony?! Father nearly had to erase half the city's memory!"
Nakulla pressed his fingers to his temple, exhaustion etched into every line of his face.
"Enough, David," he said quietly. "I'll talk to her. I'll make her understand."
The family seemed to relax at that — if only slightly.
Everyone knew that Nattalie listened to her father more than anyone.
Maybe she could be persuaded.
Or maybe… this time, not even her father's words would be enough.