With a black backpack slung over her shoulders, Chloe stepped out the door. The girl still looked pale, but the past cowardly expression was no longer visible on her face. Her peach-blossom eyes were clear and bright.

As she left, she noticed a boy skulking outside the door.

Ten-year-old Nate, the youngest son of Amelia and Jack, had been spoiled by Amelia since childhood, nurturing a domineering and arrogant character in him.

Seeing Chloe, he was initially taken aback by her expressionless face but soon remembered that this was the "poor little girl" he had been bullying. Instantly no longer afraid, he even stuck his tongue out at Chloe, mocking her as usual, "Boo, you poor thing, don't you dare try to take my mother from me, or even think of robbing our Blake family's property!"

Chloe regarded him with a glance. A ten-year-old boy speaking such words was a reflection of the slanderous remarks made by many servants behind the scenes. And this was how Amelia educated her son.

The old Chloe would have swallowed her anger, but the present Chloe would not.

The phrase 'swallow one's anger' was not in her dictionary.

And there were no rules against hitting children either.

She immediately grabbed the toy gun from his hands and pressed it against Nate's forehead.

Although it was a child's toy gun, it was nonetheless loaded with steel pellets. While not life-threatening, they could potentially cause significant injuries with a careless shot.

In her memory, the original host had been injured in the eye by one of Nate's toy gun pellet shot after her college entrance examination, causing visual impairment. However, in Amelia's view, it was but a result of a child's mischievous play.

The original host did not even receive an apology.

After all, Nate was a ten-year-old child; spoiled as he was, he knew that his toy gun could hurt people. That's why he always used it against Chloe.

But Chloe had never dared to complain before, he never thought she would dare to seize his toy.

"Let go! Give it back to me!" Nate is causing a ruckus.

"Shut up!" Chloe speaks coldly, expressionless as he looks at him. "This thing hurts pretty badly when it hits someone. You've never been hit before, have you? Should I test it on you?"

Nate is genuinely scared now, putting on a fierce front: "You...you dare?"

Hearing the commotion outside, Amelia also hurried out, spotting Chloe holding Nate's toy gun against his forehead.

While Nate was clueless, how could Amelia not understand that this toy could injure Nate?

She couldn't believe it. How dare Chloe do such a thing.

Who gave her the audacity? Was it sheer ignorance or fearlessness?

"Chloe! You stop right now!" Amelia shouted.

As she spoke, she wanted to come over and take away the thing in Chloe's hand, but Chloe gently rotated the toy gun in his hand, saying: "Don't move!"

Her movements were swift and deft. Amelia didn't know that only people who are accustomed to handling guns could demonstrate such skillful actions.

Amelia dared not move, fearing that she might actually fire a shot. Now, Nate was shivering with fear and could only cry, "Mom, I want to drive her away, I want to drive her away!"

"She's crazy!"

"I want her dead!"

"You want me dead?" Chloe tilted his head, staring at Nate, and asked.

Amelia's heart was about to break from worry, suppressing her anger: "Chloe, Nate is still a child. How can you, as his sister, be so petty with him? Was he unintentionally rude to you? Quickly put this thing down, if you accidentally hurt Nate... He's your little brother, wouldn't your heart ache?"

"A child?"

Chloe found it amusing.

Thirteen years ago, when Amelia dumped and neglected the original owner, didn't she consider that she was just a child then?

After the original owner came to the Blake family, she was bullied by Nate, didn't she realize that she was still her child?

"Your son is ignorant. How about I, as his sister, help you teach him a lesson?"

With that, she was ready to pull the trigger of the toy gun.

"Bang!"

"No!"

"Wah!"

A woman's scream and a child's cry rang out at the same time in the villa.

Nate was so scared that he covered his head and cried.

The marble hit Nate's foot. It hurt, but it wasn't serious enough to cause injury.

"Heh!"

Chloe sneered, tossing the toy gun from her hand away.

"Just a scare, and yet you're this frightened?"

She raised her hand and playfully slapped Nate's chubby cheek, "If you're so scared, remember to clean up this thing properly. Next time you use it to hit someone, it'll ruin your hand."

Nate was still in shock, shaking as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Her mother, Amelia reactively dashed over, "Chloe! Have you had enough?!"

Firmly hugging her son, she watched Chloe fiercely, "What else do you want? The whole house is disturbed as soon you wake up!"

Chloe, too lazy to pay attention to her, headed straight down the stairs.

Just at the moment, Jack was coming home from outside. He perhaps heard the commotion inside the house and saw Chloe descending the staircase, causing him to frown, "What's all the fuss about? It's so noisy".

Was he misperceiving or did Chloe seem odd?

Girls of her age usually appeared timid in his presence, bowing their heads and not daring to speak.

But now she stood on the stairs, proud and aloof, like a regal peacock.

It was only a fleeting glance from her, but Jack felt a sense of oppressive intimidation.

Jack collected his thoughts and dismissed them as overthinking. He knew Chloe's health hadn't been great for the past couple of days - apparently, she had accidentally fallen into the swimming pool and caught a fever.

As for this daughter of his wife and her ex-husband, he didn't particularly mind her much. The Blake family was affluent, and more than capable of providing for her.

As long as she didn't do anything to tarnish the reputation of the Blake family in Nancheng, all was well.

Seeing Jack return, to Nate it was like sighting a savior. He stood by the upstairs railing shouting, "Dad! She shot me with a gun!"

Jessica frowned.

"Dad! Can you send her away? I never want to see her again! I, I wish she were dead!”

Jack furrowed his brows, angrily retorting, “Who taught you to talk like that!”

Blake's sister-in-law suddenly appeared from somewhere, gave Chloe a scornful glance, and said, “Sir, it’s not the young master's fault. Miss Chloe is outrageous. She's already an adult, how could she bully our young master? He was just showing some concern for her health, she not only disregarded his kindness but also shot him with a toy gun.”

The sister-in-law is a servant in the house, considered an old member of the Blake family, and quite prestigious.

But she always looked down upon Chloe, this country girl. She always despised her and often covered up for Nate when he would bully her, appeasing many situations.

Standing in front of Jack, Amelia allowed her elegant lady image to resurface, "Chloe, you have to change this temper of yours. Quickly apologize to your brother!"

"I want her to kneel and apologize to me!" Nate shouted ferociously.

Upon hearing sister-in-law's words, Jack frowned at Chloe, "You just recovered from a severe illness, so, apologize to Nate, and we'll let this matter go."

Chloe completely indifferent, retorted, "Just because he said I bullied him, it means I bullied him?"

"Is Miss Chloe going to argue back? I heard and saw it clearly!" Displeased, Sister-in-law chimed in.

Chloe huffed, "I say he pushed me into the pool almost drowning me. Why don’t you believe me?"

"Impossible!" Amelia's face slightly changed, responding immediately, "Nate is such a sweet child, he would never do anything like that. He is your younger brother, how could you slander him like this? Besides, aren't you okay right now?"

Chloe knew it would turn out like this. Certain people, forever disregarding others' words, only believe whatever they want to believe in their minds.

She had nothing to say and headed downstairs with her backpack.

Nate couldn’t swallow this anger, he snatched the toy gun off the ground, aimed at Chloe’s retreating figure, and shot twice.

"Bang--"

Only a muffled groan echoed in the air, followed by...

The sound of something shattering.