After seeing the window with the light on, William Carter's expression instantly turned ashen: "What are they doing in Uncle's room?"

"Second Aunt and the others said they wanted to stay here to take care of me, and that Dad and Mom's room was just fine... I didn't know how to stop her."

She lowered her head, hiding her reddened eyes, not knowing what to say.

She didn't want William Carter to know. If William Carter found out, he would worry about her and get very angry.

But she didn't know what else to do. All she could do was look up at him timidly.

"Uncle and Aunt's room is just fine? Heh..."

William Carter nodded lightly, so angry that he actually laughed. He could almost imagine what kind of expression that fat woman had when she said those words after he left.

It was nothing more than, 'How can we feel at ease with you living alone with so-and-so?' 'You're still so young, how can you manage without someone to take care of you?' 'With Second Aunt and Uncle staying to look after you, you can rest easy'...

A fifteen-year-old girl, losing her parents and then facing this kind of situation—how could she possibly out-argue a scheming old woman?

Besides, Ethan Lane was never good with words, rarely speaking in front of people she wasn't familiar with, so making her speechless was all too easy.

Clever, truly clever! Moving in now, and when it comes time to divide the rooms, there will be an excuse, maybe even a chance to get more money.

If they could trick the little girl into choosing them as her guardians, the whole house might end up being theirs.

And... judging by the sounds, they were probably already rummaging for the property deed?!

Originally, William Carter had thought that if they genuinely wanted to take care of Ethan Lane, he wouldn't mind letting them stay. There was nothing for him to mind, and besides, the Lu family's affairs weren't his to meddle in.

But Uncle had only been gone for two days, his body barely cold, and they were already so eager to split his inheritance, bullying a fifteen-year-old girl like this...

"Do you all think I'm already dead?!"

William Carter's teeth ground out a sound of fury as he muttered under his breath.

Ethan Lane looked up, her small, delicate hand gripping his palm, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Taking a deep breath, William Carter tried hard to calm himself down.

Looking down at her timid gaze, William Carter gently patted her cold little hand. "Go eat first, but remember not to eat my share too."

Ethan Lane shook her head slightly, unwilling to let go of his hand. "Don't fight."

William Carter smiled, bent down, and pinched her cheek. "Don't worry, leave it to me."

Feeling the familiar warmth on her cheek, Ethan Lane nodded gently and let go of his hand.

...

As he was going up the stairs, William Carter turned to look back, seeing Ethan Lane hugging a family bucket, curled up on the sofa, and his heart ached again.

The floor was littered with the random junk those 'relatives' had left behind—sunflower seed shells, tissues, cigarette butts—making it impossible for the cleanliness-loving Ethan Lane to even find a place to stand.

The TV was still playing a boring idol drama. She had clearly watched it many times, but Ethan Lane still turned the volume up high.

Sitting all alone in the living room, watching TV by herself.

After losing her parents, the family of three was now just her alone.

It was precisely because of this that William Carter was unwilling to give up.

He remembered the smile on Ethan Lane's face the first time she met him, the pleading look in her eyes every summer when she secretly asked him to help with her homework, and the mischievous way she would sneak his chicken drumstick behind her parents' backs.

That's why he didn't want to see her looking so lonely again. That kind of expression was far too heavy for a fifteen-year-old girl.

Sensing William Carter's gaze, Ethan Lane on the sofa turned to look at the silent William Carter behind her.

Seeing her puzzled eyes, William Carter forced a smile and waved to reassure her. Only after she turned back did he reveal a gloomy and angry expression.

As if sensing the anger in his heart, that fleeting azure blue once again flashed in his pupils.

Walking silently up the stairs, he could hear the sounds of rummaging coming from upstairs. He clenched his fists in anger, his knuckles cracking.

"Mr. Smith, look at this foundation, it's really good. I've never seen it in the mall before."

Even from far away, he could hear the fat woman's excited voice: "You should learn from my cousin. He's so generous to his wife. I heard he even brought this back from Russia..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sudden 'knocking' interrupted her excited chatter, but the sound was less like knocking and more like someone trying to break down the door with a hammer.

The rummaging inside stopped abruptly, and soon the fat woman's voice rang out, full of disgust: "Who is it? It's so late."

Everyone knew she was just asking for show. Everyone knew Ethan Lane would never knock like that.

The door finally opened, and the light from inside spilled out, illuminating the dark hallway.

The door was only opened a crack, and half of an old face caked with foundation appeared, speaking with obvious disgust: "It's so late, what do you want?"