Watching Melody’s retreating back, Zara stomped her foot in anger!

She was fuming with pent-up anger and had nowhere to vent it, especially since Melody was already long gone.

So she could only turn and jab her sharp nails into Yuri Walsh’s chest, her expression full of discontent. "Didn’t you hear what she said about me just now?! Why didn’t you stick up for me?! You just stood there and watched her humiliate me?! Are you even my brother?!"

Yuri felt helpless in the face of Zara’s barrage of questions.

He pushed her hand away from his chest and asked, perplexed, "Weren’t you the one who provoked her first? Sis, what’s your problem with her? I really don’t get why you’re always targeting her."

As far as Yuri was concerned, his sister, Zara, had always been an elegant and independent modern woman who was friendly with most people.

Yuri just couldn’t understand why Zara’s attitude became so hostile whenever she saw Melody, or why she always had to make things so ugly.

Ever since they parted on bad terms at the banquet at The Nimbus Hotel, Yuri had sent Melody several apologetic messages, but her replies had been lukewarm at best.

Yuri had also tried to ask Melody out to dinner, hoping to apologize in person, but she had flatly rejected all his invitations.

Yuri could feel Melody growing more distant, and he felt it was all because of Zara.

Zara went after Melody every time they met, and Melody was the type to dislike someone by association. So, as Zara’s brother, he was being dragged down with her.

This deeply frustrated Yuri.

He didn’t want Melody to hate him, but he didn’t know how to stop Zara from continuing to give her a hard time.

Zara snorted. Her face darkened as she answered, "You’re still asking me why? Let me tell you, girls like that, who think they can use their pretty faces to marry out of their class, are absolutely no good!"

In Zara’s worldview, women were divided into different classes. Only those at the very top of the pyramid were worthy of being her friends—or her rivals.

Whether it was Melody Summers or Joanne White, they were both women from the bottom of the pyramid—troublemakers trying to use their looks to climb the social ladder!

In Zara’s eyes, their very existence was a sin!

Zara felt that if the world were a novel, she would undoubtedly be the high-born female lead, and Zane Simmons would be her male lead.

Therefore, Zane Simmons should marry her, followed by the classic story of a reformed playboy and a love that blossoms after marriage.

And women like Melody Summers and Joanne White could only ever be the wicked side characters who try to seduce the male lead!

At this thought, Zara snorted again. "That damn girl. At the banquet, she put on that whole ’above it all’ act, saying she wasn’t interested in getting married and mocking me and our aunt for wanting to. I can’t believe she found a boyfriend so quickly!"

Hearing Zara’s words, Yuri’s expression dimmed, and he couldn’t suppress a pang of disappointment.

Yuri was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, handsome and exceptionally capable. In his past relationships, girls had always been the ones to pursue him. This was the first time he’d ever wanted to be the one to pursue a girl.

Unfortunately, Melody seemed completely oblivious to his hints, and he had no idea how to get through to her.

He never imagined that in just a few short days, Melody would already have a boyfriend...

Zara sized Yuri up. Noticing his strange expression, she asked warily, "What’s wrong with you? Why that look? Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for that girl, have you?!"

Yuri’s brow twitched at her words. He turned slightly, awkwardly averting his gaze from Zara’s scrutiny.

Zara knew her brother better than anyone. Seeing his reaction, there was nothing left to misunderstand.

She was suddenly both shocked and furious. "Yuri!" she yelled. "What is wrong with you? You’ve really fallen for that damn girl?! Didn’t you promise just a couple of days ago that you’d go on the blind dates our aunt arranged for you?"

Yuri frowned. He had indeed agreed to meet the girls Kylie had introduced, but only to get his family to stop nagging him. It didn’t mean he had any intention of getting involved with them.

Not wanting to argue with Zara any further, Yuri just said, "You’re reading too much into it. It’s nothing."

Then he turned and walked into the villa.

Zara stood rooted to the spot, skeptical. As she watched Yuri’s retreating back, her expression grew increasingly grim, as if a storm were brewing inside her...

******

After hanging up with Winnie Summers, Melody and Ian Summers rushed over. When they reached the 16th floor of Building 4, they saw Sylvia Lancaster standing in front of apartment 1606, pounding relentlessly on the door.

A man and a woman stood behind Sylvia.

The man was Simon Lancaster, while the woman was a middle-aged stranger to Melody, wearing a red down jacket and looking to be around fifty years old.

Melody couldn’t help but frown when she saw Simon Lancaster. ’I remember he was blacklisted from the complex,’ she thought. ’How did he get in?’

’Also, wasn’t Sylvia kicked out of the Lancaster family? Why are the two of them together again?’

’Could it be that since the Hayes family fell, Sylvia has gone back to the Lancasters?’

While Melody was lost in thought, Sylvia pounded hard on the door of 1606 again.

Her voice urgent, she shouted through the door, "Please, open up! This apartment originally belonged to our family! It’s very important to us, and I’m willing to buy it back for the original price!"

"Please open the door! We can discuss this!"

"I’m willing to add twenty thousand on top of what you paid for it!"

"Just open the door!"

But no matter how much Sylvia pleaded, there was no response from inside.

Seeing this, Sylvia frantically started trying the doorknob.

Melody’s face darkened as she watched Sylvia’s actions.

She strode forward, pushed Sylvia away, and said coldly, "This apartment isn’t for sale. You need to leave now!"

Melody’s push sent Sylvia staggering. She let out a shriek and stumbled back a few steps, nearly falling.

Luckily, Simon caught her just in time.

When she got a clear look at the person in front of her, Sylvia was stunned. "Melody Summers? Why is it you? What are you doing here?!"

This was the first time Sylvia had seen Melody in this life!

Compared to the haggard, skin-and-bones figure from her previous life, the Melody of this life had a rosy complexion and was radiant. It was clear she hadn’t suffered much hardship during the natural disaster.

For some reason, Sylvia suddenly felt a sense of crisis wash over her.

Even she didn’t know where this feeling was coming from!

Melody just looked at Sylvia impatiently. "This is my home. Where else would I be? I’ve already bought this apartment, so you all need to leave!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Sylvia’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You bought it?! How is that possible? You’re just a country girl! Where would you get the money to buy an apartment?"

Sylvia didn’t believe a word of it. After all, in her memory, the Melody from her past life had been completely penniless.

Sylvia remembered that when the Lancaster family first found Melody, she was just a recent college graduate with no savings to her name.

Robert and Elaine had initially planned to give Melody an allowance on par with what Sylvia and Silas received, but Sylvia had cried a few times, and afraid of hurting her feelings, they never brought up giving Melody money again.

Melody keenly picked up on the strange undertone in Sylvia’s words. She asked with a hint of confusion, "...Why would you think I don’t have money?"

’That really didn’t make any sense.’

’Why was Sylvia so certain that I was broke?’

Sylvia froze for a second. ’Could it be that the Melody of this world is rich?’ she wondered.

’But why?!’

Sylvia felt things slipping out of her control.

But the situation was tense, and with a blizzard imminent, she had no time to overthink it. Getting this apartment back was the most important thing!

So Sylvia looked at Melody with an arrogant expression. In her past life, she had become so used to putting Melody down that she now instinctively tilted her chin up, speaking with a contemptuous sneer. "Melody Summers, apartment 1606 is mine. Mom and Dad bought it for me. Now get out!"

Melody was so incensed by Sylvia’s words that she laughed. "Sylvia, are you insane? I bought this apartment with my own money. Why on earth should I move out?"

Sylvia bit her lower lip. She suddenly turned to Simon, her expression aggrieved. "Brother, look at Melody! She actually swore at me! Mom and Dad clearly bought this apartment for me, but she’s insisting on stealing it from me..."

Sylvia was used to turning to Simon for help. In her past life, whenever she and Melody argued, Simon would always step in to defend her.

All Simon had to do was open his mouth, and Melody would cave every single time.

Simon’s heart ached as he looked at Sylvia’s aggrieved expression.

He looked up at Melody, his expression disapproving. "Don’t give Sylvia a hard time. She was injured a few days ago; she can’t handle this kind of stress right now."

Simon sighed again, his face a mask of disappointment. "At the end of the day, I’m still your older brother. Even if you refuse to acknowledge us, you can’t deny our blood ties. For the sake of family, can’t you just give up the apartment?"

Melody wanted to roll her eyes.

’The Lancasters were once a prestigious family,’ she thought. ’How is their logic more unreasonable than a roadside mugger’s?’

But before she could speak, Ian, who had been standing by her side, suddenly stepped in front of her.

Ian frowned and addressed Simon, "What ’older brother’? I wasn’t aware my sister had another older brother. Who are you people? Demanding someone’s home the moment you open your mouths—have you no shame?"