Rebirth Of The Forgotten Heiress - Chapter 70: Chapter 70

[Quinlyn, your foundation is quite weak, so diligence can make up for your shortcomings. Please finish these worksheets tonight and bring them to me tomorrow. Be diligent, and keep it up!]
She couldn't imagine what kind of favors Yasin must have pulled to get such a renowned tutor to keep such a close eye on someone as hopeless as her.
Before Quinlyn could even respond in that brief pause, the tutor's second message had already arrived.
[I've heard about your ambitious dreams, Quinlyn. Dreams are meant to be pursued. I've also reviewed your target grades, and there is indeed a gap. But I believe you can bridge it.]
The tutor's proper tone practically screamed through the screen. Quinlyn felt rather pressured. With forced enthusiasm, she made the call.
Five minutes later, her "effort" was "rewarded". She ended up with two more worksheets added to her pile. Staring at the chat log on her phone. She regretted ever making the call to her tutor.
The tutor called Yasin with evident satisfaction. "Although Quinlyn's attitude and grades were poor this morning, she showed remarkable improvement tonight. She even asked me to be tougher on her.
"I felt heartened. This kid is bright. With the right attitude and a willingness to work hard, she can achieve anything."
Just as Quinlyn was drowning in despair, the Narrator's voice suddenly rang out.
[At Rita's birthday party, Yalena was invited to play the opening piano piece. Seated at the grand piano, she looked like a fairy. After her captivating performance, Rita expressed her wish for a duet performance.]
Quinlyn thought, 'Damn, there's just so much to learn.' With endless worksheets to finish, she still had to squeeze in time for piano practice. Otherwise, she couldn't wreck Rita's birthday party and change the storyline.
'Besides, if I remember right, once I'm back at school, there'll be even more of this kind of crap.'
So Quinlyn picked up her phone and earnestly messaged her tutor, [I'm really eager to study, but I also want well-rounded development, so I'll need to squeeze in some piano practice too.]
She knew a bit of piano, but ten years of practice was a whole different story from cramming at the last minute. She'd already decided. She'd just play a simple one for Rita. Or she could switch to a bawdy folk tune instead.
After parting ways with Quinlyn, Yasin had other matters to attend to. He headed to the hospital.
He learned that, thanks to Quinlyn's safe, side-effect-free medication, Yarden wasn't suffering from any life-threatening illness. As for whether he'd ever be a real man again. That all depended on his psychological resilience.
"Mental resilience, huh..."Yasin ran his tongue over his teeth. The fact that someone who nearly died was still kicking said a lot about Yarden's so-called "resilience." But Yasin wasn't going to let him off.
Thanks to the Guzman family's connections, Yarden was in a private hospital room. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, Callie was crying her heart out, clearly on the verge of a breakdown.
"Our Chappell family line will end because of this. That little bitch Quinlyn. I should've smothered her at birth. Why did I ever bother raising her out of misplaced kindness?" Regret washed over her.
"If I hadn't been afraid people would wonder why I left the hospital without a baby, I would never have taken her in. First, she ruined my daughter, and now she's destroying my son." Callie wailed heartbreakingly, her cries tearing through the room.
Yarden was so weak that he couldn't even cry out. He hated Quinlyn, but even more, he was afraid of her. "But even more, I'm afraid of her." He stared at the ceiling and murmured, "Mom, do you think this is karma?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Karma, my foot. It was out of my so-called 'kindness' that I did it, and now it's ruined you." Callie snapped, never once thinking she'd done anything wrong.
In Callie's opinion, Yalena was lovable, while Quinlyn was stubborn and unpopular. Callie was convinced that even if Quinlyn hadn't been switched at birth, no one in that family would have liked her anyway.
Yarden fell silent, but his mind throbbed with echoes of last night. In his lust-clouded state, just thinking of Quinlyn now sent a bone-deep chill crawling through him. He had no idea why Quinlyn would be like this.
After her tirade, Callie quieted down and went to prepare something for Yarden to eat. Though she tried to suppress it, resentment toward Yalena lingered.
An uneasy silence settled over the room. As soon as he heard footsteps, Yarden looked up. Yasin was standing just a few steps away.
Yasin was dressed in all black. His eyes were utterly devoid of emotion. Though he was staring straight at Yarden, it was as if he saw nothing. His look was even colder than last time.
That fear, once lurking in the corners of his mind, now slowly crept to the surface. Yarden knew that Yasin was here for Quinlyn. Panic-stricken, he instinctively looked toward the door, wondering where Callie had gone.
"No need to rush. Your mother won't be back for another half hour. That's more than enough time." Yasin said slowly.
Yarden's mind raced. 'Enough? For what?'
He struggled slightly, but soon his movements grew increasingly frantic. His whole body trembled uncontrollably as he shook his head wildly. "Y-you wouldn't dare," he stammered, but the words had barely left his mouth before he pleaded for mercy.
"I never touched Quinlyn. Not even a finger." Yarden's voice trembled, on the verge of tears. "I swear it's true. If you don't believe me, call her here. Let me confront her. She tortured me all night. I really didn't touch her."
Yasin rolled his eyes in boredom. He took two slow steps closer to Yarden. The sharp click of his leather shoes echoed across the polished floor, each step sending a jolt of dread to Yarden's heart. Yarden felt as if he was about to suffocate.
"Remember last time?" Yasin asked, his voice low and cold.
Before Yasin could even press further, Yarden immediately nodded, his voice frantic. "I do. I do. It was my fault, all my fault. You warned me. It was my fault!"
Yasin shook his head slightly. "It was not a warning. You're disgusting. Last night you were crying for your mom. And tonight, it's the same story." Yasin clicked his tongue in disdain.
Yarden shook his head in terror, too scared to say a word.
Yasin glanced at the time. Dragging a chair over, he said, "Come on, let's have a chat. If our talk goes smoothly, maybe I'll be in a good mood." A faint smirk curled his lips. "Maybe you'll get to keep leeching off the Chancey family."
Yarden nodded frantically, his whole body trembling. "Y-yes, sir. Please go ahead."
"Back then, was Quinlyn switched at birth because your mother did it on purpose?"
Yarden hesitated for a moment. He was not stupid. Their future now hinged entirely on Yalena. He couldn't let the Guzmans ever discover that what happened back then was premeditated.
"What a complicated question," Yasin mused, pressing his fingertips to his temple. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar pill. It was the same drug Yarden'd taken countless times the night before.
"Time for another dose. After all, it's perfectly safe, no side effects whatsoever."