Her

In her previous life, when Lea had escaped from prison and hid in the sewer, it was Shannon who braved the cold night to bring her a quilt, a sandwich, and some water. 

Lea still vividly remembers what Shannon told her then. As she spoke, Shannon’s eyes sparkled with hope. 

“Lea, you’re using your artificial brain technology to appeal your case. With your R&D achievements and your talents in the tech industry, there’s a chance the death penalty could be changed. There’s still a glimmer of hope–don’t give up. 

“As long as you keep pushing the boundaries with Al your life will shine. There’s still so much you can do” 

“You’re still breathing, so there’s still a chance to turn things around, right?” 

“Never give up, not ever….. 

That pep talk was what kept Lea going in prison. It paid off–her skills got noticed by Milton, giving her a chance at a new life. It was only later that Lea realized Shannon’s encouragement to “never give up was also a message to herself, 

Tragically, the day after Shannon received her SAT scores, her body was found in the river. 

Previously, Donna had died from complications of alcoholism and a heart attack, leading the police to conclude that Shannon’s death was a suicide related to Donna’s death. 

Shannon had excelled in her exams and secured a place at Conrad University. But she knew Helen well enough to know that Helen wouldn’t easily let go of someone who knew too much and was too smart So, Helen ended up at the same university, still in Lea’s life. 

“Can’t I drop by to see you?” Lea said coldly 

Helen’s target had always been Lea. Shannon, shocked and in pain, blurted out, “Lea. 1 begged you to leave. If you had. Lily would still be alive, and none of this mess would have happened. I wouldn’t be stuck in this hell!“ 

s tears streaming down her face. Amid her current nightmare, Lily’s death weighed 

“Lily is dead, and she was so young… Shannon choked up, tears heaviest on her soul. 

“Shannon, you think I can just walk away from all this crap?” Lea responded. 

After all, assassinations, car crashes, and blatant murder attempts–Lea had seen it all. And there were things even Shannon didn’t know about. 

Shannon looked at Lea puzzled and clearly too young to understand the full extent of Helen and Matilda’s ruthlessness. She naively thought that if Lea had just stayed away, nobody would have died 

Lea knew better than to expect such deep insights from an eighteen–year–old. “Did you push Lily downstairs?” she asked, changing the subject. 

“Hell no!” Shannon replied, her body johting as she vehemently denied it 

At that time. Helen had summoned them to the rooftop. As soon as they exited the stairwell, they saw Lily standing there. 

Helen ordered, “Push her off!” 

Shannon was horrified and in 

total dis 

disarray: “Helen, this is murder! You can’t fucking do this?” she protested. 

Shannon didn’t help Helen; instead, she tried to stop her. Enraged but not wanting to miss her chance, Helen shoved Shannon aside, ran forward, and pushed Lily off. 

“And how is this your problem?“” Lea’s soft inquiry caught Shannon off guard, her eyes widening, pupils dilating with shock. But then, just as quickly, the sparkle in Shannon’s eyes dinuned 

“Your mom?”” Lea saw right through Shannon’s thoughts. 

Shannon but her lip and looked down, wrestling with her feelings of wanting to detach from Donna but unable to detach completely when it really 

mattered 

Lea said, “You know, Matilda tortured me for nineteen years. I only found out later she wasn’t my real mom. That’s how she could do such inhuman things to me. All men, good or bad, rarely illtreat their own children. Someone as ruthless as Matilda is still fercely protective of her own child.” 

She paused, then added. “And your mom? She’s like the only mom I’ve ever met who lacks any maternal instinct. Just a cold, selfish monster” 

Lea was a mother herself before, knew what maternal instincts should look like. She had arcidentally overheard Donna’s conversations at Fraley Hospital, where she was willing to sell out Shannon to Helen just for better medicine. And now, her suggesting Shannon take the fall for Helen Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

5:10 PM 

pissed Lea off 

were dead–on accurate. 

Lea’s harsh words hit Shannon hard, stinging and difficult to hear, but she couldn’t refute them. Because they we 

Seeing Shannon’s silent, pained reaction, Lea knew her words had struck a nerve, shedding light on the twisted nature of Shannon’s relationship 

with Donna 

“Hey, Shannon, ever thought about getting a DNA test! Just to check if you’re really your mom’s kid? Lea suggested. 

As she spoke, Lea flicked something towards Shannon, who caught it instinctively. 

With that, Lea tossed a strangely shaped bracelet Shannon’s way, and she caught it quickly. It was more than just a bracelet–Shannon recognized it immediately, her eyes lighting up with recognition. 

Being a hacker herself, Shannon didn’t waste any time. She transformed 

d the bracelet into a phone and powered it up, bringing up a display–it showed the school’s rooftop 

Shannon’s heart raced as she glanced up at Lea, her breath catching in her throat. Without a word, she pressed play. 

video on the 

The video was brief, just 8 seconds, but it was enough. It clearly showed the face of the person who had pushed Lily downstairs–none other than 

Helen 

After school, as soon as Lea had left the classroom, she had hacked into the school’s monitoring system Anticipating Helen’s maneuvers, she had Shannon disable the cameras first. But Lea, the brains behind advanced Al, had superior hacking skills. 

Lea had ensured the surveillance was running so their ascent to the rooftop was recorded. But knowing the rooftop had blind spots, Lea had set up external cameras to catch this crucial footage. It was precisely at this moment when Lily nearly fell from the building, nearly hitting her 

This footage was undeniable–it could prove Shannon’s innocence and set her free. 

Shannon trembled all over as she watched the video: “Leal Why why’d you do this?” she asked, visibly shaken. 

“Helen’s been after my b 

blood, and I want h 

her 

to face the consequences,” Lea said firmly. 

But her motives weren’t just about revenge. She also wanted to repay Shannon for a past life’s debt, giving her a chance to live freely on her own 

Teribs 

Shannon could only stare in stunned silence as Lea gave her a meaningful look and walked away. 

Not long after, police officers showed up to interrogate Shannon and she asked for a lawyer. By the afternoon, her attorney had arrived. 

The lawyer, a no–nonsense man in his forties dressed in a sharp suit, immediately took charge. “Miss Yancey. I’m your defense attorney. I’ll handle everything from here. Don’t worry about the fees–the Berry family has taken care of it,” He informed her. 

Shannon’s expression shifted as she quickly regained her composure. This was all within her expectations. 

“I need to visit my mom in the hospital,” she stated, momentarily catching the lawyer off guard before he nodded in agreement. 

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