Lydia kept an inexplicable faint smile on her face as she watched Hank.

After he finished speaking, she stood up and applauded him. "Hank Reese, is it? You really don't need to put on an act in front of me."

With that, she took a few photos out of her pocket and waved them in front of Hank. "A boy who can enter the Jarrett residence freely couldn't possibly be an ordinary person, right?" A flicker of surprise flashed through Hank's eyes. He was about to speak when Lydia cut

himoff. "No need to argue, and no more excuses. I'm not like my foolish aunt, whose head is filled only with romance and completely lacks logical thinking

"I saw everything-

the way you moved in and out of the Jarrett residence that day, how you shook off my aunt's car, and even how you changed disguises before riding your bicycle back to that orphanage.

"Look, it's all in these photos. Take a good look. I must say, you look quite handsome without your glasses. And you bear a striking resemblance to a certain big shot. Now, how are you going to refute that?" Since Lydia had already put it that way, Hank decided there was no longer any point in hiding the truth.

He adjusted his glasses slightly, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect the Walton family to have a smart and calculating young woman like you. Since you already know who I am, I see no reason to keep pretending.

"You're right. When you used sulfuric acid against Jean last time, I couldn't just stand by and watch. After all, she's my classmate, so I stepped in to help her."

Lydia shook her head and swiftly reached out, gripping Hank's throat tightly. "Cut the lies.

"What I want to know is your relationship with the Jarrett family, why you can

enter the Jarrett residence freely, why you disguised yourself, and whether you have some unspeakable familial

connection to that man."

Hank hadn't realized Lydia possessed such strength. His face turned red as he struggled to breathe.

In a weak voice, he gasped, "Alright, I'll tell you."

Only then did Lydia release her grip. Hank immediately slumped to the ground like a deflated balloon.

He stole a glance at Lydia before taking a deep breath and

saying, "I'll tell you everything. My relationship with the Jarrett family is... quite complicated."

"Complicated how?" Lydia seemed intrigued by his words. She sat down, listening intently.

Hank cleared his throat. "You know that I study at Betrico University. Jean Jarrett is a student in the Traditional Medicine Department. As everyone knows, she comes from the Jarrett family. Her uncle is Arthur Jarrett, and both her grandparents are highly respected in Betri "Although Jean is from the Jarrett family, she's a kind person. I'm younger than most of my classmates, so they tend to look out for me. Jean and I have a good relationship, and I like her as well.

"That's why, after what you did to her at your house, I was furious and felt it was unfair to her. Since I happen to be good with computers, I decided to help her out as a fellow classmate.

"But I didn't expect that after helping her, she would directly invite me to the Jarrett residence as a guest. Even now, I still feel excited. Ordinary people in Betrico don't get to enter the Jarrett residence so easily. That's all there is to it."

"That's all?" Lydia folded her arms and looked at him skeptically.

Hank nodded, "That's all,"

Lydia let out a cold snort. "Then how do you explain changing disguises before going back to the orphanage? And you really do look a lot like him."

Just as she finished speaking, her phone chimed, signaling an incoming message.

Lydia glanced at the screen before turning back to Hank. "I have plenty of time. I can keep you company as long as needed. Just stay put here, and when you're ready to tell the truth, come find me."

With that, she turned and headed toward the stairs she had just come down from.

Hank made a move to follow, but she shot

him a chilling glare, stopping him in his tracks. "If you don't want anything to happen to that orphanage of yours, you'd better stay right here and behave," she warned.

At her words, a cold, dangerous glint flickered in Hank's eyes-

something he had never revealed before. Lydia caught it instantly. She let out

a few chuckles before walking upstairs without looking back.

Standing below, Hank clenched his fists tightly. Only after Lydia's figure had completely disappeared did he finally exhale. He scanned the floor around him, then, without the slightest panic, sat down on the sofa. The tension and fear he had displayed earlier were now com As the class was about to end, Hank's seat remained empty. Jean couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Before the dismissal bell even rang, she abruptly stood up, interrupting Cherise. "Ms. Leach, I have an urgent matter. I need to step out and make a call."noveldrama

Cherise, though interrupted, knew exactly what Jean was about to do. Instead of reprimanding her, she simply gave a slight nod.

With Cherise's permission, Jean quickly ran out of the classroom. She swiftly unlocked her phone and dialed

Hank's number.

However, all she got in response was the monotonous beeping of an

unanswered call. Jean called him several more times, but the result was the same.

"You little brat, why didn't you answer the phone? Where are you?" Jean muttered. "If you went missing, Arthur would be devastated. "He only just found out he had a son late in life, and before he even had a chance to enjoy it, his hopes would be crushed again." Already feeling uneasy,

Jean grew even more flustered when she couldn't reach Hank. Just as she was about to give up and head back to the classroom, her phone suddenly rang.