Rachel rushed to the hospital, where Mr. Ziegler had already been sent.

One of the servants looked accusingly at Rachel.

“Ms. Lloyd, I’m just a servant and shouldn’t butt into the affairs of you bigshots, but Mr. Ziegler’s health isn’t in good condition. He has a bad heart and can’t get agitated. He was already angered by Mr. Howard a couple of days ago. And here you are, knocking on our door and provoking him! You wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences if anything happened to him!”

A look of guilt flashed past Rachel’s eyes. She admitted that she had been a little too direct with her words. She had been lashing out at Mr. Ziegler. However, she hadn’t actually said anything wrong.

Cecilia, indignant, spoke up for Rachel.

“You’re right. Mr. Ziegler has a heart condition and can’t be provoked. Does that mean we deserve to be provoked? He knows about all the wicked things Howard has been up to, yet never made a move to stop him. Instead, he keeps condoning his actions. I’m sure you don’t need us highlighting how many times Mr. Ziegler has had to clean up Howard’s mess. I’m sure he knows better than any of us the filthy things Howard has done!”

The servant didn’t expect Rachel’s friend, who had been standing at the side silently, to be even more sharp-tongued than her.

“You… you two are being absolutely unreasonable!”

Just then, Howard was pushed out of his ward in a wheelchair. The ambulance Rachel called for coincidentally sent Mr. Ziegler to the same hospital Howard was in.

Howard asked anxiously, “Mrs. Selvig, how’s my father?”

“He got agitated, and his heart acted up again. He’s being resuscitated in the emergency room right now.”

Howard threw out another question, oblivious to Rachel and Cecilia, who were standing a short distance away, “How did he get agitated? Is it because of me?”

“Not really. It was because of…” Mrs. Selvig threw a glance in Rachel’s direction.

When Howard saw Rachel, realization dawned upon him. He wheeled himself toward Rachel, a ferocious look on his face as he grabbed her wrist.

“Rachel, how dare you provoke my father! Are you tired of living?”

Rachel thought Howard would break her wrist, the pain from his forceful grip furrowing her brows. “Howard… Let me go.”

“Let you go? How will you pay for what you did to my father?”

Howard looked as though he was about to swallow her whole. Rachel’s build was certainly no match for Howard’s vice-like grip. Cecilia rushed forward to help Rachel despite her fears.

“Let her go! You can’t completely blame Rachel for this. If your father hadn’t verbally attacked her indiscriminately and been so unreasonable, things wouldn’t have turned out this way!”

Her words successfully got Howard’s attention.

He released Rachel and shoved Cecilia so hard that she stumbled backwards and almost lost her balance.

Thankfully, Rachel was there to hold her steady.

Howard sneered in disdain. “Who do you think you are? Are you even fit to talk to me?”

Rachel was furious, and it showed clearly on her face. The usual calm composure in her eyes was replaced by an incisive glint that flashed past.

She glared at Howard.

“She’s a human like you are. What makes you all that different from her? And why can’t another human talk to you, a fellow human? Or do you actually think of yourself as an animal? In that case, maybe it is pointless for a human to try talking to you,” Rachel spat mockingly.

Cecilia saw veins popping in Howard’s forehead, his lips pursed tight together like a volcano on the verge of eruption.