Chapter 641

Chapter 641 Her Transformation In Just A Year Noticing her unnatural expression, Nico gently stroked her cheek. “You don’t have to meet them if you don’t want to.”

Summer took in a deep breath. “No. I have to.”

She held his hands firmly and asked with uncertainty, “Nico, if we get engaged and eventually married, will you ever abandon me? Like how my father once abandoned me and sold me to a foreign country…”

Nico sighed, locking eyes with her and speaking with determination. “No, never. I’m a man of my word.

Once I’ve made a choice, I won’t turn back or have any regrets. Since I’ve decided to get engaged to you, no matter what happens, I’ll only acknowledge you as my life partner for the rest of my life.”

His tone was as serious as when discussing work, but every word carried a heartfelt promise that stirred deep emotions within Summer, rendering her speechless.

“I’m glad to hear your reassurance. It’s time for me to cut ties with family members who have never truly cared about me,” she uttered.

Nico gently caressed her head.

With him by her side, Summer felt secure and brave enough to do what she needed to do.

After leaving the amusement park, they drove in a luxurious car to a modest rental house in a less bustling area of Salinsburgh.

Caleb Rongsler and his family had already relocated from one place to another for the fifth time.

The relentless pressure from debt collectors had made life extremely difficult for his family.

Nico and Summer walked through the corridors of a rather run-down rental building, following the house numbers.

As they were approaching the unit, Summer said, “Nico, please wait here for a moment.”

Nico responded steadily. “All right. I’ll wait for you in the corridor.”

Summer hurriedly ascended the stairs, taking them three steps at a time, until she found the rental unit with the number 555.

The old building had poor soundproofing, and as she stood in front of the door, she could already hear two familiar voices engaged in a heated argument inside.

A sharp and piercing female voice exclaimed, “Are you gambling again? Don’t you think we already have enough debt collectors on our tails? How did I end up marrying such a spineless loser like you?”

A deep voice belonging to a middle-aged man rang out. “I may be a loser, but you’re not any better.

Just look at what your body has become! I sent you to the red-light district not long ago, yet you couldn’t even earn a single cent. You still have to rely on me!”

“Rely on you?” The woman let out a cold snort. “Don’t flatter yourself. It was only because we sold that girl that we barely managed to make ends meet. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Did you not see how emaciated she was before? If it weren’t for me, could you have sold her for such a good price? Otherwise, what would you have eaten and drunk all this time?” he retorted.

“You’re such a despicable father. I can’t believe you sold off your own daughter!” she mocked.

The man retorted, “You were the one who kept pushing me to sell her off for money. If I end up in jail because of this, you’ll have your share of the blame!”

The argument between the two was so loud that not only Summer, who was standing outside the door, could hear it, but even Nico, who was near the stairway, could clearly make out their voices.

Summer maintained a poker face, her heart growing colder by the moment.

Knock Knock!

She lightly rapped her knuckles on the door a few times, but the noise of the argument inside quickly drowned out her knocking.

Summer’s frustration mounted when no one came to open the door. Her face grew indifferent as she forcefully kicked the door twice.

The aged iron door, already fragile, made a loud banging sound, swaying as if it was on the verge of collapse.

She had expected someone inside to respond by coming to the door and cursing at her, but to her surprise, the commotion inside abruptly subsided, returning to an eerie silence. Still, no one came to answer the door.

The iron door shielded the occupants from seeing who was outside, but the forceful kicks gave the impression to the Rongslers that debt collectors had arrived. Filled with trepidation, they held their breath and pretended they were not home.

Once again, Summer knocked on the door, her voice chillingly composed. “Caleb Rongsler, Lucinda Cersei, open the door. I’m not here to collect debts.”

Despite the coldness in her voice, it was still captivating to hear.

Inside the house, Caleb and Lucinda exchanged puzzled glances. The voice sounded familiar to them, but they struggled to remember who it belonged to.

After hesitating for a moment, Lucinda went to open the door.

As the door swung open, Lucinda saw a young woman in her twenties standing outside. She possessed delicate facial features that enhanced her beauty and wore a dress adorned with tassels, which accentuated her graceful and elegant demeanor.

Lucinda stared at the woman in confusion, unable to recognize her, but her attention was immediately drawn to the precious blue crystal earrings dangling from the latter’s earlobes and the blue crystal platinum necklace adorning her neck.

The young woman, dressed in branded attire and adorned with accessories, exuded an aura of luxury and beauty. She resembled a refined and stunning doll, captivating in her appearance.

Lucinda pondered for a moment, trying to recall if they had any acquaintance with such a prominent and affluent young lady, but somehow, she could not recognize her.

Recognizing the importance of not offending someone of high status, Lucinda quickly put on a friendly smile and asked, “Do we know each other, miss?”

Meanwhile, Caleb, who was fanning himself with a fan inside the house, came to see what was happening after hearing the commotion.

Even he could not recognize her. “You are…”

A subtle smile formed at the corner of Summer’s lips. “You two seem to have quite a short memory, don’t you? Weren’t you just discussing how to sell me off for money? It appears you’ve already forgotten what I look like.”

Caleb shoved Lucinda aside, his eyes widening in disbelief. After sizing her up, he asked, “Y-You’re Summer?”

One year ago, he tricked his daughter by telling her they were going on a vacation to Erihal. However, he used that opportunity to secretly contact human traffickers and sell her off instead.

At that time, Summer was emaciated, suffering from malnutrition, and her skin had a sickly yellow hue.

Apart from her pair of clear and innocent eyes, her body had undergone severe muscle and fat loss.

However, the girl standing before them now had a well-proportioned figure, radiant fair skin with a rosy flush, and was adorned in luxury branded clothing. She had undergone a remarkable transformation, as though she was reborn into a completely different person.

Caleb and Lucinda looked at her for a while, gradually recognizing some familiar features beneath the layers of exquisite makeup.

With a grin, Caleb remarked, “I’m surprised to see how stunning my little girl has become in just a year.

Did you find yourself a sugar daddy?”

Lucinda, on the other hand, was skeptical and could not resist making snide comments. “Are those luxury items you’re wearing fake? Where did you suddenly come by so much money?”

Summer shot daggers at her mean stepmother, refusing to continue to dwell on the topic of money.

Her voice turned icy as she cut to the chase. “I’m here to inform you that I’m getting engaged to my fiancé -and no, he’s not my sugar daddy. I intend to remove my name from the family register, severing all ties with you, Caleb Rongsler.”

“Fiancé?” Caleb’s expression turned grim when he heard about Summer’s intention to sever their father- daughter relationship.

He immediately assumed the role of a father, expressing his dismay. “How dare you make decisions about your own marriage without consulting us? And don’t think that wearing counterfeit designer clothes makes you a socialite. Our family is weighed down by gambling debts, and now that you’ve returned, you should find a way to contribute toward repaying those debts.”

Summer sneered, “We haven’t seen each other for a year, and the first thing you bring up is money.

You only know how to seek pleasure without knowing how to earn it. Caleb, you should just live under a bridge and suffer in poverty for the rest of your life.”

Fury surged inside Caleb. He could not believe that the girl standing before him was the same obedient daughter who used to respect him as her father and call him “Dad” just a year ago, With a menacing expression, he assumed the role of a strict father. “How dare you criticize me, Summer Rongsler! I’ll always be your father, and you must obey me. If you dare defy me, I’ll give you a good beating!”

He raised his hand in threat, intending to slap Summer’s delicate and beautiful face, but before he could strike, a pair of strong hands gripped his wrist tightly, almost breaking his bones.

Caleb cried out in pain, his forehead breaking out in a cold sweat as he looked at the man who had suddenly appeared beside Summer.