The grand dining hall was heavy with unspoken tension as Jin's gaze swept across his nine sisters and fiancée. Their faces were a mixture of forced smiles, concern, and deep-seated denial.
"Zixuan, we must keep the estate stable. No rash moves," Feng Yizhen said with authority, but her eyes flickered with a hint of fear.
[She knows the fake son's poisoned the well, but she won't admit it out loud.]
"I don't believe he's that ruthless," Yizhen whispered inwardly. "He's family. He can't be the monster everyone claims."
Feng Yulan smiled, but it was tight, a little forced.
"He's just misunderstood. Maybe… it's all rumors," she said quietly, eyes avoiding Jin's.
[She's terrified to see the truth — too afraid to confront what he's done.]
Feng Yimei, however, was less convinced.
"Those lies he's spread… I've seen it with my own eyes. The fake son is no innocent," she said sharply.
[Her denial cracked — but bitterness and anger replaced it.]
Feng Yiqing nodded silently.
"The man smiles, but it's a mask. He's been poisoning us all along," she said quietly, voice steady.
Feng Yujia laughed lightly, brushing off Jin's warnings.
"You're just jealous of his charm, brother. He's clever, sure, but not the villain you think."
[Her denial was loudest, almost desperate.]
The younger sisters were split between hope and doubt:
Feng Yiran shook her head. "He wouldn't do something so cruel. It's impossible."
Feng Yuxuan bit her lip, unwilling to believe the stories.
Feng Yulei shrugged, "People say a lot of things. I'm not sure what to think."
Feng Yifan glanced sideways, eyes full of suspicion but her lips sealed.
Su Ningxue's icy demeanor softened for a moment.
"He's been loyal to the family, hasn't he? Maybe we're reading too much into this."
But her hands trembled slightly.
Jin's mind cut through their denials like a scalpel.
[Some refuse to see the fake son's true face, blinded by loyalty or fear. But truth isn't a matter of belief — it's a fact that will soon break their fragile illusions.]
Their faces shifted imperceptibly — a mask here, a forced smile there — but the cracks were spreading. And when the lies finally collapsed, the cost would be more than broken hearts. It would be shattered lives.