The slap wasn't hard, but the suddenness of it stunned Giovanna. She pressed a palm against her cheek and glared at Kali in anger. Kali was unmoved, matching Giovanna's intense glare without once looking away.

Brimming with fury, Giovanna took a menacing step forward and spat out. "How dare you? Who do you think you are?"

"Keep acting like a brat, and I will give you another one, so both sides can match!" Kali inched closer, equally as aggravated. "You can insult me as much as you like, but I will not permit you to insult your brother in my presence ever again."

"This act of perfect wife does not suit you. You may deny it, but you can't fool me like you have fooled everyone else. I see who you really are. I know who you really are." Giovanna seethed.

"And I know you. Spoilt little girl. I don't want to ever see you back in this house. Not even to visit Samuel. You are only welcome here if there is a family event and you are coming with the rest of the family. If you ever try to come here on any other occasion, I will have them throw you out or, better yet, throw you out myself."

"You can't do anything to stop me. This is my brother's house."

Kali laughed. "That's where you are wrong. This house is also mine because your father put it in both our names. Cry to whomever you must, but nothing will change. Neither your brother nor your mother will be able to change my mind. Get out!"

"You won't last long. I swear to you."

Kali seized her upper arm in a bruising grip, yanking her closer and making her stumble on her feet. "I have had enough of you. Do what you must to unmask me, report to whomever you feel like it, but stay away from me. All my patience is exhausted. You have exhausted it. So watch your step before I lose control."

Giovanna eyed her with malice. "Oh, and you haven't lost it already?"

"Leave!" She yanked the door open and pointed at the driveway where Giovanna's car was parked. "Until you learn to respect your brother, I will not have you in my house. Leave before I throw you out."

A multitude of emotions swirled inside Giovanna's head. Anger, alongside indignation and disbelief. Tempered, she casually grabbed her purse and keys from the table. She wouldn't give Kali of all people the pleasure of throwing her out or laying another hand on her for any reason.

"I will bring you down. I promise. Whatever web of lies you have spun; I will find out the truth. Then you will be back on the street."

"I can't wait. And while you do that, why don't you go and ask your precious mother, who you seem to believe is some victim of mine, why she paid my debt. If you are so intent on playing detective, use half a brain and follow the rest of your leads."

With that, Kali slammed the door shut without giving Giovanna a chance to respond.

Embarrassed and even more annoyed, she dashed to her car and sped off. Arguing with Kali yielded nothing, but it got her blood boiling. There was someone else involved that she needed to face, someone who also had a hand in Kali's plot. And it was none other than her mother. There had to be a bigger reason for her mother to pay that debt. Maybe something Kali knew about her, or something she was trying to hide about Kali. Whatever it was Giovanna frustrated enough to see everything through till the end.

If Kali wouldn't speak the truth, then her mother had to. Everything would come to light today because the entire situation was bound to drive her insane. She wasn't a fool or an ignorant child. She knew what she heard, and no one would make a fool of her for trying to uncover the truth. No one.