Chapter 4

Edward suddenly burst into laughter as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. The shock on his face was instantly replaced by pure mockery.

He laughed and disdainfully said, "It's been years, and you're still the same. The only thing that's gotten better is your ability to make things up. Scott Miller's wife? Why don't you just say you're the Queen?"

He laughed loudly and exaggeratedly, but his eyes were as cold as blades.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that Scott Miller would choose a woman I already discarded and make her his wife? Come on. If you're going to lie, at least try to make it convincing."

Every word he said felt like a kick, driving me further into the dirt beneath him.

Lily quickly capitalized on the moment, adding her voice to his. "Audrey, I know you're trying to provoke us, but you can't just make things up like this…"

She paused, then continued, "When I was in Marinova, I heard the wealthy ladies there talk about Mr. Miller's mysterious wife. He dotes on her and protects her so well that no one ever comes to know her identity.

"Not just the general public, even many business partners have never seen her face. They say all her clothes and jewelry are personally delivered by top international brands, or she has private fittings at home with runway models brought in. There's no way she would appear in a place like this mall."

As expected, the two police officers' expressions darkened with suspicion after hearing this.

A top-tier, heavily protected billionaire's wife would never appear alone in a shopping mall, let alone get into a public dispute with an ex and call the police.

The two officers' demeanor grew more serious. Their sharp, probing gazes swept across the four bodyguards.

"Are you certain this woman is Mr. Miller's wife? We received a report that she may be impersonating someone. Can you provide concrete proof of her identity, or contact Mr. Miller directly to verify?"

The bodyguards hesitated, exchanging uneasy, awkward glances.

Finally, the lead bodyguard spoke up.

"We were ordered by the butler to bring Mrs. Miller back home. As for Mrs. Miller's identity… We only handle perimeter security at the villa. We have never had the privilege of meeting her in person, let alone contacting Mr. Miller directly…"

The malice in Edward's eyes was so thick it nearly spilled over.

"See? Even they can't confirm a thing. They're just taking orders from some butler. This is clearly a staged act!"

He sneered and turned back to the officers.

"She probably hired a couple of extras to pose as bodyguards so she could play the role of a rich man's wife."

He shot me a smug, self-satisfied look. "Audrey, you really went all out to win me back. Unfortunately for you, fake will always be fake. No amount of acting changes that."

The officers' faces darkened.

"Miss, you'll need to come down to the station with us and cooperate with our investigation."

Then they turned to the bodyguards.

"You're all coming with us to provide your account of the situation."

The lead bodyguard looked troubled. "We were just following the butler's orders to escort Mrs. Miller…"

The officer cut him off firmly, leaving no room for argument.

I stood there as my blood ran cold, flooding through my limbs with a wave of icy shock.

Scott was on a business trip in Navaya.

He had taken almost all of his core security team and personal assistants with him.

The ones left behind were only peripheral security personnel.

And because of his near-obsessive possessiveness over me, I had never appeared in front of them before.

Edward caught the slight pallor creeping across my face and let out a satisfied laugh.

"The police have already seen through your act. What's left for you to pretend about now?"

He seized my arm and roughly yanked me toward the door.

"Since you love acting so much, by all means, continue. I'm heading out to pick Lily's wedding ring anyway. You can just stand there and watch how I give her the happiness you never had."

His grasp was harsh and ungentle. Lily scurried after him, though she couldn't quite hide the flicker of excitement dancing in her gaze.

All around us, onlookers pointed and exchanged hushed murmurs.

The officers wrote it off as a personal dispute and did not intervene further.

Edward half-dragged me into a jewelry store.

He deliberately chose the largest, most extravagant ring in the display case.

Just as he was about to kneel and propose to Lily, a sharp, piercing alarm suddenly blared throughout the entire mall.

Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life. A cold, commanding male voice rang through the space.

"Lock down all exits immediately. No one is allowed to enter or leave."

That voice was Scott Miller's.

I jerked my head up, unable to believe my ears.

Edward saw the sudden flash of light in my eyes and mistook it for another trick.

He turned toward me and snapped, "Audrey, what now? Do you think setting off an alarm will save you? I'm telling you, even if the gods themselves came today—"

Before he could finish, the heavy glass doors of the jewelry store were violently shoved open from the outside.

A tall figure in a sharply tailored black coat strode in, carrying an overwhelming pressure that filled the room.

The bright lights washed over his cold, chiseled profile, emphasizing the rigid set of his jaw and the thin, tight line of his lips.

In the next instant, he pulled me straight into his arms and anxiously asked, "Darling, are you alright? Is the baby okay?"