Macie didn't say anything. She looked over at Alice, who stood frozen in shock. She hadn't had the chance to come clean with the latter, and panic briefly surged through her."May, do you know Edward?" Alice finally asked."I'll explain later," Macie said, then tried to pull her arm away."Why not now? Is your relationship with me so shameful that you can't even speak about it?" Edward snapped, his voice tight with anger.Alice's eyes widened when she heard his words. She looked from Edward's furious expression to Macie's face, which was full of disgust and rejection. She didn't know what was going on and wondered if Macie and Edward knew each other that well.Edward's way of speaking to Macie implied that there was something between them, prompting Alice to wonder about the nature of their relationship."If you already know, why are you asking?" Macie shouted as she struggled against Edward's grip, glaring at him.Edward stared back, his grasp tightening around her as his eye
Macie tried to steady herself, quietly steadying her own nerves. She reminded herself to stay calm and not to panic. She convinced herself that it would be fine since Yosef was still there. She was sure that he wouldn't just sit back and do nothing."I don't care if the president himself shows up. This divorce is happening!" Macie said firmly and decisively."Alright. Then I'll see you in court," Edward replied.Macie turned her head away, refusing to meet his eyes. She continued trying to pull her hand free and motioned for Alice to help. The latter snapped out of her daze and yanked hard, lifting her foot to stomp on Edward's shoe."You're divorced. A decent ex-husband should act like he's dead!" she snapped. Edward dodged Alice's move while still trying to drag Macie away. Macie pulled out her phone with her free hand and warned, "Let go of me, or I'm calling the police. Do you want Mr. Fowler Senior to come bail you out again?"Edward froze, his jaw tight. "Don't call the po
Macie got into the passenger seat and pulled out a wet tissue to wipe her hands and wrist clean. Edward felt another stab in his chest as he watched this.The Ferrari sped off, and he ran after it for a few steps before getting into his own car to follow.Once Macie finished wiping her hands inside the car, Alice finally spoke. "Alright. Tell me everything.""I'm sorry," Macie apologized as she lowered her head."Why are you apologizing to me? I want to know how you and Edward got tangled up in this. When did you get married? Why didn't you ever tell me? You're not acting much like a friend right now," Alice said, going off."I'm apologizing for hiding it from you. I thought you'd be angry," Macie replied.Alice went quiet for a second. "Anger's not the main thing. I'm mostly just shocked—like, really shocked. I mean, I remember you telling me that you were an orphan. You shouldn't have had any ties to the Fowler family."Macie leaned back in her seat. Her eyes were blank as she
"If Edward sues to terminate the divorce agreement, then all of this will serve as evidence," Macie said."But if Mr. Fowler Senior steps in, you'll have to show him some respect," Alice replied. "Then everything you've suffered would be for nothing.""Don't worry, May. You've got me. I'll stand firmly by your side.""Thank you. I appreciate that. But I don't want to drag anyone down with me. Edward is already targeting Julian's company, and there's a good chance he'll take it further," Macie said.She didn't want to pull Alice into this matter, and she didn't want the Fowler and Hart families to grow distant because of her. After all, Edward really was the kind of madman who would retaliate without hesitation.After hearing Macie's words, Alice felt a mix of heartache and sorrow."Don't assume the worst. Family business ties won't be that easily affected. Anyway, the Hart family is just a notch below the Fowlers. It's not like there's a huge difference between our social standin
Edward had meant to reject the call but accidentally tapped his phone to accept it instead. Bennett's stern, scolding voice came through at once."Edward Fowler! Do you think you've grown up and gotten tough? You won't even take my calls anymore?"Ever since Edward had posted that photo last night, Bennett had called repeatedly—ten times between then and that day—but the former had ignored every call."You're already divorced. What's the meaning of posting the marriage certificate? The Hart family is demanding an explanation. You'd better figure out how to handle it yourself!" Bennett snapped."What's there to explain? I'm not getting divorced, so there's no reason for me to enter into an engagement with a member of the Hart family," Edward replied coldly."Say that to my face if you've got the guts. I'll beat you to death, you ungrateful disgrace!" Bennett roared, enraged by his son's attitude.Edward sneered. "You think you can beat me? If it weren't for Grandpa, you'd already
Bennett frowned. "Adrian isn't even in the family tree, so the Hart family will definitely pick Ed first."Lana's expression instantly changed. She put on a tearful look and said, "We've been together for years, and our son is already grown. Do you think he's not good enough?""That's not what I meant." He rushed over to console her."After all this time, your father still refuses to acknowledge me or your son. He's your own flesh and blood, but he's not even acknowledged in the Fowler family tree. Everyone thinks that he's an illegitimate son." Lana sobbed even harder.Bennett's expression darkened. His father, Yosef, was still the head of the Fowler family. Yosef might've retired years ago, but he was still in charge of the company and the Fowler household.On top of that, he'd raised Edward and groomed him from an early age. Yosef never thought much of Adrian, so the odds of Edward inheriting the Fowler family's assets were pretty high.As Bennett pulled Lana into his arms,
Alice texted, "Don't worry, Mr. Fowler. I'll take care of May on your behalf. I'll hire ten male strippers tonight to help mend her broken heart."Edward tried calling Alice's number again, but he couldn't get through. Furious, he hurled his phone onto the passenger-side floor."Alice Hart!" Edward spat through his gritted teeth, tightening his grip around the steering wheel.If she really brought in a bunch of male strippers for Macie, he'd make sure that the entire Hart family paid for it.As anger surged through him, a wave of uneasiness crept in. He was genuinely afraid that Alice might go through with it. He picked up his phone as he desperately tried to figure out how to locate her.Edward considered calling Alice's parents but ended up dialing Sean instead. He thought that it would be easier to talk with a peer.He tapped the call button, and a moment later, someone answered."Mr. Hart, where is your sister right now?" he snapped.On the other end of the line, Sean let o
Alice said, "I'm eating now. You want me to go home tonight? "No. I'm still staying at my friend's place."She whispered into the phone, "Ugh, I'm not a kid anymore, okay? Do you think I'm out screwing around or something? We're going home now.""I'm not coming back until Mom and Dad let go of this arranged marriage idea," she added firmly.Sean, who was on the other end of the line, said something else, and Alice frowned. Her voice softened, and she said, "I won't return either. My friend has had some problems recently, and I need to be there for her."Okay. Fine. I'm hanging up now. Go date someone, will you? Also, stop trying to micromanage me like some overbearing dad. Bye."With that, she hung up.On the other end of the call, Sean stared at his phone, speechless. He stood up, grabbed his jacket, and told his driver to take him to Sunnyridge Heights.Inside the restaurant, Alice grabbed her bag and turned to Macie. "Let's go. We're heading to your place."Macie let Alice
"Get out of my way! I'm going to a business meeting! If this causes a delay, can you afford to pay the penalty for breach of contract?" Edward snapped viciously.The bodyguards hesitated, doubt flickering on their faces. They wondered if Edward was really headed to a meeting. They questioned when a meeting had ever been that urgent without a heads-up from his assistant."Still not letting me through?" Edward barked again.The bodyguards exchanged looks and decided to follow him just in case."So this is why you've been behaving lately. You're being watched." Sean's mocking voice came through the phone."It's none of your damn business," Edward coldly retorted. "Is Macie hurt?" he asked.In the police station lobby, Sean looked at the woman now standing just outside the main doors and said, "Of course she's hurt. Think about it—your girlfriend sent three men to abduct her.""Sharon is not my girlfriend! Don't disgust me!" Edward snapped. "Is Macie seriously hurt? Where is she hur
Edward froze when he heard Sharon's name. He pressed his lips together and replied over the phone, "No. I have nothing to do with her."The finality of his words made Sharon break down completely, her sobs choking her voice."Yeah, sure. Who would believe that? Weren't you the one who made headlines with her in all those gossip scandals?" Sean sneered.Edward clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, replying weakly, "That was all a misunderstanding.""I don't care whether it was or not. Five million dollars. Transfer it now," Sean said."In your dreams! Whoever caused this incident should pay. Don't come to me like I'm some kind of lapdog!" Edward snapped. "I have nothing to do with Sharon anymore. We're done. Completely."He said it with complete determination, his tone cold and devoid of any emotion. And because the phone was on speaker, Sharon heard every word loud and clear. Her tears flowed even harder."Edward…"Her sobs hung in the air, but Edward's expression remained
Sharon's face turned pale under Sean's intense questioning. She trembled and stammered, "N-No, I didn't. I swear, I never meant for it to go that far. I just wanted to scare Macie into staying away from Edward. How could I do anything illegal? I'm a good person."Sean looked at her. He thought that if she truly were a good person, then everyone else in the world must be evil."Either resolve this with compensation or face it in court. Your choice," Sean said, throwing the decision to her.Sharon couldn't bring herself to say a single word about going to court. She didn't dare to. If Sean were to get involved, she would lose and probably have to pay even more. If he made this situation public, it would ruin her career. There was nothing to gain and everything to lose.After weighing all her options, Sharon clenched her teeth and asked the man, "Can I pay less? I can't come up with five million dollars."She turned on the charm, tears brimming in her eyes as she played the pity card
Sean thought that Edward was truly scum. Alice had said that the one who stirred up trouble that day was Edward's ex-girlfriend—the same woman he had flaunted publicly as his mistress while still married.Now, Macie and Edward were divorced, yet the mistress still showed up in front of the ex-wife, while Edward just stood by and did nothing. Sean really thought that Edward was a piece of trash.Not long after, the officer from the interrogation room emerged again, this time with a few others."Mr. Hart, Ms. Hart, Ms. Smith," he addressed them. "Surveillance footage confirms that the suspect was the first to lay hands on Ms. Smith and made a deliberate attempt to drag her into a car by the roadside. This establishes criminal intent."Also, our investigation confirms that the three men were not the suspect's bodyguards, but were hired by her. They've admitted to receiving payment from the suspect to abduct Ms. Smith."Alice immediately said, "I knew it! Sharon was still making excus
Alice knew that her own injury wasn't even worth mentioning, so she walked over to Macie and tugged up the sleeve of her shirt. She stated, "Look at this. May's arm is going to be all bruised by tomorrow."Sean looked at the woman Alice had pulled over. Her fair, slender arm was covered in several glaring marks. It was evidently caused by someone grabbing her forcefully. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.Macie felt uneasy under his stare and quickly pulled her sleeve back down. But the moment she did, Alice yanked it up again and turned toward the officers."Look at this. Does that woman look like she came just to talk things out? If she only wanted to talk, why did she get physical?"The officers glanced at Macie's arm. Just then, Sean's voice cut in, cold and sharp. "My sister and her friend were attacked. I hope your station handles this seriously and doesn't let the perpetrators walk away unpunished."The officers turned to Sean. The man had an overwhelming presence. Eve
"Who could possibly beat you?" Sean asked.Alice snapped, "I'm not joking! Edward's ex-girlfriend ambushed me and May, and she brought three thugs with her! May and I both got hurt! And they ruined my favorite handbag!"Sean furrowed his brow when he heard this. Alice kept going on, full of grievance and rage, until he cut in, saying, "Send me the location of the police station."Alice hung up and saw that the police had already arrived. They had come just in time.Sharon and the three men were all caught. Not a single one got away.The three of them headed to the nearby police station. It was the same one as before. Macie and Julian were already familiar with the place.In the lobby, Alice sent Sean the location. The three gave their statements while Sharon and the men were taken into an interrogation room.When they finished, one of the officers came out to mediate. "Ms. Emerson said that those men are her bodyguards. She claims that she wasn't trying to abduct anyone. It seem
When Macie heard that Edward had driven Sharon away, she was a little surprised. Alice was even more shocked, but Macie quickly said coldly, "I really did get divorced. He's the one who keeps pestering me. We're going to court next week." She glanced at Sharon. "Once that's over, Edward and I will have nothing to do with each other. Don't believe me? Come to the court yourself."Sharon frowned when she heard that, clearly unconvinced.What if they went to court and the divorce didn't go through? Then she would just end up being played yet again."May's right. She and that scumbag Edward are definitely getting divorced," Alice said mockingly. "You're the only one who still treats him like he's some kind of prize. No one else gives a damn. "You two had better lock it down. When you get married, I'll show up with a gift and wish you all the happiness in the world."Sharon shot Alice a glare. Wasn't this the same woman who had bragged last time that Edward was about to marry her?
Sean couldn't help but think to himself that he'd really gone too far. He wondered how he was any different from the bullies who had tormented Macie.He remembered how Macie had looked that morning with her anger held back, forced to endure his teasing with a fake smile. Meanwhile, he found it amusing, as if it were some kind of game to him.He couldn't believe what a monster he had been.Macie's quiet demeanor was the result of years of enduring suffering, with her anger only surfacing when she was pushed too far.Macie was a young woman with a vintage landscape as her profile picture—someone who had already seen the world's harshness and matured well beyond her years. And all of this was the result of childhood trauma and constant bullying. At this moment, Sean could no longer dismiss what Alice had told him. He fully believed her now. …After returning to her private office downstairs, Alice didn't dare admit to Macie how spineless she had felt. All she could do was firmly
"Stop it right now. Don't bully my friend anymore, or I swear I won't let you off easy," Alice warned. However, Sean didn't even flinch, arrogantly ignoring her threat.Alice was furious, but there was nothing she could do. She wouldn't win if she argued or fought with Sean. He could easily slap her down to the ground, and she wouldn't even be able to get back up. If anyone else had bullied Macie, she would have gone all in, but this person was Sean—her brother, the one who had always pushed her around since they were kids.Alice sighed, moving from anger to helplessness, feeling stuck and useless. She couldn't protect Macie and felt she wasn't a good friend. "Macie has already been through enough. Can't you show a little compassion? Stop bullying an innocent, vulnerable lady!" Alice tried softening her tone. "You don't know how much Macie has suffered. Do you even have an ounce of human decency?" She switched tactics, telling him everything she knew about Macie's past and th