"I knew about the recording and the report. The private employee group has been disbanded, and Macie said she'd handle the report herself." Julian's voice came through over the phone."Don't tell me that the person responsible is still working here," Alice said, narrowing her eyes.Macie was about to speak up when Daisy, who was standing next to Lily, stepped forward and apologized."I'm sorry, Macie. I was the one who sent the anonymous report about your résumé. I know that you must've already figured it out, but you never called me out, and I really appreciate that."Like Lily, I acted out of jealousy. Please forgive me just this once!"At the time, she had no idea about Macie's background. She just assumed that Macie was someone with connections. Jealousy aside, she just wanted to pick on the newcomer. Not that she'd ever admit all that now.With the current situation blowing up because of Lily, Daisy figured that it was better to confess on her own terms than be dragged out b
It was well past office hours by the time the matter was settled. The human resource personnel came to apologize, but were scolded by their own supervisor afterward. Palmer smiled obsequiously as he walked Alice out, while the other employees either stayed for overtime or left for the day.Inside the elevator, Macie linked her arms with Alice and said, "Thanks for standing up for me today."Alice huffed. "I doubt anyone from your department will dare mess with you again. I bet they've all learned their lesson. But still, why didn't you have Julian fire them? They're such an eyesore.""That recording was my fault. I let my guard down and answered a personal call at work. Office gossip happens everywhere, and Julian did shut the group chat down right away, so it didn't really affect me," Macie explained.Then, she leaned her head against Alice's shoulder and continued, "As for the report… someone flagged that I marked 'single' on my resume. That was a careless mistake. I forgot to ch
"By the way, when you divorce Edward, be sure to take all his assets!" Alice huffed. "I know Xavier. I'll have him do his best to leave Edward with nothing."Macie hadn't had the chance to tell Alice about the lawyer yet. The truth was, Xavier had reached out to her earlier that afternoon, barely an hour after she'd officially hired Marlowe Law Group.Macie had no idea that the owner of the law firm actually knew Alice's brother. Not only that, but apparently Xavier had even called him to gossip about her case. Macie felt embarrassed when Alice relayed their conversation to her. However, she didn't think that it was that big of a deal. The divorce was happening, and they'd mostly talked about Edward since they were all in the same circle."I didn't ask for anything in the divorce," Macie said. "I'm walking away with nothing.""Are you serious? Why?" Alice questioned."Because I don't want it to get messy. If there's no money involved, the divorce proceedings will be smoother," M
"But Edward might end up buying Sunnyridge Heights. If he does, he'll know exactly where I live." Macie sighed. "So I've been thinking… maybe it's time I look for a new place. I could put this one on the market soon.""List it. If Edward really does buy this place, you can move in with me," Alice said. "Honestly, he's insane. As if buying your office building wasn't enough, now he wants to buy your home too? Why doesn't he just go ahead and buy the entire city?"Macie twirled some spaghetti and ate it quietly. She thought that Edward was indeed messed up. There was nothing he wouldn't do just to drag her back into his life and torment her all over again. She couldn't and wouldn't let that happen.Halfway through dinner, Alice was scrolling through her phone when a message popped up. It was from Sean. She then looked up from her phone and asked, "May, would it be alright if I packed up some leftovers later?""Leftovers? What for?" Macie asked."My older brother saw the pictures I p
Alice texted to ask when Sean would be done with his business gathering. Sean was about to reply when the glass door to the balcony creaked open. He instinctively looked up and locked eyes with Edward. The moment their gazes met, tension sparked in the air."Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Hart, but I'm not some soft, delicate beauty. If you'd like, I can summon a young lady for you so you can have a romantic evening together," Edward said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.Sean straightened up and scoffed. "If anyone's here to flirt, it's you, Mr. Fowler. I must've accidentally stepped into your usual hunting ground. Don't worry. I'll get out of your way. So, don't go spreading any rumors about me."Edward stared at him and fired back, "Unlike you, I have a wife, Mr. Hart. I know how to be a faithful man."Sean arched his brow when he heard that. He wanted to throw a full-on insult so badly, but knew that this wasn't the time to start a fight. So, he simply smiled and said, "Right.
Edward returned from the balcony but couldn't find Sean. So he made a beeline for the banquet hall's main entrance. However, there was no one outside. He asked the guards at the door if anyone had left recently, but they shook their heads in response. As such, he went back inside. He started weaving through the crowd, brushing past men and women alike, ignoring anyone who tried to engage him in conversation. After several tense minutes of scanning the ballroom, he finally spotted Sean, who was casually chatting with a group of businessmen. Edward clenched his fist and took a slow, deep breath to steady himself. He then grabbed a glass of champagne before seamlessly joining the group. Sean noticed him from the corner of his eye. He took a small sip of his drink while the other businessmen talked to Edward.One of the older men, Brian Larson, looked at both of them and said, "Mr. Hart and Mr. Fowler, both of you are exceptional young men, the best of the best in your family busi
Edward snorted and asked, "Do you guys know Bennett?"Brian, Frederick, and Stephen nodded in confirmation. Of course they knew him. Bennett was Edward's father, after all.The three of them wondered why Edward brought his father up until his voice dropped into a dark, chilling tone. "I yelled at him until he fainted. He's still in the hospital. If you three want to find out what that's like, by all means, stay here."The three businessmen were at a loss for words."Why don't you and Mr. Hart catch up, Mr. Fowler? I just remembered that Mr. Zuniga was looking for me…" Frederick blurted. He gave a forced smile to Edward."Right. I should be heading out as well. Let's talk business another time," Stephen added hastily.The two of them practically dragged Brian away and disappeared into the crowd. Judging by their expressions, they probably wouldn't dare strike up a conversation with Edward ever again.They had never heard of Edward having such a bad temper. They couldn't believe t
Meanwhile, a red Ferrari pulled up outside the mansion. Alice stepped out with a thermal food container in hand. After reading Sean's message, she thought, "There's no way Edward could do anything to me. Not unless he wants to end up in prison."She wasn't Macie, who had been tortured but couldn't fight back because of the influence Fowler Group wielded. If Edward messed with her, he'd regret it. With that sneer fresh on her face, she suddenly spotted someone running toward her in the distance. She squinted and realized that it was none other than Edward.Instinctively, she stepped aside. She wasn't afraid of the Fowlers, but a punch would still hurt. Moreover, her older brother hadn't shown up yet.As the man drew closer, she had already moved out of the way. Alice assumed that Edward was charging at her, but instead, he blew right past her. Alice was dumbfounded. She turned around and noticed him rushing up to her Ferrari. He bent down, knocked on the window, and called out Ma
"We're heading off now, Sean." Alice waved as she spoke.Sean quietly hummed in acknowledgment, his eyes still fixed on Macie.Alice didn't pay much attention and simply walked over to Macie. Julian also said goodbye and left, noticing that Sean's gaze never left Macie.The three of them walked away together. A minute later, Julian glanced back and saw Sean still standing in the same spot, watching them.To be more precise, he was watching Macie.Julian pressed his lips together. He was now entirely sure that Sean liked Macie.Back where Sean stood, he watched them walk farther and farther away, never once getting close to him or even sparing him a single glance.Only now did Sean finally understand what it meant to shoot himself in the foot.Just that morning, he had demanded to know why Macie had been staring at him for so long. Well, now she wouldn't be staring anymore.She wouldn't even look at him.Sean let out a quiet sigh, walked over to the roadside, and drove back to
"Obviously, I'm going to do a good deed and inform the woman inside," Sean said.Alice was about to snap at him, but when she saw the mischievous smile on his face, she simply followed him.Inside the interrogation room, Sharon had stopped crying. Now she was just sniffling, her makeup smeared beyond recognition, looking absolutely dreadful. But she didn't care. Her mind raced with how to come up with five million dollars and the fact that she still had 15 days to serve in detention."Hey, Edward paid for you. You don't have to compensate anymore," Sean said.Sharon froze at first, then stared in disbelief, her eyes widening."What? But he—" she mumbled."He called me again after I left," Sean cut her off. "He had a change of heart. In the end, he just couldn't bear it."He sighed, his face full of sincerity. "See? Edward still likes you. Regardless of what he said before, he still wired five million dollars to me right away, didn't he?"Sharon's stunned expression shifted into
One of the bodyguards restraining Edward took out his phone, answered it, and held it to his ear. Sean's voice came through, "Mr. Fowler, are you here yet? My time is very valuable, you know."Edward gritted his teeth and said, "Tell me how badly Macie's injuries are. Where is she injured?"Sean replied, "Weren't you planning to come see for yourself?"Edward snapped, "Something came up and I can't go! Just tell me how she is!""And why should I tell you?" Sean answered lazily."You!" Edward was about to explode. At that moment, Sean officially became his number-one enemy."Didn't you want that five million dollars? I'll give it to you!" Edward growled.Hearing that he was willing to pay, Sean's lips curved slightly. However, Edward kept talking. "But I have conditions. You have to tell me exactly how Macie is, where she's hurt, and you're not allowed to take care of her. Alice will.""Alright," Sean agreed."Then hurry up and tell me!" Edward demanded."No can do. What if I
"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