In the end, Alice settled on a navy-blue tie from the store across the way. It was pricier than she'd originally planned, but considering how much Anthony Hayes had helped her over the years, she decided it was worth the splurge.

Just as she stepped out with the shopping bag in hand, she unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of cool, unreadable ones.

"Mr. Hawthorne."

Edward glanced at her without much emotion. Then his gaze shifted to the bag in her hand. "Found a gift?"

Alice offered a polite smile and nodded. To anyone unaware, she looked warm and harmless-a stark contrast to the sharp, assertive woman she'd been moments earlier.

Edward's eyes darkened slightly. He glanced up at the store's sign and commented blandly, "Not exactly known for quality, are they?"

That took the wind out of her a bit. She maintained her flawless professional smile. "I did the best with what I had."

She was nothing like him. Sure, she earned a decent salary, but gifts costing hundreds of thousands? That was Edward's reality, not hers. Most of her paycheck still went toward supporting her grandfather every month.

Edward's tone was casual. "Didn't I give you a card?"

Hearing that, Alice pulled out the black card from her bag and held it out calmly. "This one's for a friend. It wouldn't feel right using your money."

Even though William had told her not to overthink it, the tangled history between her and Edward made everything complicated. Adding money into the mix would only make things more awkward.

Edward glanced at the card she held out, then back at her, something unreadable in his expression.

Most people never turned down free money from him-especially not cold, hard cash. He couldn't tell if she was simply principled or just an exceptionally good actress.

He didn't take the card. Instead, his tone remained light. "I need your assistance this afternoon. You'll be needing the card."

--

An upscale steakhouse in the city.

Alice was busy tying balloons in the main hall.

Edward had booked out the entire restaurant to surprise his wife with a romantic dinner. William had taken the roses Alice helped select and left to pick her up.

The place was empty except for her and Edward-not that he was lifting a finger to help.

William was recording the entire pickup process, and as Alice wrestled with balloons, Edward stood nearby, watching the live feed on his phone.

She worked nonstop, inflating each balloon and eventually shaping them into an arch leading toward the center of the restaurant.

No matter how she tried to rationalize it-calling that night a drunken mistake-the truth remained: she'd slept with someone else's husband.

That guilt made it impossible to imagine looking his wife in the eye.

All she could do was finish everything quickly and slip away before she arrived.

Just then, William's voice came through the phone: "Mr. Hawthorne, I'm at her door. About to knock."

Edward sat at the center of the oval dining table, white lights casting a stark glow over him. Under the lighting, the sharp edges of his profile gave him a regal yet distant aura.

He stared silently at the video playing on his phone.

Meanwhile, William stood in front of Room 1332, arms full of a huge bouquet of roses. He rang the doorbell and waited.

Just as he began to think no one was home, the door creaked open.

A man appeared-dressed in casual shorts and a sleeveless shirt, hair still dripping wet, a wrench in hand. Water spots dotted his skin and clothes.

William was stunned. "Who are you?"

Edward, watching the screen, narrowed his eyes. The chill in his expression deepened.

Anthony Hayes casually wiped water from his forehead. Noticing the well-dressed man holding flowers at his door, he raised an eyebrow and let out a small scoff.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? Who are you, and why are you knocking on my door?"

A while back, Alice had mentioned a persistent guy from work who wouldn't leave her alone.

Seeing this now? Perfect timing. He could help her shut this down for good.

William suddenly felt the phone in his hand grow heavy. He couldn't begin to imagine what Edward must be feeling.

"Do you live here?" he asked.

Anthony spread his arms. "What does it look like?"

Edward's gaze turned frigid. His grip on the phone tightened.

"Where's Emily?"

His icy voice came through the earpiece. The chill made William flinch. His expression turned serious as he glanced at the man in front of him.

"Where is she?"

Yep, definitely one of Alice's admirers, Anthony thought. She'd always had a knack for attracting trouble, even as a kid.

He clicked his tongue inwardly, then smiled faintly at William. "She's not back yet. Want me to let her know you stopped by?"

Suddenly-BANG!-a violent hiss of spraying water came from the bathroom. Anthony swore under his breath and quickly shut the door without another word.

Watching from his phone, Edward's face darkened like a brewing storm. The slammed door on screen only fueled the fury simmering inside him.

She really had the nerve to cheat on him.

He slammed his phone down.

CRASH!

Alice, busy shaping balloon decorations, jumped at the sudden sound. She spun around and saw nothing but a shattered phone on the ground-and Edward's stormy figure striding away, his entire being radiating icy rage.

Over the headset, William flinched at the loud crash echoing in his ear. He glanced at the closed door, then at the roses in his hands, and finally let out a long breath.

This time, Madam had really crossed a line. Forget that Edward was possessive and ruthless-any man would lose it seeing his wife with another guy like that.

Sure, he'd thrown himself into work and hadn't exactly nurtured their relationship, but Edward had always treated her as his wife. The best clothes, the finest house, a no-limit credit card-he never held back.

Yet she never accepted any of it. She never moved into the house, never used the card. Even the seasonal designer outfits in the villa hung untouched.

William never imagined things would spiral this far.

How could Mrs. Hawthorne do something like that? That guy just now-how could he even compare to Mr. Hawthorne?

William couldn't make sense of it.

He picked up the card tucked inside the bouquet, then quietly placed the flowers in front of Room 1332.

Just as he got back to the car, his phone rang-it was Alice. She sounded thoroughly confused.

"Secretary Brooks, what happened? Mr. Hawthorne just left-he looked furious."

William looked utterly drained. "Don't ask. Tonight's dinner is off. Just head home."

After hanging up, Alice had a gut feeling something had gone wrong on Mrs. Hawthorne's end.

She glanced at the nearly finished setup-balloons, flowers, candles. everything looked perfect, yet there was no one left to enjoy it.

She felt a little disappointed-but honestly, also relieved. At least she didn't have to face Mrs. Hawthorne tonight.

--

Edward drove back to the office, anger practically radiating off him. Once there, he grabbed his backup phone and made a call.

"Hey, Edward," came the cheerful voice of his grandfather over the line. "So? Is tonight finally the night you bring your wife home?"

Edward walked over to the window, his gaze locked on the cityscape from the 33rd floor. His voice was icy. "Grandfather, I want a divorce."

His grandfather let out a sharp sound, clearly displeased.

"Have you lost your mind? You haven't even properly started your marriage, and now you want a divorce?"

"I cheated," Edward said, his lips curling into a cold sneer. "And so did she."

"That's nonsense!" his grandfather barked. He banged his cane on the floor, his face flushed with anger. "You think slandering her is some kind of joke? After all these years I taught you, for what?"

"I know what kind of girl Emily is! She'd never cheat. Are you making this up just to avoid introducing her to me?"

Edward kept his gaze lowered, his voice flat. "They're living together. That's cheating in my book."

His grandfather wasn't having it. "There must be some misunderstanding."

"I saw it with my own eyes."

Silence fell. The sound of heavy breathing came through the phone-the old man was clearly furious.

After a long pause, he switched topics. "And what about your little 'mistake'?"

Edward didn't move, his dark eyes unreadable. "It just happened."

A drunk mistake. But still cheating. He wasn't denying that.

He admitted his fault. But what sickened him was how easily Emily seemed to live with hers-as though being married meant nothing to her.

"Seeing isn't always believing. You need to look into this properly," Mr. Hawthorne said with rare calm. The whole situation was clearly a mess.

"And as for your mistake, be a man and own up to it. Sit down with Emily and be straight with her. If she's willing to forgive you, that's her decision."

--

Alice arrived home around six, drained and dragging her feet.

Just as she was about to walk in, her eyes landed on a large, familiar bouquet of deep red roses sitting by her door.

She picked up the massive bouquet of red roses, glanced around suspiciously, but saw no one. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside-only to find Anthony Hayes mopping the floor right outside the bathroom.

"Hey Tony, did you leave these roses at my door?"

Anthony paused mid-motion, leaning his elbow on the mop handle. He looked every bit the relaxed, stay-at-home type.

"Do I look that bored to you? Clearly, someone's got a crush. You really have no idea who?"

"Who'd be sending me flowers?" Alice joked lazily, brushing it off. Since Anthony seemed just as clueless, she didn't press further. She dropped the roses on the couch and walked further in.

As soon as she noticed the puddle spreading across the floor, her expression shifted.

"What on earth happened here?" she called out. "Are you fixing the faucet or trying to recreate the Great Flood?"

Last time he'd come over for dinner, she'd mentioned the bathroom faucet was acting up-random spurts of water whenever it was turned on. Anthony had confidently promised to handle it over the weekend. She'd been skeptical of his sudden handyman enthusiasm.

Turns out, she had every reason to be.

"That mystery delivery guy messed everything up," Anthony said, still mopping. "The pipe burst while I was tightening the screws. Doorbell rang right in the middle, and. well, you see the result."

He glanced at her with a shrug. "But it's fine now. I replaced the faucet. Just cleaning up the water."

"Let me do it. You take a break," Alice said, setting the bouquet on the coffee table and taking the mop from him. As she leaned down to wipe the floor, she asked, "Any idea who sent the flowers?"

"No clue. He was dressed sharp, though. Looked like someone important." He rotated his wrist, stretching it, then grinned with curiosity. "Could it be that colleague you told me about?"

Alice paused mid-swipe, frowning. "Doubt it. I turned him down pretty clearly."

"Then who was the guy today? He asked for you by name," Anthony said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me scammers are doing door-to-door deliveries now?"

Alice was just as puzzled. "What did he look like?"

His answer: "A guy's a guy. How am I supposed to tell?"

She stared at him, speechless. Well, she had no comeback for that.

Out of caution, Anthony ended up installing a smart lock with a built-in camera at her front door.

It showed who came by and saved video footage, too.

"If that creep shows up again with any shady ideas," he said, "at least the camera will make him think twice."

Alice thought that made sense.

After the lock was installed, Anthony headed out.

--

The next day, Alice accompanied Edward to Ancorum for a meeting about the new trade zone project. William came along, too.

Inside the VIP lounge, Alice quietly edged closer to William, eyeing Edward, who sat silently with a stormy expression.

"William, is it just me or does the air feel dangerously heavy today?"

William snuck a glance at Edward, then gave a very subtle nod.

Looks like the fire in Edward's gut from last night still hadn't cooled down.

Then again, being cheated on-especially for someone like him-wasn't exactly easy to swallow.

Even though Alice was dying to know what exactly had happened, she kept her mouth shut out of habit-less talk, fewer mistakes. She sat properly in her seat, quietly staring out the window, figuring it was safer not to draw any attention.

Soon, the plane landed in Ancorum, and the group headed straight to a high-end downtown club to meet their business partners.

"Mr. Hawthorne, we appreciate your investment and choosing us for this collaboration. Let me propose a toast."

Edward picked up his glass, clinked it lightly, then downed the drink in one go.

"The pleasure is mine," he said simply.

Lenny, their partner representative, broke into a wide grin. "Mr. Hawthorne, you handle your liquor well! This stuff is strong! Come on, another round!"

But Edward didn't touch his glass again. Besides that first drink, he didn't take another sip. That task fell entirely to William and Alice.

This was where having Edward's secretary came in handy-William navigated it like a pro. Alice, on the other hand, was new to the team and clearly hadn't built up her alcohol tolerance yet.

The other side had brought a whole crowd, and round after round kept coming. Before long, everything started doubling in Alice's vision.

By the end of it, her cheeks were flushed a deep rosy red, and her usually clear dark eyes had turned hazy.

She held up her glass-now looking like it had four copies-swayed slightly, then knocked it back.

Clink-

That was the final straw. Alice went limp and collapsed onto the table.

William wasn't doing much better. He leaned over, patting her lightly on the arm.

"Alice? You okay?"

No response whatsoever.

Lenny's eyes flickered as he glanced at the passed-out Alice.

"Mr. Hawthorne, I've already booked rooms upstairs. Let me have someone take you up to rest."

He shot a look to his assistant, then smiled as he placed a hand on Alice's back.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure both William and Alice get back safely."

With that, he barked orders to the staff, having William and the other passed-out colleagues carried out, leaving Alice completely alone.

Lenny was more than a little buzzed himself, swaying slightly. But what was truly disgusting was the way his fat hand started roaming across Alice's back-right there in front of Edward.

The touch made Alice frown uncomfortably in her drunken daze. She feebly swatted his hand and mumbled, "Go away. don't touch me."

Edward's gaze turned icy-his deep eyes frosty. "Lenny, I suggest you move your hand."

Lenny chuckled like he'd heard a joke. "Mr. Hawthorne, you must've been out of the country too long. You know, some of our dinner habits here can be pretty. entertaining. How about we call it a night and continue tomorrow?"

Edward remained silent, just tapping his index finger lightly on the table. A minimal gesture, but enough to show he wasn't amused.

Lenny gave a theatrical shake of his head. "Oh, right-silly me. You grew up here, totally familiar with our ways. My bad, I thought you weren't into this type of scene."

He grinned with faux sincerity. "Anyway, sorry about the mess-everyone's kinda out cold. How about this: I'll take care of Alice tonight, make sure she's looked after. Tomorrow, I'll even send over someone even prettier-my own assistant. She's only twenty, fresh as they come."

Before Edward could respond, Lenny was already reaching to scoop Alice up, eyes glinting with sleaze.

"Well, sweetheart, you really are a stunner. Tonight's gonna be."

--

Before he could lay a hand on Alice, a loud bang! echoed through the room.

Edward suddenly stood up, eyes cold as ice and glinting with menace. With a swift, forceful kick, he sent Lenny flying to the floor.

Lenny curled up, clutching his stomach and whimpering, "Mr. Hawthorne, what... what are you doing?!"

Edward's face was calm, but his gaze was deadly. He stepped forward, his expensive leather shoe pressing hard on the back of Lenny's hand.

The scream that followed could've woken the dead.

Head slightly lowered, Edward's voice was low but chilling. "Didn't I tell you not to touch her?"

With every word, his foot pressed harder. Lenny was in so much pain he was dripping sweat, his bloated body shaking uncontrollably. Only now did he realize-Edward wasn't joking.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Hawthorne! I didn't know she was yours, I swear! If I had any idea, I wouldn't have dared, not even with ten lives!"

"Please... have mercy, Mr. Hawthorne!"

His crying was so over-the-top it jolted Alice partly awake. She tried to figure out what was going on through her hazy vision-only managing to make out two blurry figures.

She pushed herself up, but her legs gave out immediately.

Edward's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward and scooped her up without a word, carrying her bridal-style straight past Lenny, crushing his hand under his shoe in the process.

Lenny screamed again, this time deafeningly loud.

--

Edward carried Alice all the way back to the hotel room and gently laid her on the bed. Just as he was about to leave, she suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Don't go."

Her hands clenched tightly around his arm, eyes shut, murmuring in her sleep.

He tried to free himself, annoyed. "Let go."

"No. please don't."

"Mama, Papa. don't leave me."

In that moment, the confident, collected version of Alice was gone. Her drink-flushed face was streaked with tears, and the way she hugged his arm-like she was drowning and he was the only thing keeping her afloat-was utterly vulnerable.

She curled into herself, brows scrunched tight. Her long lashes trembled slightly against her cheeks, and her whole body looked small and fragile.

Edward stood still, surprised, staring at her delicate features.

She looked exactly like she had that night. The night he'd pushed her too far. Even then, she'd cried softly like this, begging him to stop.

After that, he'd had her background investigated.

Turns out, both her parents had passed away. She'd been raised by her grandfather, worked her way into a top university, and had relied entirely on her own strength to get where she was.

Edward's usual frigid expression softened slightly. A girl like her-persistent, hardworking, fighting her way through life-shouldn't have to go through this kind of crap. What happened tonight was on him.

He reached out and gently patted her arm. "It's okay now. It's over."

The tension on her face eased a bit. She scooted closer, her lips brushing against the back of his hand-soft and warm.

Edward's eyes darkened. He quickly pulled his hand away with a frown.

Alice suddenly panicked, grabbing for him again. "No, don't go!"

"Mama, Papa, please... don't leave Emily-she'll be good, she promises. Don't leave her all alone."

The next morning, in the hotel restaurant.

Alice sat across from Edward, rubbing her aching temples. Hangovers were the worst-her head throbbed as if it might split open.

Fragments of the previous night resurfaced-the revolting moment when Lenny's hand had groped her. The clearer the memory grew, the sicker she felt. She grabbed the glass of warm water beside her and drank it down, trying to settle her stomach.

Thank goodness Edward had been there. If he hadn't stepped in last night. she didn't even want to think about it.

"Thank you for last night, Mr. Hawthorne."

Edward took a sip of his coffee, his tone low and even. "You work for GrandVerse. You represent the company-it was my responsibility to look out for you."

The corners of Alice's eyes reddened. So this was what it felt like to have someone stand up for you.

If only there had been someone like that for her back then.

She took a steadying breath. "I'll work on building my alcohol tolerance. I don't want a repeat of what happened."

"This wasn't your fault. You can't stop predators by drinking less. But next time, take a page from William's book-train your tolerance, and if things get out of hand, pretend to be drunk. Don't let people take advantage of you."

Alice blinked. "...That's actually solid advice."

Edward took another sip, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Who's Emily?"

He'd meant to ask last night, but she'd been too far gone to make sense of.

"Emily?" She paused, giving him a confused look. "Oh, that's the nickname my mother gave me. Why? Did I say something strange last night?"

She must have mumbled in her sleep-she'd been dreaming about her parents.

Edward's gaze darkened, something unreadable flickering in his expression.

The same name? What were the odds.

"Nothing. Just curious."

Seeing his reaction, Alice didn't press further. She offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry again about the deal falling through. all because of me."

Edward's expression remained cool, his voice even colder. "I already told you-it wasn't your fault. GrandVerse doesn't need to do business with people like him. The thought of that man still makes me sick."

Alice blinked, taken aback by his sudden sharpness. He really wasn't an easy man to read.

Still, deep down, she felt genuinely grateful. It was as if she were seeing him in a new light-this heir to the GrandVerse empire wasn't just brilliant and handsome; he had a strong moral compass, too. That was rare.

He was the kind of boss who truly had your back. Not stingy, always offering guidance-Alice felt fortunate to have someone like him in her corner.

--

With the deal canceled, their group returned home that afternoon.

Before boarding the plane, Alice spotted a trending headline-Lenny had been arrested for tax evasion, sexual assault of a minor, and coercing female staff. The post was exploding online.

There was even a photo-his face blurred, but the bandaged hand slung around his neck was unmistakable.

Her stomach turned. She clenched her fists. "Disgusting. People like him, abusing their power-who knows how many victims suffered in silence. He deserves everything that's coming to him."

Then a thought struck her, and she frowned. "Wait. but he seemed fine yesterday. How did all this come out overnight?"

William yawned beside her, clearly unimpressed. "Obviously, someone made it happen. You were nearly assaulted. Did you think Mr. Hawthorne would let that slide? He had me up all night digging up everything we could find on that creep."

"I spent the whole night running around gathering evidence for the police. That guy had pissed off so many people, it wasn't even hard to find proof. But man, it was exhausting. If I'd known, I'd have gotten drunk, too. At least then I'd have had an excuse to skip the all-nighter."

No wonder she hadn't seen William that morning. He'd been on a mission.

Alice felt a wave of surprise mixed with gratitude-her respect for Edward reached another level.

"Mr. Hawthorne, you're honestly too good to be true!"

Bosses were usually hard to please anyway. So what if he had a temper? That kinda came with the territory.

--

By the time they landed in the capital, it was already dark. The driver picked up Edward, while Alice and William took separate cabs home.

Once home, Alice removed her makeup, sank into a hot bath, and collapsed in the tub, completely drained. But just as she began to relax, the image of Lenny's disgusting face resurfaced-especially those sleazy eyes. It triggered an old, buried memory she'd tried hard to forget.

Her face turned ghostly pale. Grabbing the bath sponge, she scrubbed her skin as if it were covered in filth, only stopping when it stung and turned red.

She took a sharp breath. "It's over now. Alice, you're not allowed to look back."

She thought she'd moved on. I mean, just the other night, she and Edward had been close-not that she could see anything in the dark-but she could still remember his breath, his touch. She hadn't felt repulsed then, so she assumed she'd healed.

But it turned out that even now, just seeing those predatory eyes again still messed with her head.

--

After her bath, Alice curled up on the couch and checked her phone. Still no new messages.

Annoyance finally set in. Her husband vanishing on their wedding night was bad enough. Not showing his face for two years was even worse. But now? She'd literally admitted to cheating, and he couldn't even be bothered to send a text?

Was she married to a ghost?

She tapped the contact labeled "Alexander Blake"-a number his grandfather had saved for her long ago.

The phone rang for a while before someone finally picked up. But it wasn't him. A young woman's cheerful voice came through.

"Hello? Who's this?"

Alice frowned. "Who are you? Why are you answering his phone?"

"Oh, I'm Katherine. My brother's in the shower. Can I help you with something?"

Alice blinked. "You're his sister?"

Wait, he had a sister? His grandfather had never mentioned that.

Katherine chimed in again, "Yeah, yeah. He just got in the bathroom. You can call back in a bit. Or, if it's urgent, tell me and I'll pass it along."

Alice didn't care whether this girl was really his sister or some random fling. She was done pretending.

"Could you let him know to call me back? I need to talk about filing for divorce."

"Sure, no problem." Then dead silence. A moment later, Katherine shrieked, "Wait, WHAT?! Divorce?!"

Alice winced and pulled the phone away from her ear. Once the noise settled, she spoke calmly, "Just let him know, please. It's important."

Then she hung up.

--

On the other end, Katherine's scream had already drawn her mother's attention.

"What is it now? Why are you shouting?" her mom called out.

Still stunned, Katherine stared at the phone. "Mom, you won't believe this-seriously, brace yourself. Your son is MARRIED!"

Her mom scoffed, setting dishes on the table. "What nonsense are you talking about? If your brother got married, don't you think I'd know?"

"I'm not kidding! Not only is he married, he's already at the divorce stage!" Katherine spun the phone around. "Look! His wife just called, saying she wants to meet up and file!"

Now both of them stood speechless, staring at each other.

Suddenly, the mom snatched the phone and stormed toward the bathroom, pounding on the door.

"William, get your butt out here right now!"

Katherine followed close behind, shouting too. "William! Open up!"

Inside, William hadn't even fully fastened his robe yet. He threw it over his shoulders and cracked the door open, confused. "What's going on?"

Before he could get another word out, his mom slapped the back of his head.

"You've got some nerve, boy! You actually got married behind my back?!"