Isabelle's soft voice drifted through the phone speaker.

"Charles, Olivia's been asking for you non-stop. She misses you so much. Can't you come home and spend some time with her?"

Barely a second later, a tender little voice followed.

"Daddy, I miss you."

Charles's expression softened in a flash, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. He responded in a gentle tone,

"Okay, sweetheart, Daddy's coming right away. Stay put, I'll be there soon."

As soon as he hung up, he turned to look at Stella. The warmth in his eyes vanished in an instant, his voice clipped and almost commanding.

"Stella, eat. Otherwise, you're not leaving."

Charles could've been an actor the way he switched faces-Stella felt a chill in her chest watching his sudden shift.

Same kind of love, but completely different treatment. Just because Olivia missed him a little, he rushed to coddle her like she was made of glass.

But her daughter, Sophie... in her final moments, all Sophie wanted was to see her dad.

Even that small wish never came true.

The memory hit her like a punch to the chest. She struggled to breathe under the ache.

Charles's favoritism-it was like a thorn constantly lodged in her heart.

"Charles, just go. Stop pretending in front of me. Don't worry, I'm not dying."

Stella fought back tears, voice cold.

Charles frowned irritably, pressing his tongue against his cheek like he wanted to say something-but stopped himself.

Then he grabbed his coat and walked out without another word or even a glance back.

As she watched his silhouette disappear, her tears finally spilled over.

Four years of crushing hard, six years of marriage-ten years of love.

How could she ever let go that easy?

But deep down she knew-he never loved her. Never had.

She had carried the whole act alone, playing both roles in this twisted love story.

Now it was finally time to drop the curtain on this show.

She'd find out the truth behind Johnson Corporation's fall-then leave him for good.

Jason had been standing nearby. He stepped closer and gently said,

"Mrs. Hart, don't be too upset. You've got to take care of yourself."

Stella looked up at him and spoke, slightly apologetic,

"Mr. Bennett, thank you. Talking to you has been nice. Sorry things turned out this way."

"It's alright. If we get the chance, I'd love to invite you to collaborate on a piece-personally. Would you be interested?"

Even though she couldn't stand Charles, business was business. She managed a small smile.

"Sure, no problem. Just call Renee-I'll fit it in."

Jason nodded, then added,

"If you ever need anything, just ask. I'll help however I can."

Stella didn't say much more and turned to leave.

Just then, Jason stepped forward with a plate in hand, a grilled tuna sandwich.

"Mrs. Hart, do it for yourself. And for Sophie, like you said. Just have a little-it's good for you."

Hearing Sophie's name made her eyes blur with fresh tears.

Hands trembling slightly, she took the bowl and choked out,

"Thank you, Mr. Bennett."

"You're welcome."

The sandwich wasn't even made by Jason-it was from Charles. Jason didn't really know what was going on with his friend anymore.

He also had the finished music score in hand, yet Charles didn't mention a word. He still wanted Stella to pay the full penalty fee.

As if five million really meant anything to him.

"Mrs. Hart-"

Jason started to say more, then stopped himself.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Just... take care."Stella let out a soft "mm" as she dragged her tired body out of the villa.

At the same time, Charles rushed back inside.

As soon as he saw Olivia, he scooped her into his arms, his voice soft and full of affection.

"Did you miss Daddy, sweetheart? Come, let Daddy see if you've been good."

Olivia melted against his chest, her little voice as sweet as honey.

"Mommy missed Daddy too. Daddy and Mommy need to hold hands~"

She waved her chubby hand toward Isabelle, clearly wanting the two of them to hold hands.

Standing to the side, Isabelle's cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her eyes with a shy smile, slowly reaching out her hand.

But Charles didn't even look her way. Instead, he twirled Olivia around in his arms, grinning.

"You're such a little mischief-maker. How about Daddy takes you for a plane ride?"

"Yes please~!"

Olivia clapped her hands in excitement.

He lifted her up onto his shoulders and carried her around the house as if she were flying.

It wasn't the first time this had happened. Isabelle's eyes flickered slightly-if his refusal to acknowledge her last time could be chalked up to awkward timing, this time it was clearly on purpose.

If Olivia hadn't brought up "Daddy and Mommy," Isabelle was pretty sure Charles would've flat-out shut her down.

-

At the airport.

Old Mrs. Hart had just landed and wasted no time in dialing Stella's number.

When Stella saw the caller ID, something unreadable flashed in her eyes. She hesitated for a second before hitting accept.

"Stella, darling, I'm back in the country! I called you the moment I landed. I've missed you so much. How have you and Charles been lately?"

Stella's throat tightened the moment she heard the old lady's voice. Her eyes warmed and grew misty.

She took a deep breath, tried hard to keep her voice calm.

"I missed you too, Grandma. Charles and I... things haven't been great. I'm planning to divorce him."

There was a beat of shocked silence on the other end, then Old Mrs. Hart's voice shot up in volume.

"Divorce? No way! Did that brat do something to you? I'll set him straight!"

Stella bit her lip so hard it turned pale.

After a pause, she pushed herself to say it.

"Grandma... too many things have gone wrong these past few years between me and Charles, I just can't keep going. And..."

She faltered, the thought of Sophie stabbing into her chest. "Sophie..."

She couldn't finish. She just couldn't do that to Grandma.

"Sophie? What about her? Has she grown taller? I haven't seen her in ages, I miss her so much."

Stella blinked back tears. She couldn't say it. Instead, she lied, gently.

"Grandma, Sophie went abroad for treatment. She's in good hands there, no need to worry."

"Abroad? Her condition isn't stable again? Poor thing... and you didn't go with her? Being all alone must be so scary for her."

That broke something in Stella. The tears burst out before she could stop them.

"Stella? Why are you crying? Is Sophie okay?"

The old lady immediately picked up on her change in tone.

Stella couldn't let her know. She sucked in a breath, her nose red from crying.

"It's happy tears, Grandma. She's doing better. Going abroad gives her better care. Sophie said she wanted to try being independent."

Old Mrs. Hart finally sounded relieved. "Oh thank goodness. That's our brave girl-so young and already independent, what a trooper."

"But about the divorce, absolutely not. I'm going to have a serious talk with that grandson of mine when I get back. This is no way to treat you or Sophie!"

Stella knew Grandma had always supported her and Charles being together-but that was the past.

Now... things were different.

She couldn't afford to love him anymore.

"Grandma, I have to go through with the divorce."

"No way, I'm stepping in! You two can't just split like this. Wait there, I'm telling my grandson to come apologize to you properly-right now."

After hanging up Stella's call, Old Mrs. Hart didn't waste a second and dialed Charles.

The phone barely rang a couple times before he answered, and Old Mrs. Hart let years of pent-up fury explode.

"Charles, you brat! What the hell have you been up to out there? You bullying Stella again? She's talking divorce and you still don't get how badly you've screwed up?"

Charles was in the middle of playing with Olivia when his grandma's voice came blaring from the phone-loud enough to scare anyone standing even a meter away.

Startled, Olivia's little body twitched, those wide innocent eyes quickly filling with fear.

He immediately began gently patting her back, whispering comfort to calm her down before setting her on the couch nearby.

Then he stepped into a quieter corner and sighed. "Grandma, please calm down. It's not what you think, really."

"Not what I think?" Old Mrs. Hart snapped. "Look at yourself-you've hurt Stella so bad she's done with you. Sophie's out of the country for treatment, and you're still cozying up with some other woman and her kid! Do you even have a conscience left?"

The more she talked, the more pissed she got. She had never liked that scheming Isabelle anyway. In her eyes, the woman was the reason Charles and Stella's marriage went downhill.

Charles was clearly annoyed, but he held back and tried to explain.

"Grandma, I just found out about Sophie going abroad for her treatment too. And there's really nothing going on between me and Isabelle. I was just keeping Olivia company, that's all."

"Nothing going on," huh?

Isabelle happened to hear that part loud and clear. Her face twisted with jealousy, and she bit down so hard on her lip that it almost bled. The plate she was holding slipped from her trembling hands and crashed to the floor, sending shards flying with a sharp crack.

The sound echoed harshly through the living room.

"Save it!" Old Mrs. Hart barked. "You're going to Stella's right now. Apologize properly, fix this mess. If she gets hurt any more because of you, don't expect me to let it slide!"

Charles shut his eyes for a second, worn out and clearly reluctant, but he had no choice with grandma pushing him like this.

"Alright, Grandma. I got it. I'll go talk to Stella."

The moment he hung up, his face darkened.

It had to be Stella running to his grandmother, playing the victim and spinning the story. No wonder the old lady was fuming.

Typical Stella-always throwing a tantrum.

Not long ago, she'd ripped up his sheet music and shouted about divorce like it was some kind of joke.

Obviously just trying to get a reaction out of him-so childish.

Right then, the little girl bounced over to his side and looked up with wide eyes, her voice soft like cotton.

"Daddy, don't be mad."

Who wouldn't melt at a sweet little angel like that? Some of the tension in his chest eased right away.

He couldn't help but think of Sophie-his Sophie was just as adorable, only quieter and more reserved.

Charles gently ruffled Olivia's hair. "It's okay, Olivia. Be good, alright? I have to go out for a bit. Listen to your mom while I'm gone, and I'll be back soon."Olivia nodded obediently, her soft little voice calling out, "Okay~ Daddy, come back soon."

Charles stood up, grabbing his coat. Before he left, he glanced at Isabelle.

"I'm heading out. Take care of Olivia."

Looking at her daughter's innocent face, a thought suddenly popped into Isabelle's mind. She crouched down, resting both hands gently on Olivia's shoulders.

"Olivia sweetie, you know that Stella and her daughter Sophie also want Daddy's love. Daddy used to be able to play with you, tell you stories... but now he has to go see them instead. He can't always stay with my baby girl anymore."

She paused for a second, then continued, "So, maybe don't cling to Daddy all the time, okay?"

Olivia's little mouth pouted, clearly upset.

"But Mommy, I don't want her to take Daddy away from me."

Isabelle pulled Olivia into her arms and gently patted her back.

"My sweet girl, if you don't want that to happen, you've got to work hard to make Daddy stay. Otherwise, Stella will take him and we might never see him again."

The little girl trembled a bit as tears welled up in her eyes. Just thinking about not having Daddy around made her panic.

She clutched at Isabelle's sleeve, voice shaky with sobs.

"Mommy, I don't want Daddy to leave, I want him with me forever."

The tears poured down her chubby cheeks. She cried harder and harder, even struggling to catch her breath, tiny shoulders shaking.

Isabelle gently wiped her tears and continued coaxing.

"Olivia, baby, if you behave and act really sweet and sensible, Daddy will like you more. Then he won't leave with Stella, okay?"

Sniffling, Olivia nodded, her little face full of sorrow.

She had to keep Daddy around. She couldn't let Stella take him away.

"But Mommy... if Daddy only loves me, what about Sophie? Won't she miss him too?"

Isabelle looked at her like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could this kid still worry about someone else at a time like this?

"My good girl, you're way too kind. Don't forget-Stella tried to hurt you. They don't care about you at all, you know."

-

Charles sat in the car, frowning as he turned on the stereo with irritation.

Stella had gone straight to Grandma to complain. Unbelievable. No wonder Grandma had chewed him out.

He was absolutely going to have a word with Stella about this.

Not long after, his car pulled up in front of the old Johnson family house.

The second he stepped into the living room, Old Mrs. Hart shot up from her seat, pointing at him, her voice thunderous.

"Charles, just look what you've done! You've been staying at Isabelle's? That's disgraceful! You've thrown the entire Hart family's reputation in the trash!"

Charles' eyes turned cold, his voice clipped and chilly.

"Grandma, I wanted to marry Isabelle back then. You know exactly why that didn't happen."

Old Mrs. Hart trembled with anger at his words. She slammed her hand on the table so hard the teacups practically jumped, some of the tea spilling over.

"How dare you bring that up again! If it weren't for-"

Stella set her teacup down, cutting in before the argument could get worse.

"Grandma. Charles. Please stop. There's really nothing to argue about. If you want, you can come with me-we're getting divorced."

Charles raised an eyebrow at Stella's words and let out a mocking laugh.

He tilted his chin slightly, his voice laced with frost.

"Stella, can you stop putting on a show already? You've been doing everything you can to keep Sophie from seeing me, all so you can use that as leverage to kick Isabelle out, right? Let me tell you, no matter how clever you think your little plan is, it's not going to work."

He paused, tone turning sharper.

"Give up on that fantasy of yours."

Stella's lips curled into a cold, bitter smile. Her gaze was like ice.

"Charles, you really do think everything revolves around you, huh? Let me make it clear-what I want now is to cut all ties with you. For good."

Yeah, she needed to be stronger. She had to be the one to shatter this so-called dream.

Charles was just about to snap back when a loud voice interrupted him-Old Mrs. Hart's.

She glared at him, furious.

"Charles, shut that mouth of yours! Apologize to Stella right now! Look what you've done-broken her heart like this, and you've still got the nerve to argue with her?"

He honestly didn't get it. How had he hurt her heart? Wasn't it her who iced him out first, swearing he'd never see Sophie again, treating her own kid like a pawn?

Just like six years ago-with her schemes, drugging him just to marry into the family. She'd do anything to get what she wanted. A woman that calculating... how could she be heartbroken?

He was a breath away from defending himself, but then he noticed Old Mrs. Hart's face had gone deathly pale, her hands clutching at her chest as she trembled.

The words stayed trapped in his throat.

After a while, her breathing evened out just enough to talk again through heavy gasps.

"You trying to push me to my grave or what? My heart can't handle this nonsense. One more word out of you and I'm passing out, I swear."

Gritting his teeth, Charles held back everything he wanted to say. To keep her from collapsing, he dropped his head and forced out the words like they were poison.

"Stella, I'm sorry."

Totally insincere.

As far as he was concerned, the number of people he'd ever apologized to could be counted on one hand. Whether it meant something or not-it was rare. That was supposed to be enough.

Stella stared at him, sarcasm dancing in her eyes.

"I don't need your apology. I just want one thing-let's get divorced."

Divorce. Again. That word kept coming out of her mouth like a broken record.

Charles felt a jolt in his chest, something crashing down inside him.

But, like always, he brushed it off, pretending it didn't matter.

Pushing down his anger, he stepped forward and roughly grabbed Stella's arm, yanking her aside.

He leaned in, his voice low and threatening near her ear.

"Don't forget, Stella-you still owe me five million. And that debt means you're not walking out that easy. Also, you'd better behave. If Grandma gets sick again because of you, can you live with that? You're seriously cold. Dragging Grandma into this just to get rid of Isabelle? I'm telling you now-whatever you're plotting, it's not happening."

Stella tried to pull away, but he had too tight a grip. She leaned closer and whispered back through clenched teeth.

"I've never used Grandma, and I never planned on driving Isabelle away. All I want is to end this marriage. As for the five million, I'll find a way to pay you back-but it won't stop me from leaving you."

Charles was still stewing over their earlier argument, his annoyance with Old Mrs. Hart lingering. But when she saw them standing that close-almost like a couple-Old Mrs. Hart couldn't help but smile. The tension in her face visibly eased.

She cleared her throat and chimed in cheerfully, "Well, well, just look at you two-doesn't seem like there's any bad blood at all. It's getting late, don't keep making a fuss. Go on, head to bed already."

Both of them widened their eyes at the exact same time and blurted out together, "No way!"

They spoke in unison, completely caught off guard-not least Charles, who frowned in frustration.

This was the second time Stella had turned him down.

Seriously? Enough with this whole play-hard-to-get routine. Even if you're acting, there's a limit.

Old Mrs. Hart's face fell in an instant. She clutched her chest, her brows knitting tight as her breathing grew shallow. Her voice was weak as she gasped, "Are you two really trying to kill me with stress? My heart can't take this anymore."

Left with no choice and worried about her condition getting worse, the two of them reluctantly headed toward the bedroom.

As soon as they stepped inside, Stella immediately distanced herself from Charles. Her guard was all the way up-like she saw him as some kind of threat.

With her arms crossed protectively over her chest, she shot him a glare and said coldly, "Charles, don't come near me. Don't touch me. The thought of your hands on me makes my skin crawl."

Charles let out a slight smirk, his tone edged with contempt. "Touch you? Relax. You act like you're worth the trouble. That used to mean something. Now it just feels like a mistake I keep repeating."

Ignoring his sarcasm, she went straight to the bed, stiffly laid down, and yanked the blanket over herself like a cocoon, turning her back to him.

It was true, it was already late. She was exhausted-emotionally and physically. After everything she'd gone through, she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a long time.

The room fell into stillness, with only their soft breathing filling the silence.

At some point, a strange heat started to rise in Stella's body, making her whole person feel restless and uncomfortable. Her cheeks were burning, and her breaths turned shallow.

Charles was feeling it too-that weird heat creeping through him. His mind was getting fuzzy, and without realizing it, he leaned toward Stella.

As soon as his hand touched her, she snapped awake, eyes wide. Panicked, she struggled to push him away.

"Charles, let go of me!" Stella's voice trembled with panic, edged with tears, as she fought to shove him off.

But Charles seemed to have lost all sense. Instead of letting go, he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Without hesitation, she bit down hard on his arm. The taste of blood spread in her mouth instantly.

With a hiss of pain, Charles instinctively loosened his grip, and Stella scrambled free, half-crawling and stumbling toward the balcony in a total fluster.

She stood in the cool air, gasping for breath. Her hair stuck to her flushed cheeks in a sweaty, frazzled mess.

There was no doubt about it-Old Mrs. Hart had definitely done something to the room.

Too bad Stella had to let her down. Once, it was Charles who refused to be near her.

And now, it was far too late. There was absolutely no way she could bring herself to have any physical intimacy with a man who'd-directly or not-been part of Sophie's death.

Standing inside, Charles watched Stella flee like he was some kind of monster. The irritation boiling in him was hard to hide.

How long was she going to keep this up?

"Stella, don't you think this whole playing-hard-to-get act has dragged on long enough?"

"It's getting old."