Christine hadn't expected to be lifted by a stranger in front of so many people. She instantly sprang away.

"Sorry-thank you," she murmured softly.

The smooth warmth that had slipped through his fingers vanished in an instant, leaving Edward with a faint pang of loss.

He raised an eyebrow, a subtle, ambiguous smile playing at his lips. "You're welcome."

Mathew beamed as he pulled Christine close. "Christine, I received your gift. You're so thoughtful-I adore it. You're far kinder to me than my ungrateful grandchildren ever are."

Several grandsons looked up at the ceiling with resentment. Why did they always end up being the ones getting hurt?

"By the way, Christine," Mathew added, "this gentleman is acquainted with your father. You should know him too, right?"

Christine's eyes snapped up, unexpectedly meeting the man's deep, intense gaze. Uneasy, she instinctively turned her head away.

"Grandpa Mathew, I. don't know him. Father had many friends back then. I've only heard his name-I don't actually know him."

Karl loved socializing, but he never forced his daughter to attend those glamorous banquets. He hoped she would always keep a pure heart-that was enough.

Edward's jaw tightened. His magnetic voice carried a subtle, seductive timbre. "Hello. I'm Edward Robinson. I have long admired Uncle Woods. So you are his daughter. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The man who was usually the center of attention now adopted an unexpectedly humble demeanor, catching Mathew off guard.

Mathew chuckled softly. "Indeed. Karl always loved making friends. It's only natural you wouldn't know him, Christine. But now you do."

"Edward is in his thirties now, isn't he? Christine should address you as Uncle Edward."

By family seniority, Edward was the younger son of his old comrade-calling him Uncle was perfectly appropriate.

Edward's expression darkened. His lips pressed into a straight line. "Uncle Mathew, I am only thirty this year."

His blue eyes lingered on the woman nearly a head shorter than him, resting briefly on her fair face before his lips curved faintly. "Just call me Edward."

Christine's heart skipped a beat.

This guy was way too forward!

She forced a polite smile. "I'll stick with calling you Mr. Robinson."

Edward let out a light snort. "Fine. Whatever you say."

For some reason, Christine detected a hint of disappointment in his tone.

She shook her head inwardly. Snap out of it. A man like him was far out of her league.

Neil had gone to great lengths to get in tonight-just to see this man.

Christine wanted nothing more than to escape this whirlpool of trouble. Besides, the man standing next to Edward was clearly Mr. Thompson-the one she had hired.

She dreaded the moment Henry might speak to her. Fortunately, he hadn't addressed her once throughout the entire event. Even so, his meaningful gaze alone was enough to make her cheeks burn crimson, and she longed to leave as soon as possible.

*****

"Smack-"

A crisp slap echoed through the silent garden.

Vivian bit her lower lip hard, clutching the side of her face where her stepmother's hand had struck her.

"You've really made me proud today!"

"Vivian, remember your place," Victoria snapped. "Being allowed to live in the Barnes household is already a privilege. Don't covet what isn't yours, and don't think that just because your father married into this family, you've suddenly become part of the upper class!"

Vivian lowered her gaze, concealing the hatred festering in her heart.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I know I was wrong."

Victoria folded her arms, her eyes brimming with scorn. "Don't you remember how you came back to this country? Without me, you'd be someone else's plaything right now."

Vivian's palms turned red from how tightly she clenched them, yet her expression remained utterly unreadable.

"Yes. My return to the country is entirely thanks to you."

Victoria chuckled lightly. "Good. It's good you understand. Go home by yourself today. Save me the embarrassment of seeing you again."

After watching Victoria leave, Vivian's expression twisted into something almost grotesque.

A girl who had come out to look for her froze when she saw Vivian's face. "Vivian. are you okay?"

Why did Vivian look so terrifying? The gentle angel seemed to have darkened in an instant.

Vivian composed herself, pressing her lips together. "Mia, I'll head back now. We'll reschedule another time."

Truthfully, she never wanted to see that idiot again for the rest of her life.

"All right, all right!" Mia didn't dare insist. Vivian's sudden change in demeanor had sent chills down her spine.

So terrifying. Who would have thought such a sweet girl had this side to her?

*****

After receiving Mathew's concerned message, Christine quickly excused herself and fled the banquet.

But Sky Castle wasn't in the city center. The guests attending were either wealthy or influential, and she soon found herself unable to hail a cab.

Seeing that no drivers accepted her ride request on the app, she decided to walk instead.

The night was silent, shrouded in darkness. A misty drizzle fell, sending chills through her thin evening gown.

In the distance, headlights pierced the curtain of rain.

A black Rolls-Royce slowly approached and came to a stop.

The window rolled down. Henry waved. "Miss Wood, it's hard to get a cab here. I'll give you a ride."

Christine was startled. She hadn't expected Henry to be leaving early as well.

"No need, Mr. Thompson. I should be able to hail one if I walk a bit farther."

He remained firm, his gaze gentle. "No need for formalities, Miss Wood. I actually have something regarding your case that I'd like to discuss."

With him phrasing it that way, Christine had no choice but to agree.

"I have things in the front passenger seat," Henry added. "You can sit in the back."

As Christine lifted her leg to step into the backseat, she unexpectedly bumped into a solid shoulder.

She froze. How could someone else be sitting in the back?

As she took in his flawless features, she realized the man behind her was none other than Edward.

"Careful," his thin lips brushed past her earlobe, his breath scorching. "This is the second time."

Christine instantly lowered her head, her cheeks burning.

The memory of him catching her earlier surged back, flushing her face with embarrassment.

From the driver's seat, Henry watched the entire scene through the rearview mirror. His shameless friend had deliberately shifted outward before she even got in.

This bastard had done it on purpose.

Absolutely shameless.

"Where do you live, Miss Wood?" Henry asked.

Christine hesitated. Returning to the villa tonight would undoubtedly mean being driven insane by Neil and his entire family.

"Green Lake, please."

The three rode in silence.

Henry had merely used the case as an excuse to get her into the car; naturally, he didn't discuss it during the drive.

Edward sat quietly in the backseat, his expression unreadable.

Only Christine suffered in silence, desperate for the ride to end.

When they finally neared her destination, she let out a small sigh of relief. Her voice lightened. "I'm here. Thank you for today, Mr. Thompson."

Just as she prepared to step out, a lazy, deep voice sounded from behind her.

"I was friends with your Uncle Woods," Edward said. "Miss Wood, please leave me your contact information. If you ever need assistance in the future, you may reach out to me."

He handed her his phone.

Christine lowered her gaze to the softly glowing QR code and fell silent.

After a moment, she nodded. "All right. Thank you, Mr. Robinson."

Edward caught her unease and offered a faint smile. "You're welcome."

Watching Christine's retreating figure, Edward's lingering gaze refused to withdraw.

"Sir, may I drive now?" Henry asked, speechless.

Edward pulled his gaze away. "Go ahead."

Henry fumed inwardly. Hmph! You really do think I'm your chauffeur!

Edward absentmindedly fiddled with his lighter. "We should be home soon."

His gaze immediately fixed on his contacts list. When the adorable orange cat avatar appeared, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

"Got any pics of your cat? Send me one."

"What?" Henry unlocked his phone and tossed it to Edward in the backseat, puzzled. "Browse the album yourself. Didn't you say you didn't like animals?"

Edward quickly selected his favorite photo and swapped it out.

"I like them now."

Christine returned to the Green Lake apartment, where her mother and younger brother lived.

Elizabeth, with a face mask on, heard the door open and looked up.

"Christine? Why are you back?"

"Yeah. I won't be going back for the next few days."

Elizabeth noticed her daughter's troubled expression and sat up abruptly. "What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Neil?"

Seeing Christine didn't respond, she frowned disapprovingly. "Neil is busy enough as it is. Don't be so stubborn and throw little tantrums."

After all, they were living in his house now, and they still relied on him to help cover her son's tuition. They couldn't afford to offend him.

Christine knew her mother would say this, but some things needed to be cut off decisively.

"Mom, I'm planning to divorce Neil."

"Divorce?" Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Did he initiate it?"

Christine shook her head. "I did."

"Christine Woods, have you lost your mind?"

"Divorce? And then what? Should I sleep on the street with your brother?"

After the Woods family went bankrupt and Karl passed away, Elizabeth couldn't accept her daughter stepping out of the circle of wealthy wives. Fortunately, her daughter still had one foot in that world.

The Caffrey family's background couldn't compare to the Woods'. Christine had essentially married below her station, and after the marriage, the Caffrey family had reaped considerable benefits from her.

Thus, both in reason and sentiment, Elizabeth felt it perfectly justified to live off her son-in-law and rely on his support.

Now, all her hopes rested on her son. But the annual tuition for his international school was exorbitant-far beyond what their family could afford.

As for whether her daughter was happy in her marriage, that was a concern she couldn't spare a thought for at the moment.

"Did you get divorced because you found someone else?"

Christine fell silent. She knew her mother had always been biased like this, so such harsh words came as no surprise.

"Mom, Neil cheated on me. I had no choice but to divorce him."

Elizabeth glared at her disappointing daughter, her face twisted with fury.

"He cheated? So you kicked him out? He cheated, and you had to divorce him? You stubborn fool! Do you think having money means you can control whether a man cheats? You're so stupid-absolutely stupid!"

Christine felt a deep sorrow welling up inside her. "Mom, is money really that important to you?"

Elizabeth answered without hesitation. "Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

"When your father was alive, I bought as many handbags as I wanted every year. I attended auctions whenever I pleased. Now? I have to suck up to Neil just to get him to pay your brother's tuition fees. Why? Because we're broke! Christine, you've been living too comfortably. You're just stirring up trouble!"

Christine took a deep breath. "Mom, I'll go back to work. From now on, I'll cover James's tuition."

Elizabeth was brutally pragmatic. Her cold eyes mocked her.

"Go be a financial reporter? Without your father's protection, who do you think you'll interview? Christine, face reality. No matter how hard you try, you won't earn a tenth of what Neil has in his pocket."

Back then, this daughter of hers had insisted she didn't want to join the company and wanted to be a financial reporter instead. Her father, doting on her, had agreed. She had nothing to say.

Now that her father was gone, she remained just as unrealistic. Elizabeth would never allow her son to live a life of hardship and ridicule.

The tension between them reached its peak just as James returned.

"Mom, Sis-you're here too."

He set down his backpack, noticed the uneasy tension between them, and cautiously moved closer to his sister.

"Sis, did you two have a fight?"

James was very close to his sister. He knew their mother favored him, so he usually sided with her.

"James, you're back just in time. Your sister has lost her mind and wants to divorce Neil. Go talk some sense into her yourself."

"Divorce?" James immediately grew alert. "Did Neil mistreat you?"

Christine didn't want to beat around the bush. She stated calmly, "He cheated on me."

"What? How could he do that!" James said angrily. "Sis, don't worry. I'll stand by you and support you."

Though their mother always praised Neil, James felt he wasn't as good to his sister as she imagined.

A man who cheats is no good.

"You silly boy! If your sister really divorces him, who's going to pay your tuition?"

James winced in pain as his mother pinched him hard.

"Fine, I won't go to that international school. I'll just go to a regular high school."

Elizabeth's temples throbbed with frustration.

Oh dear. Look at the two stubborn mules I gave birth to-just like their late father!

Christine's deep, dark eyes held an unreadable expression. The stock grant agreement from Ocean Corporation was still in her hands. Covering James's future overseas expenses would be no problem at all.

Money was important-but only when it truly belonged to her could she live comfortably.

She had had enough of living her life seeking others' approval.

*****

The door to the presidential suite's bathroom swung open. Through the mist, Edward emerged, his lean, muscular torso bare, a towel loosely draped around his waist.

His short, tousled hair was only half-dried. He picked up the phone from the table. It had been two hours since he changed his profile picture, yet the chat window remained eerily silent, unchanged.

Truthfully, Christine had long forgotten she'd casually added a big shot to her contacts today.

Her mind was consumed with plans to confront Neil tomorrow about honoring the stock grant agreement. She also needed to prepare to move out soon-staying there was no longer an option.

"Buzz-"

Christine reached for her phone and unlocked it, only to see a video call pop up from a profile picture of a cute, fluffy cat.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened.

Was this Edward. calling her?