Only after stepping out of the auto shop did I realize my hand was still being held by Edmund Holt.

"Mr. Holt, thank you for helping me out back there." I quietly slipped my hand free.

"You're very welcome. Let's head to the coffee shop next door to discuss things." Edmund held the door open for me like a gentleman and ordered hot drinks.

"I just overheard the shop staff talking to you about the repairs. The cost has been settled, right?" I took a sip of coffee, wanting to wrap this up quickly.

Edmund waved it off casually. "It's not much money. I'll have my assistant handle the rest. I can cover the expenses myself."

I shook my head immediately. "That won't do. This was entirely my fault. No matter the amount, I have to be the one to compensate. Otherwise I won't feel right..."

"Miss Elliott, really, there's no need to worry about it." Edmund gave a faint smile. His deep eyes seemed ready to pull me in at any moment. "I heard from my assistant that you were rushing to the hospital that day because your mother was in critical condition. But earlier I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Your mother..." He paused, his tone growing heavier. "My condolences. I hope you take good care of yourself and find a way through the pain soon."

His solemn and respectful demeanor made my eyes sting. He was the first person to show me genuine concern since my mother's passing.

I lowered my head, not wanting him to see my moment of weakness.

When I spoke again, I no longer dwelled on the money. "Thank you. Thank you for letting me leave that day, and for your kind words today."

For a second I thought I imagined it, but a trace of heartache seemed to flash through Edmund's eyes.

Suddenly Edmund pulled me toward him. Caught off guard, I fell into his arms.

The next instant came the sharp sound of a glass shattering nearby.

A server carrying hot water had slipped behind me and nearly collided straight into my back.

Edmund steadied me, then quickly released his hold. "Are you all right?"

I shook my head and thanked him again.

Until the moment we parted that day, Edmund kept reassuring me gently, urging me to find peace about my mother's passing.

I watched his lips move and suddenly understood what it truly meant to let go. My heart felt clearer than ever.

My mother's funeral was kept very simple.

The farewell hall was almost empty. Aside from the staff, only a handful of people attended, leaving the space vast and cold.

Colton arrived dressed entirely in black, a white flower pinned to his chest, faint red marks still visible on his neck.

Halfway through the service, his phone rang.

I recognized the ringtone immediately. It was the special one he had set for Shirley.

He answered quickly. Even from a distance I could hear Shirley's soft, sweet voice. "Colton, don't tire yourself out. I made soup for you. Come back soon and drink it."

Colton murmured back to her in low tones, occasionally glancing my way with obvious conflict and hesitation in his eyes.

But soon he walked over. "Mira, something urgent came up at the company. I have to go."

I didn't bother looking at him. My gaze stayed fixed on my mother's photo, where she still looked radiant, untouched by the erosion of marriage.

When I gave no response, Colton stood there a moment longer before hurrying away.

Near the end of the service, my father finally appeared.

He tossed a bunch of white chrysanthemums onto the table in front and walked off quickly, as though they were something unclean.

As he passed me, he paused just long enough to hiss a warning. "I'm telling you ahead of time. Your mother deserved what she got. If you try to use this to make trouble for Shirley or ruin her wedding, you and I are finished."

I had thought I was beyond crying over Father's words, but in the end the tears came anyway.

A handkerchief carrying the faint scent of cedar appeared in front of me. I looked up. It was Edmund.

After I returned home last time, Edmund had messaged me saying that since fate had brought us together, he wanted to attend my mother's funeral.

I hadn't wanted the service to feel too lonely, so I agreed.

But I never expected he would be the one who stayed with me until the very end.

After everything was settled, I returned to the Walton house, dragged my suitcase, and prepared to leave.

Claire found me and pressed a bank card into my hand. "Mira, in the end the Walton family owes you. There's five million here. Consider it my compensation."

I looked at her face, shadowed with guilt, and gently pushed the card back. "Claire, I appreciate the gesture, but I won't take the money. From now on I just want to live my own life."

By refusing everything from the Walton family, I could finally sever the past completely. From this moment on, Mira Elliott would be only Mira Elliott.

With that thought I stepped out of the Walton house.

Right at the entrance, a car screeched to a stop in front of me.

Colton had just come back from Shirley's place. When he saw me with the suitcase, sudden panic flashed across his face. "Mira, where are you going?"

He stepped forward, reaching for my hand, but I dodged it. He could only offer a guilty explanation. "I'm really sorry about the funeral. Shirley was waiting for me, and I didn't want to hurt you, so I used the company as an excuse."

If this had been the old me, I might have softened and given in. But now, facing him, I felt only cold indifference. "No need to explain. Colton, we're already divorced. Your life has nothing to do with me anymore."

After leaving the Walton house, I was thinking about my future career plans when an email from the auction house suddenly arrived.

I opened it and saw that my jewelry had been selected as the finale piece.

The auction house had also sent me a formal VIP invitation.

I felt a surge of surprise. When I first asked Jonathan to put my new designs up for auction, I only wanted to raise cash quickly for my mother's medical bills, so I had prepared myself for a low price. I never expected it to become the highlight of the evening.

This could be my chance to rebuild my career. I had to attend.

The hall glittered under sparkling crystal chandeliers that spoke of the event's high status.

I sat in a private box on the second floor with a perfect view of the entire auction floor.

The auction began soon after.

The opening item was a perfectly even glass-type jadeite ring with no inclusions.

Bidding started fiercely.

"Ten million!"

The bold opening bid drew every eye in the room.

The familiar voice made me freeze. I looked down and saw Colton in the front row on the ground floor, raising his paddle with determination. Shirley nestled intimately against him.

He had only just divorced me, and already he was parading her around like this, as if he wanted the whole world to know. It made our eight years of marriage feel like one big joke.

During the intermission, the chatter around me was full of undisguised envy toward Shirley.

"Mr. Walton is buying all these pieces tonight just to please Dr. Elliott. What a lucky woman."

"Exactly. I heard the marriage alliance between the Waltons and the Elliots was originally meant for Shirley. Mira only managed to marry him through underhanded tricks."

"Mr. Walton really is a romantic. All these years, and he still only has eyes for Dr. Elliott."

I lowered my gaze, not caring, until a shadow fell over me. "Mira, how does a powerless nobody like you end up at an event like this?"

Shirley walked over and looked me up and down, taking in my simple dress before exclaiming in mock surprise. "Mira, I heard from Colton how determined you were when you left the Walton house. Don't tell me life outside is too hard now, and you've come crawling back, hoping to win him again? It must have taken real effort to even get an auction ticket."

Colton looked enlightened. The disgust in his eyes toward me deepened. "Mira, I told you clearly before the marriage that I only love Shirley. Stop doing these disgusting things to cling to me. It's impossible between us."

In that moment, the one who felt sickened was me. "Colton, you really think too highly of yourself. To me, you're not some treasure. You're just garbage."

Colton was momentarily speechless. He stared at me, searching my face as if trying to bore a hole through it.

Shirley noticed his reaction, and a flicker of displeasure crossed her face before she looped her arm through his. "I know you're only saying that to hide how you really feel about Colton, but you're going too far."

She deliberately raised her voice, adopting a pitiful posture that drew attention from everyone nearby. "I stepped aside for eight years so I wouldn't fight with you, yet Colton's heart has always belonged to me. Now that you're divorced, you still followed him here to pester him. Feelings can't be forced. Please just let us be."

The guests latched onto the key phrases. Their looks toward me filled with contempt.

"So she's the shameless ex-wife who stole someone's husband. Disgusting. Divorced and still stalking him here."

"No wonder Mr. Elliot couldn't stand his late wife. Look at the daughter she raised. The mother couldn't have been much better."

Insults poured over me. To protect my reputation and career, I fought back one by one. "How does anything between me and the Walton family suddenly turn into a story about my parents' relationship? I'm here today because I received an invitation, as the designer of the finale piece, not to stalk an ex-husband I no longer care about! I have zero interest in him!"

But my explanations sounded weak and pale against their prejudice.

Colton wore a helpless expression. "Mira, if you won't admit to stalking, then fine, but there's no need to lie. We were together eight years. How would I not know you're some designer?"

Shirley looked even more triumphant. "Mira, when we were little, every time Dad said he was coming to see me, you would lie and say you were sick so he wouldn't leave. All these years later, and you haven't changed at all. Your lies just get bigger and bigger."

I regretted for the first time that at the peak of my fame, I had never revealed my true identity and always stayed anonymous in the industry.

I regretted even more that after marrying Colton, I had set aside my career to please him.

Seeing me unable to defend myself, the crowd that had been wavering now believed every word they said, and the insults grew harsher.

One socialite close to Shirley even stood up and called for security. "I don't want to look at this shameless woman anymore. She makes me sick. Get her out of here now."

Just as the guard was about to touch my arm, a clear, strong male voice cut through the noise from the entrance. "Who was it just now saying they wanted to throw out my invited guest?"

At the far end of the crowd, Edmund walked slowly toward me.

Ignoring the stunned faces around him, he extended his hand to me. "Miss Elliott, on behalf of the company, I formally invite you to join us as our top jewelry designer."

All the anger and grievance vanished in an instant, replaced by pure shock. I stared at the man in front of me, momentarily lost for words.

Edmund smiled warmly and brightly. "I'm truly sorry, Miss Elliott. It's my fault for not arranging things properly and letting you suffer such humiliation."

I came back to myself and took his hand. "Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Holt. I'll consider it carefully."

The moment Edmund stepped forward to back me up, everyone who had been shouting to throw me out fell completely silent.

Edmund looked around at the crowd. His face still held a smile, but his tone had turned distinctly displeased. "The designer of the finale piece gets accused of being a stalker. Miss Elliott is generous enough not to hold a grudge, but I can't help thinking more about it. If something like this happens on my turf, does that mean someone has a problem with me?"

The accusation pointed straight at Colton. The atmosphere in the room grew tense and awkward.

"Everyone knows Mr. Holt handles his affairs with precision and care. He must have thoroughly verified the origin of every lot. Miss Elliott already explained her reason for being here, yet she was nearly driven out. No wonder Mr. Holt feels insulted."

"Some people were still hoping to cozy up to the Walton family. Well, now they've offended the Holt family. Good luck to them."

Shirley saw that the situation was turning against her and opened her mouth to speak, but Colton grabbed her arm and forcibly pulled her away.

The farce ended. Edmund invited me to sit with him.

When the finale piece appeared, I stepped onto the stage as the official designer. My complete design philosophy and sketches proved my identity beyond doubt.

Colton watched me on stage and felt a sharp pang in his chest.

He had always believed he knew me well enough, yet everything that happened today completely shattered his understanding.

The loss of control drove him to keep raising his paddle, bidding desperately as if buying my designs could somehow give him back a sense of power.

The price climbed quickly from the starting thirty million to sixty million, only to be cut off by Edmund's direct bid of one hundred million.

Feeling my stunned gaze, Edmund spoke quietly. "The work you designed is worth every cent of that price."

I was about to reply when Colton rushed in front of me, blocking my view. "Mira, I apologize for what happened earlier. I misunderstood you. But if you have any difficulties, you can come to me. I will definitely help you. Why do you always have to get tangled up with other men?"

Seeing the anger on his face, I found the whole thing utterly ridiculous. "Colton, get this straight. We are divorced! By what right do you think you can help me? What I do has nothing to do with you anymore."

My sharp questions left him stammering, unable to respond.

Shirley was already upset. Now seeing Colton entangled with me again, jealousy burned even hotter inside her. "Last time at the car shop I already suspected something wasn't right between you and Mr. Holt. Today proved it. Mira, you really are something. Don't tell me you were already involved with Mr. Holt before you even divorced Colton."

I was about to warn her to stop dragging Edmund into this when his voice cut in.

"If we're talking about skill, I don't think anyone can compare to you, Shirley. Before twisting truths at an auction, you dragged a man who had just divorced and hadn't even finished handling his former mother-in-law's funeral to go car shopping. That's the first time I've seen a woman with that kind of talent."

Although the auction had ended, quite a few people still lingered.

His words reached them all, and contemptuous looks turned toward Shirley.

Colton, who had been watching me with complicated emotions, quickly stepped forward to shield her. "Mr. Holt, Shirley may have a sharp tongue, but isn't it too harsh to treat a young woman so mercilessly?"

Edmund gave a soft scoff, full of disdain. "I'm merely stating what I saw with my own eyes. Is that too harsh? Then isn't it even harsher for her to spread baseless rumors and slander without any proof? Or perhaps Mr. Walton feels guilty because of his own emotional cheating during the marriage, which is why you keep defending her?"

Words only hurt when they strike close to home.

At that moment Colton's face looked terrible. He was rendered speechless.

I stood to the side, the anger in my heart slowly fading, replaced by a faint smile.

At first I had only thought Edmund was upright and magnanimous, never expecting him to be so sharp-tongued as well.

Shirley's expression was even uglier.

Colton had been repeatedly crushed by Edmund tonight, leaving her exposed to everyone's judgment and utterly humiliated.

She pushed Colton away and ran off without looking back.

"Shirley!" Caught off guard, Colton stumbled a few steps, then turned to chase after her.

But after only two steps he came back to stand in front of me, his tone extremely serious. "Mira, don't accept his offer. If you want to work, I know some jewelry companies we partner with. I can recommend you."

Before leaving, he gave me one last deep look.

I nearly gagged at the cheap display of affection. My mind was already racing through ways to avoid any company connected to the Walton name.

Edmund looked a little tense.

He had waited so long for this chance. He had to seize it. He would never allow a scumbag like Colton to keep bothering me. "Miss Elliott, do you have a moment? I'd like to talk for a bit."