Seaworth City's upper crust gathered for Richard's birthday celebration the following day. It would start in three hours, but many guests had already arrived.

Everyone arrived in expensive cars; an Uber pulled up, standing out like a sore thumb. The guests were stunned when they saw who got out of the vehicle.

"What's going on? Has Giselle fallen so far that she has to take Ubers now? Didn't Jonathan arrange for a car to pick her up?"

"…Man, she's a mess. The Grant family kicked her out, and she's yet to marry Jonathan despite already being 25. I bet they're not going to walk down the aisle together."

The guests erupted into whispers around Giselle. Their gazes were either excited or pitying. They couldn't wait to see her humiliate herself.

She didn't care, though. She went straight to see Richard. When she arrived outside his door and raised a hand to knock, she heard the conversation inside.

"You're about to be married soon, Jonathan. You need to watch yourself and make sure you act properly when you're in public," Richard said sternly. His warning was clear.

Jonathan stood before him, his head lowered so his emotions were concealed. No one could see though what he was thinking. He said, "Charlotte and I are just friends, Grandpa."

Richard glared at him. "Just friends? Even best friends need to keep appropriate distances from each other! Why don't you tell me what you and Charlotte were doing earlier?"

"I was just tidying her hair because it was a little messy. You know Gigi is the one I have feelings for, Grandpa," Jonathan explained. He didn't think there was anything wrong with his earlier actions.

Richard smacked him with his walking cane, furious at his words. "If you really like Gigi, you should hurry up and marry her! It'll be too late for regret when someone else snaps her up!"

Giselle didn't hear Jonathan's response. She knocked on the door and interrupted the conversation. "Hi, Grandpa."

"You're here, Gigi." Richard's angry scowl immediately turned into a bright smile when he saw her. He beckoned at her to come closer.

Giselle didn't spare Jonathan a glance as she brushed past him.

"Jonathan must've picked out this gown for you, right? It fits you perfectly." Richard didn't notice Jonathan's expression darken as he complimented Giselle.

At five feet and five inches, Giselle was considered tall among women. The gown was simple yet luxurious—the off-shoulder design made her neck look long and slender. It also showed off her delicate collarbones. She even had a matching diamond necklace on.

Her long locks were tied back in a bun; a few stray strands framed her face. Her makeup was done exquisitely. She was the same person she'd always been, but something felt different.

Jonathan clenched his fists and suppressed his rage. Giselle told Richard the gown was from a friend before switching the subject, afraid he would probe further.

After chatting for a while, Richard brought the subject back to Jonathan and Giselle's wedding. He said, "You and Jonathan aren't young anymore, Gigi. When do you guys plan on marrying?"

"Jonathan and I have already—"

She wanted to say they'd already broken up, but Jonathan cut her off. "Mom said she's arriving soon, Grandpa. I'll take Gigi to see her."

Giselle wanted to refuse, but he gripped her wrist tightly. She frowned.

Richard watched them fondly. "Go on, then."

Once they left the room, Giselle shook Jonathan off. The corridor was silent—they were alone there. She asked, "Are you going to keep this a secret forever, Jonathan?"

"I told you Grandpa can't be agitated after just having surgery," he said impatiently. His sharp gaze landed on her, and he narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't you wear the gown I sent you?"

The one Giselle had on now looked simple, but the quality and workmanship were top-notch. One would've had to spend at least six figures on it. As far as he knew, she couldn't afford anything like it.

The Grant family couldn't care less about her, and she never used his money. With her salary, she probably couldn't even afford scraps. Someone had to have bought it for her.

Jonathan's face was scarily icy. He and Giselle stood face-to-face, the tension palpable.

She said calmly, "We've already broken up, Jonathan."

Her eyes, which were usually filled with love for him, were now stoic and devoid of emotion. Jonathan's heart ached for a split second, but he suppressed the unfamiliar feeling. He said, "You must be in such a rush to end our relationship because of the asshole who got you this gown."

He sounded so sure of himself that it was as if Giselle had cheated on him.

In the next second, she slapped him hard. Shock and rage overwhelmed him. He glared at her, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Giselle trembled with rage. Her palm was red, and it stung from the slap. Her gaze was filled with fury. "You're the one who betrayed our relationship, Jonathan!"

She thought about the things she'd seen the other night. Her stomach turned again, and she paled. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "It's Grandpa's birthday celebration today, so I don't want to make things nasty. Don't piss me off."

She'd always been the weaker party in this relationship. Everyone knew she loved him—he thought so, too. Anyone else would leave Jonathan, but not Giselle.

Now, however… reality had given him a slap to the face. The Giselle before him was so unfamiliar that it was as if he'd never known her.

She turned and left without a look back, running into Charlotte when she turned the corner. The latter's outfit and style were almost identical to Giselle's, but their demeanors differed.

Charlotte looked good when she stood alone, but with Giselle by her side, it felt like she'd copied the latter's style.

Charlotte concealed the jealousy in her gaze and was about to speak when Giselle strode past her without sparing her a glance. Her face turned steely with anger.

…

Giselle didn't take the minor event to heart. Soon, the birthday celebration officially commenced. She found a deserted corner to hang out at.

Jonathan went on stage to give a speech as the Lawson family's representative. Then, Richard took the stage. He was still a little weak after recovering from a major illness.

He searched the crowd after a few sentences and soon located his target. "Why are you standing so far away, Gigi? Come to me."

Being called in public made Giselle feel self-conscious for a moment, especially when countless gazes landed on her. The Lawsons had differing opinions of her, but the Grants… Their expressions were hideous.

Giselle straightened the hem of her gown. As soon as she took a step, she felt a force holding her back. Then, she heard the sound of material being torn.

"Oops. Sorry for accidentally stepping on your gown." The woman sounded gleeful.

The hem of Giselle's gown fell to her ankles. When tugged on, it tore at the thigh, vaguely revealing her flawless skin.

She turned to see a familiar face—Jonathan's sister, Vivian Lawson. Vivian had picked on Giselle countless times in the past, but Giselle had chosen to grin and bear it for Jonathan's sake.

Now, however… Who did Vivian think she was?

Everyone waited to see Giselle make a fool of herself.

Vivian gave her a challenging look, but a bad feeling arose inside her when she saw Giselle grabbing a drink from the table. Then, Giselle poured it on her, making her scream. Her expensive gown was immediately ruined.

"Oops. Sorry about that. My hand slipped." Giselle raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Her bold action made the spectators gasp. Vivian screamed, "Are you insane, Giselle?"

It was Richard's birthday celebration, so Giselle didn't want things to get too nasty. She looked at Vivian and said matter-of-factly, "It really was an accident."

Vivian almost exploded at that. Giselle had to have done it on purpose!

She charged at Giselle, but Jonathan appeared and caught her. He frowned and growled, "That's enough, Vivi! It's Grandpa's birthday today—you'll get an earful from Mom if she sees you like this!"

Vivian's eyes reddened with grievance. "You saw her, Jon! She poured that drink on me on purpose! Make her apologize!"

The situation ended up in a stalemate.

Charlotte stood beside her parents, Harold Grant and Linda, and watched things play out. The earlier jealousy and resentment she'd felt dissipated.

When she looked around and noticed all the Lawsons focusing on the scene, she knew this was a great chance for her to leave them with a good impression. With that thought in mind, she told Harold and Linda to wait there for her. Then, she headed over to Giselle and the others.

"Say something, Jon! Make Giselle apologize to me!" Vivian whined when Jonathan didn't say anything.

Charlotte stepped forward to help. "Vivi's only a child, Giselle. She couldn't have meant anything bad by it, so you're at fault here. We're at Mr. Lawson Senior's birthday celebration—don't cause trouble."

From an outsider's perspective, there wasn't anything wrong with her words. Vivian was only 17, so she was indeed still young. Meanwhile, Giselle was 25. It was rather narrow-minded of her to be so petty.

Instantly, reproachful gazes landed on Giselle. Jonathan also looked at her and said, "We can sweep this under the rug once you apologize to Vivi."

Vivian smiled smugly at Giselle now that someone was backing her up. In the past, Giselle probably would've been saddened by this. Now, she only found it laughable.

She stood up straight, her expression serene as she smirked. "I already did, didn't I? Sorry for the slip of the hand."

Her tone was lazy and languid. There wasn't anything apologetic about it.

Charlotte reached out to tug on Giselle, but the latter looked at her like she was trash, making her stop. Her hand hovered awkwardly in midair. However, she soon regained her composure and said, "Mom and Dad can't help you if you continue like this, Giselle."

"Have they ever helped me with anything?" Giselle looked like she'd heard a joke. Her gaze turned contemptuous, and she bristled.

The situation turned into a stalemate again. Giselle didn't want to waste any more time on them. Vivian, no matter how brainless, was still a member of the Lawson family. Though Richard was partial to Giselle, she didn't want to put him in a tough spot.

Everyone watched as she tore her gown at the spot it had ripped. The long gown instantly became a short one, revealing her long legs.

Jonathan's expression turned hideous. "Giselle!"

She ignored him and headed to Richard. He looked at her. "Gigi…"

"I have to leave to attend to something urgent, Grandpa. I'm sorry about this." She first expressed her regret before handing him the present she'd prepared.

He saw through her but didn't stop her. All he said was, "I'll have Jonathan drop you home."

Leaving alone and being sent home by the Lawson heir were two different situations. Though Richard didn't mention anything about the incident, his actions made it clear that he was on Giselle's side.

Charlotte gritted her teeth. What right did Giselle have to receive such treatment when she'd stolen her life? Richard was turning senile in his old age!

She resented that. When she saw that Jonathan and Giselle were already at the entrance, she hurried after them.

…

Giselle stopped outside the villa. "I'll give you three days to break the news to your grandfather, Jonathan. I'll do it if you can't."

Jonathan still looked furious. His gaze darkened when he looked at the hem of her ripped gown. "Are you that desperate to sever ties with me?"

She stared at him before smirking. "We don't have to go that far. All you need to do is end things with Charlotte."

He fell silent. His first reaction was objection and refusal. Just as he was about to speak, Giselle said, "I know you're going to say you're just friends, but tell me—what sort of friends end up in bed together?"

Jonathan's feelings toward her had gradually diminished over the past seven years. Perhaps he didn't realize this, but Charlotte had become his priority since she'd appeared in his life.

He kept claiming they were friends, but they were just using that as an excuse to flirt and be amorous. Jonathan had to admit that he enjoyed the process. He could experience the thrill of being with someone new without taking responsibility for her.

At the same time, he had a loyal fiancée waiting to marry him. It was too bad she'd woken up now. This made him feel like things had spiraled out of his control, so he'd reacted the way he had when Giselle had asked to call off their engagement.

Jonathan scowled. He'd just parted his lips to speak when Charlotte joined them. She walked over and stopped beside him, her stance natural and practiced. "Jonathan."

Her tone was familiar and affectionate—it clearly showed there was something between them.

From Giselle's perspective, Charlotte was issuing her a challenge. However, she merely lowered her head to call an Uber. She had no intention of playing Charlotte's game.

Charlotte said, "Should I have the Grant family's driver take you home? He's still the same guy. You should know him."

She sounded earnest. It was almost as if she genuinely cared about Giselle.

Giselle sneered. "Nah. You can keep those disgusting things for your own use."

There was an undercurrent to her words, which pissed Jonathan off. His temples throbbed in anger, and he wrapped an arm around Charlotte's shoulders. The sudden action surprised her before filling her with joy.

Jonathan watched Giselle closely. "I'll tell Grandpa about us calling off the engagement. You'd better not regret this."

Giselle smiled. "I won't."

Her gaze was calm. Despite seeing him with his arm around Charlotte, she didn't show any jealousy. All Jonathan saw in her eyes was dislike and disgust.

They remained like that for a few minutes until an expensive car approached. When they turned to look at it, they saw Chester Fordham get out.

He was handsome, and his black coat made him look even more so. His eyes glinted behind his gold-rimmed glasses, and his demeanor was composed and sure. He oozed regality. His gaze was dark and unfathomable as he looked at Jonathan.

Jonathan released Charlotte and said coolly, "Uncle Chester."

In truth, Chester was only four years older than him. Moreover, whether in terms of capabilities or status, Jonathan was constantly in Chester's shadow.

Chester nodded in response. Jonathan glanced behind him. "Where's Mom? Hasn't she returned?"

She'd told him over the phone that morning that she was at the airport. She should've already landed but was nowhere in sight.

"There was an emergency, so she couldn't come back." Chester turned to look at Giselle. "Why aren't you inside?"

"I need to head home to attend to something urgent. I'll visit some other time," she said. Her answer was infallible.

"Are you waiting for an Uber?"

She nodded after a brief hesitation.

"I'll send you home, then."

Giselle, Jonathan, and Charlotte were surprised by Chester's words. When had he ever been so enthusiastic to help someone?

As far as Jonathan remembered, Chester had always been cold and aloof. He'd migrated abroad after turning 18 to focus on scientific research; he'd never been close to anyone.

Now, however, he was offering to drop Giselle home?

Jonathan frowned, suddenly feeling wary. He said, "I can drop Giselle home myself, Uncle Chester."

"It's Mr. Lawson Senior's birthday celebration. You have plenty to do." Chester's pointed gaze traveled between Jonathan and Charlotte as he smiled a little icily.

Charlotte clenched her fists, feeling uneasy. He was so oppressive. Were he and Giselle on good terms? Her mind started running wild, but her thoughts were mostly still on her jealousy toward Giselle.

Chester ignored Jonathan and Charlotte. He opened the backseat door and said, "After you, Ms. Stone."

Since things had reached this stage, Giselle had no reason to turn him down. She got in.

Jonathan's expression was hideous as he watched Chester and Giselle leave together. His mood was the worst it had ever been. When had the two of them been on such good terms?

As he pondered this, Charlotte's voice rang out. "Giselle is really something—getting close to another man in front of her fiancé. She has no boundaries."

…

Chester and Giselle sat on opposite ends of the backseat. There was enough space between them to fit a couple more people.

She kept her gaze lowered as she gathered her thoughts and wondered what to say. He watched her delicate side profile, his gaze restrained and controlled.

He was the first to break the silence, but his tone was so cool it was hard to tell how he felt. "Did you and Jonathan get into a fight?"

She had no intention of hiding the truth from him and said truthfully, "We've already broken up."

She paused, then continued, "Also, thanks for the gown. I'll transfer the cost to you later."

"Nah, don't bother. I bought it as a gift for you."

Silence descended upon the car again. As the driver drove steadily, Giselle nervously turned to look at the scenery outside. Her mind was on Chester.

She and Jonathan had been together for seven years, so they'd already met each other's parents. Chester was the only member of Jonathan's family that she'd met after returning from the student exchange program abroad.

It was also then that she'd discovered he was Jonathan's uncle. To keep everyone from misunderstanding, she'd acted like they didn't know each other. He'd played along instead of revealing what had happened when they'd met abroad.

"You can always come to me for help if there's anything you can't resolve," Chester suddenly said, pulling Giselle out of her reverie.

"I can handle it myself." Her rejection wasn't too harsh.

He didn't push her. He waited until she'd entered the building before telling the driver to turn the car around. Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from a man. "How long will you stay there before returning here, Chet?"

"I'm staying here for good."

His tone was relaxed and light-hearted, but it shocked the person on the other end of the line. "Wait, what? Don't do this, Chet! The project is so close to completion! Hold up—you haven't gone to look for her, have you?"

He had put an emphasis on "her". Anyone close to Chester knew there was a woman in his heart. He'd been single for 29 years, so this sudden love interest was baffling to everyone.

Just as they thought he was going to make things official and introduce her to them, he told them she had a boyfriend. How had they reacted at the time? They'd been lost for words, even gobsmacked.

As the youngest son of the Fordham family and being born late in his parents' lives, Chester had basically been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Countless people were envious of him. There were enough women interested in him to form a circle around the world, yet he'd fallen for someone who was taken.

Because of that, Chester's friends had once thought the woman who held his heart didn't realize what she had. Later, however, they'd learned that she was his nephew's fiancée.

"She's broken up with him," Chester said. Just those words were enough to convey his delight. He was in a great mood now.

"You don't actually believe that, do you? Don't get mad at me for being blunt, but do you think a seven-year relationship can end just like that?

"They might've just gotten into a fight over something and temporarily called it quits. You'll be the fool here if they eventually kiss and make up," his friend said.

There was a long silence after that. Ultimately, Chester narrowed his eyes and said coolly, "She won't do that."

…

During the three days after Richard's birthday celebration, Giselle received a reluctant apology from Vivian and a barrage of calls from the Grants. She ignored them and blocked all of them.

It was a cloudy day when she met her client, Emma Jones, at a restaurant. The latter was a beautiful woman in her 20s. She was exquisitely dressed.

"You've seen all my details, right? Can you tell me the answer now?" Emma asked.

Giselle hesitated. The tarot reading had shown that Emma and her husband's future looked bleak. In fact, the relationship wasn't far from ending.

"Has he been acting abnormally lately? For instance, has he suddenly shown a renewed enthusiasm toward you?" Giselle decided to take the indirect approach. She observed Emma's expression as she spoke.

Emma thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, he has. He proactively shares his day with me now and picks me up from work daily."

"Do you find that normal?" Giselle asked.

Emma met her calm gaze, suddenly feeling hesitant. Was it normal? It probably was…

As she deliberated that, Giselle said truthfully, "I don't recommend mending this relationship, Ms. Jones."

Tarot cards were only a tool to provide assistance. When combined with what had happened in real life, there was only one answer—Emma's husband had already fallen for someone else.

Emma frowned. "Why?"

Giselle interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them, smiling faintly. "Do you have the time to go somewhere with me?"

…

Giselle brought Emma to a club. "I hope you'll forgive me for investigating your husband's whereabouts without your permission. He's in room 311. Do you need me to head inside with you?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Wait for me outside the room."

Giselle nodded. They headed inside, and she leaned against the wall while listening to the situation inside the room. She was unfazed by the chaos inside.

She'd been in this line for a few years now, so she'd seen more than she cared to. She didn't doubt a person's genuineness but knew it was something that could change in the blink of an eye. No one could escape that.

A surprised cry pulled Giselle out of her reverie. Worried that something had happened to Emma, she pushed open the door and headed inside.

The first thing she saw was Emma pulling Charlotte's hair.