Derek watched Kristine's tearful, fragile appearance and listened to her trembling accusation, his expression darkening immediately. Displeasure gathered heavily between his brows as the disgust in his eyes toward Leanna deepened.
"Leanna, you've crossed the line!"
He hurried to Kristine's side, carefully helping her to her feet while soothing her gently in a voice filled with concern.
Yet when Derek looked back at Leanna again, all that remained in his gaze was cold disappointment.
Faced with that accusing stare, Leanna found the entire situation absurd beyond words.
"Derek, before condemning someone, at least learn the truth first. Kristine threw herself down—I never laid a hand on her." Leanna lifted her hand toward the surveillance camera mounted above the courthouse entrance. "If you doubt me so much, then check the footage yourself."
Her steady composure and unwavering confidence were nothing like the meek obedience she once showed, leaving Derek momentarily stunned.
The woman who used to bend herself to accommodate his every desire now felt completely unfamiliar to him.
Kristine's expression stiffened slightly beside him. Just as Derek seemed ready to investigate, she quickly caught hold of his sleeve and softly shook her head. "Derek, it's really unnecessary to make such a fuss over this. I never wanted to hold anything against Leanna in the first place. Let's just forget about it."
Leanna's eyes cooled as she retorted sharply, "What exactly do you mean by 'not holding anything against me'? This had nothing to do with me from the beginning. I simply wanted certain blind people to stop refusing to see the obvious truth."
"That's enough! Kristine already said she doesn't want to pursue it further!"
Derek shot Leanna a warning glare filled with irritation.
Although anger showed clearly on his face, confusion churned beneath it.
When had Leanna transformed into someone so completely different from before?
Leanna let out a cold laugh before turning away without another glance.
To her, Derek was simply a man incapable of distinguishing truth from lies. In one more month, once the divorce waiting period ended, she would sever all ties with him forever.
Leaving the courthouse behind, she headed straight to meet Averie, and together they soon arrived at Sunrise Mall.
The entire shopping center belonged to Leanna.
Averie's lively personality made silence impossible, and she chatted nonstop with visible excitement the entire journey. "Boss, tell me honestly—am I hallucinating? You're finally dumping that useless burden named Derek?"
Even while bubbling with excitement, Averie still gave Leanna a detailed and efficient breakdown of the mall's recent operations.
"Boss, this boutique specializes in ultra-luxury handbags—it's the most exclusive store in the entire mall. Want to go inside and browse?"
Stopping in front of the storefront, Averie rubbed her palms together eagerly, practically glowing with anticipation.
Leanna gave a small nod before stepping through the doors.
By pure coincidence, Derek and Kristine were already inside. Hoping to improve Kristine's mood, Derek had brought her to the most luxurious handbag boutique in the city to buy whatever she wanted.
As Kristine leisurely examined the handbags on display, she spotted Leanna entering from the opposite side of the store. Her gaze also swept toward the young woman accompanying her.
The girl appeared barely in her twenties, dressed in a black leather jacket paired with a short skirt and knee-high combat boots. Her cropped hair was dyed a striking electric blue, and her rebellious aura made her stand out instantly.
A flicker of disdain surfaced in Kristine's eyes. In her mind, anyone close to Leanna could only belong to the lowest sort of crowd.
Pretending she had only just noticed them, Kristine drifted toward Leanna with exaggerated surprise. "Leanna? What are you doing here?"
She glanced around theatrically before reaching out as though to usher Leanna toward the exit. "You really shouldn't stay here. The handbags in this boutique are extremely expensive—far beyond what you can afford. If you humiliate yourself, I won't be able to help you."
Even while she was speaking those seemingly considerate words, the ridicule in her smile remained impossible to miss.
Averie instantly stepped in front of Leanna protectively. "Open your eyes properly, Kristine," she snapped. "My boss could purchase all the bags in this boutique without even blinking!"
"I understand wanting to save face, but there's really no need to exaggerate so shamelessly."
Kristine maintained a sympathetic expression, though the sarcasm laced through every syllable was unmistakable.
Derek's gaze immediately turned cold.
Meanwhile, Leanna remained perfectly composed, as though none of this affected her at all.
At that moment, a flamboyant male voice rang loudly from the entrance. "Pack up every handbag in this store immediately! They're all gifts for the gorgeous Ms. Dunn!"
Both Derek and Kristine instinctively looked toward the door and saw Liam Nelson—the young heir of the Nelson Group—swaggering inside. Dressed entirely in luxury brands, he carried the arrogant confidence of someone born into immense wealth.
The moment Liam noticed Derek and Kristine staring at him, a mocking grin spread across his face as he sneered openly, "What a surprise. I was wondering who could possibly be foolish enough to underestimate our Leanna. So it's Mr. Shaw along with the mistress hanging off his arm."
The words "our Leanna" echoed sharply in Derek's ears.
Shock flashed across his face. Since when did Leanna know Liam? Judging by Liam's tone, the two of them were clearly far closer than ordinary acquaintances.
For some reason, the thought ignited a fierce irritation inside him. Turning toward Leanna, he demanded darkly, "What is this supposed to mean, Leanna? The divorce hasn't even been finalized yet, and you're already rushing to find your next man?"
