Justin didn't return that night.

Late into the night, while scrolling through TikTok, Alyssa came across a video tagged in the same city she was in.

In the video, a man was leaning over, his slender, well-defined hands tucked under hospital bed sheets.

The caption contained one simple word. "Reunion".

Even though the man's face wasn't shown, Alyssa could recognize that it was Justin at a glance.

During the year they lived in the basement rental, she had snuggled against the embrace of those hands countless nights. Of course, she could recognize them now.

It seemed that… he and Claudia had reconciled.

Perhaps Alyssa had stared at the screen for too long, for her eyes stung slightly. She turned off the screen, pulled the blanket over her head, and fell into a deep sleep.

…

Early the next morning, Alyssa was woken by noises outside.

She came downstairs to find Justin and Claudia sitting in the living room. There were several suitcases placed beside them.

When he noticed her presence, Justin cleared his throat and explained, "Claudia just returned to the country and has nowhere to stay. She'll be living here for a while."

Claudia peeked out from behind him and asked somewhat apologetically, "Ms. Lambert, you won't mind me moving in, will you?"

Alyssa shook her head indifferently and went straight to the kitchen to make herself some toast for breakfast.

This villa was purchased after Justin's company gradually got on track, so it didn't matter to her who Justin wanted to bring home.

Besides, she would be leaving soon anyway.

Claudia carried her suitcase upstairs. The next instant, an exclamation came from upstairs.

Claudia came downstairs holding a watch and presented it to Justin.

"Justin, this is the birthday gift I gave you before. I never imagined it would still be here!"

Alyssa instinctively looked at the watch. She suddenly remembered the time when creditors were hounding Justin. He had taken everything of value—the villa, luxury cars, antique collections—and mortgaged them to the bank one by one.

When it came to this watch, his eyes betrayed his inner struggle. In the end, he took it back and simply said, "Let's keep this for now."

At that time, his gaze was filled with nostalgia and reluctance.

In the three years that followed, he would often take out the watch and stare at it blankly.

Alyssa had initially thought the watch was something his family had left him. Only today did she learn it was a gift from Claudia.

He had kept it only as a memento to remember her by.

In that moment, Alyssa finally realized how laughable it was that she believed she had a place in his heart over the past three years.

For three years, he had never forgotten Claudia. Even though she had abandoned him and gone abroad, he still couldn't let her go.

All it took was her showing up, a few tears, and a vague explanation for him to forget the painful past and forgive her.

Alyssa smiled sarcastically, turned, and went upstairs without glancing at the two of them again.

…

In the following days, Claudia made herself completely at home. Her presence could be felt in every corner of the villa.

She mentioned she didn't like the gray curtains, so Justin had someone replace them with the cream-white ones she preferred.

She said the paint on the walls was too dull, so Justin had them repainted in warm tones.

She said she wanted to see Juliet roses, so he had the freshest rose cuttings flown in from abroad and transplanted into the garden.

When they'd first bought this villa, Justin was always busy with work. Thus, Alyssa had handled all the furniture selection and interior design alone.

Now, she could only watch as the traces that belonged to her were erased little by little.

Vanishing along with them was the love she had for Justin.

The day before the press conference happened to be the birthday of Lily Clark, Justin's mother.

As it was the first grand celebration since the Fullers' comeback, the event was held on a lavish scale.

In the afternoon, Justin called numerous stylists over. He also had his assistant bid for several pieces of high-end jewelry and had them sent to the house.

Claudia began directing the stylists as they rushed to place the jewelry on her.

As for Alyssa, she just looked at the jewelry in the boxes and shook her head. "I won't wear these."

Justin was momentarily taken aback, then said with a smile, "Alyssa, the company has gone public now. You don't have to help me scrimp and save anymore."

Claudia spoke up, feigning consideration. "Justin, since Ms. Lambert doesn't want to wear them, don't force her. I heard she's an orphan, so she probably isn't used to wearing such things."

Alyssa replied calmly, "Indeed, I'm not used to it."

After all, her own jewelry would often cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. She really wasn't used to jewelry worth just a few million dollars.

Seeing her insistence, Justin didn't press further.

…

By the time they arrived at the banquet hall, most of the guests were already waiting.

Justin was immediately surrounded by business partners and pulled aside to chat, leaving only Alyssa and Claudia together.

Alyssa didn't like staying with people she wasn't familiar with, so she went straight to the dessert table on the other side of the hall.

As soon as she left, all the socialites gathered around Claudia.

"Claudia, you're amazing. You just returned to the country and are already by Mr. Fuller's side once more."

"That's right. You were apart for three years, yet you can still get back together. It seems he never forgot you."

"Of course. Back in the day, Mr. Fuller was famous for doting on you."

Claudia smiled smugly when she heard this. With a triumphant glint in her eyes, she glanced covertly at Alyssa before pretending to be bashful.

"Don't say such things. I've only just returned and am staying at Justin's place temporarily. Ms. Lambert has been by his side these past three years. I'm sure Justin doesn't think of me anymore. We're just friends now."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly.

The people around Claudia looked Alyssa up and down with slightly disdainful expressions.

Those who could attend this birthday party came from wealthy and influential families, so naturally, they looked down on her as an "orphan".

They didn't lower their voices as they made snide remarks, and as such, Alyssa heard their comments clearly.

"The Fullers have made a comeback, and Mr. Fuller is the hottest rising star right now. Doesn't she know her own worth as an orphan?"

"Exactly. She just latched onto him when the Fullers were down. Mr. Fuller probably just lets her stick around out of gratitude for these years of companionship. Her status isn't befitting of the current him."

Alyssa only chuckled lightly when she heard their disparaging remarks.

Indeed, her status and Justin's didn't match. But it wasn't that she didn't deserve Justin. No, it was he who didn't deserve her.

After the birthday party officially began, everyone presented the gifts they had brought for Lily.

Alyssa also offered the emerald pendant she had prepared. Lily accepted the gift, and without opening the box to look, handed it to the staff member behind her.

She took Alyssa's hand and said with a smile, "Aly, we really owe it to you for staying faithfully by Justin's side over the past three years. I'm just happy you could come. You didn't need to bring a gift.

"Now that Justin's company has gone public, the Fullers must repay this kindness of yours. Tell me—what would you like? How about a house?"

Having grown up wealthy, Alyssa perfectly understood the true intention hidden beneath Lily's seemingly gentle demeanor.

It was a veiled warning. Her companionship for the past three years could only be exchanged for material compensation, and anything more was absolutely out of the question.

When the Fullers went bankrupt, Alyssa's arrival had moved Lily to tears. Thus, Lily had always treated her well for the past three years.

Now, with the Fullers' comeback, Lily was starting to draw a clear line.

Even Alyssa, who had witnessed her share of the world's fickleness, couldn't help but feel a surge of derision in her heart. She initially came to the birthday party just to say goodbye to Lily, but now, it seemed that wasn't necessary either.

At that moment, Claudia presented a box to Lily. "Mrs. Fuller, this is a gift for you. I hope you like it."

Upon Lily's opening of the gift box, a necklace adorned with multi-colored gemstones was revealed.

Deep down, Lily resented Claudia, the woman who had once abandoned her son. But when she saw the dazzling necklace, she couldn't help but gasp in admiration.

Claudia noted her reaction and smiled. "This is a necklace that once belonged to the Albion royal family. I acquired it abroad. The moment I saw it, I thought it would suit you perfectly."

Lily did indeed like the necklace very much. She eagerly held it up against her neck, prompting everyone around to offer her praise and flattery.

Alyssa thought the atmosphere was becoming stifling, so she turned to leave.

However, Claudia specifically called out to her. "Alyssa, what do you think of the gift I gave Mrs. Fuller?"

Alyssa looked at the necklace in Lily's hands. She hesitated briefly before calmly saying, "The design is exquisite, and the craftsmanship superior."

The triumphant gleam in Claudia's eyes darkened when she heard that evaluation.

But then, Alyssa added, "It's a high-quality counterfeit."

The word "counterfeit" struck Claudia like a blow to the head. A flash of panic passed through her eyes before she replaced it with an incredulous expression.

"Ms. Lambert, I personally bid on this jewelry. How could it possibly be a counterfeit?" she exclaimed.

Lily's expression also turned somewhat displeased at Alyssa's words.

At that moment, someone in the crowd remarked mockingly, "What would an orphan like her know? She's probably just making it up!"

Those words prompted others around to chime in.

"Exactly! Ms. Reed would never give anything fake."

"It's laughable that someone who knows nothing about jewelry dares to judge authenticity so casually."

As the ridicule grew louder, Claudia calmed down. She looked at Alyssa with contempt in her eyes.

Justin happened to finish his conversation and walked over just in time to hear this exchange. He nodded apologetically to the group.

"My apologies, everyone. Alyssa doesn't understand these things," he said.

Then, he turned to look at Alyssa. His tone sounded slightly reproachful as he said, "Alyssa, don't speak carelessly at such important events."

Alyssa didn't back down, instead looking straight into his eyes. "What I said is true."

Her mother had long since acquired the legitimate necklace, so this one was undoubtedly a counterfeit.

Claudia tugged at Justin's sleeve, saying in an aggrieved tone, "Did Ms. Lambert slander me on purpose to make Mrs. Fuller misunderstand me? All this because she dislikes me?"

Justin's eyes widened slightly with anger when he heard this. "Claudia has nothing against you. There's no need for you to act this way toward her. She just came to congratulate my mother on her birthday."

Upon hearing him immediately pin the blame on her, Alyssa stared at Justin fixedly.

She suddenly recalled a time during their startup days, when a business partner deliberately gave her a hard time. Even though it was an important partnership for Justin, he had unhesitatingly chosen to believe and defend her.

Now, the woman he truly loved had returned, so of course, his protective instincts were redirected at Claudia.

In the end, Alyssa said nothing. She simply turned and left the suffocating banquet hall. She went to the rooftop terrace to get some air, but a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Alyssa, you've seen it for yourself these past few days, haven't you? So what if you've faithfully stayed by Justin's side for three years? The person he truly loves is still me!"

Claudia shed her pretense. Her tone was mocking, which was a stark contrast to the wounded look she'd worn earlier.

Alyssa glanced up at her. Not wanting to argue with Claudia, she responded casually, "Congratulations, then, Ms. Reed."

Claudia's expression stiffened momentarily, for she hadn't expected such a calm reaction. In the next moment, she stepped forward and grabbed Alyssa's wrist with a somewhat agitated expression.

"If you know Justin loves me, why are you still staying by his side? You should have left him the moment I returned!

"You're just a poor, pathetic orphan. Why don't you look in the mirror and see if you're even good enough for Justin?"

Her sharp nails dug into Alyssa's wrist.

Alyssa instinctively tried to pull away. But Claudia held on tightly, refusing to let go.

In the midst of their struggle, Claudia's foot suddenly slipped, and terror filled her face as her entire body tipped backward.

Alyssa's pupils contracted, and she immediately reached out to try and grab her. But it was already too late.

She could only watch helplessly as Claudia tumbled down the stairs.

The loud noise attracted the attention of everyone in the banquet hall downstairs.

Justin's expression shifted when he saw Claudia lying on the floor, moaning in pain. He immediately rushed over and scooped her into his arms.

"Don't worry, Claudia! I'll call a doctor right now," he said, his voice trembling slightly with fear.

"Justin." Claudia weakly touched his cheek, "Ms. Lambert… She… didn't mean it…"

That blatant attempt at misdirection instantly shifted all the blame onto Alyssa.

Justin immediately looked up at Alyssa, his gaze piercingly cold. "Alyssa, why did you push Claudia down the stairs? Was slandering her earlier not enough?"

Alyssa subconsciously dug her nails into her palms. Even though she knew deep down that he wouldn't believe her, she still tried to explain herself.

"I didn't. She slipped and fell on her own."

Justin's expression grew even colder, and his tone hardened. "Fine. Since you won't admit it, then you can also experience Claudia's pain for yourself."

With that, he signaled to the nearby bodyguards.

Alyssa instantly felt her heart leap into her throat, and she backed away, step by step.

"If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance footage. I told you—it wasn't me," she insisted.

But Justin didn't show the slightest sign of letting up. Instead, he gestured to the bodyguards.

The bodyguards, having received the order, approached and pinned Alyssa against the stairwell. She struggled desperately, but she was no match for the strength of grown men.

The next moment, a powerful force came from behind her.

Instantly, Alyssa's world spun, and it felt as if her entire body had been run over by a truck. Warm liquid trickled down her forehead.

She lay on the ground and struggled to open her eyes, only to see Justin's back as he carried Claudia away.

A tear slid from the corner of her eye, and in the next moment, she was swallowed by darkness.