Chapter 4

A strange irritation clawed at Harrison's chest. He had never seen Nora look at him with such frigid indifference.

He stepped forward to grab my hand, but I dodged him cleanly.

"There are cameras everywhere here. I won't waste my breath explaining."

Harrison’s hand froze mid-air. After a long silence, he rasped:

"Nora, I know it wasn't you. I know the kind of person you are."

I raised an eyebrow, slightly relieved.

So he wasn't completely beyond redemption.

Yet his very next words made me want to laugh out loud in rage.

"But Chloe went as far as hurting herself to frame you. That shows how triggered she was. She's jealous of our relationship. She's relied on me since we were kids, and she just had a bad breakup. I'm terrified she might do something reckless."

"So, just swallow your pride and apologize to her. She's basically a child. If you just coax her a little, this will all blow over."

Slap!

Pushed past my limit, I slapped him across the face.

"I don't know if she acts like a child, but she's definitely a master manipulator. And our marital home is gone. Why don't you buy that house in Riverview Estates for her? Because what she really wants isn't a roof over her head—it's everything that's yours!"

Harrison's face darkened instantly:

"You're talking out of anger again! We went through half the contract! How could you be willing to let me give that house to someone else?"

Before he could say more, his phone blared shrilly.

"Hello? Is this Miss Chloe Vance's family? Her emotional distress triggered a fainting spell. Her vitals are unstable. Please come over immediately."

Harrison's brows knit tightly. Without another glance at me, he spun on his heel and rushed out.

My mood completely ruined, I brushed off my jacket as if dusting off filth.

A warm pair of hands gently settled on my shoulders from behind. It was Alexander. That long-lost sense of security instantly washed over me.

That night, Harrison bombarded my phone with calls and texts, every single one demanding that I apologize to Chloe. Expressionless, I blocked his number.

Furious, he spent the next few days playing devoted caretaker at the hospital. He flaunted hiring top designers and buying luxury gifts for Chloe.

Rumors swirled through our social circle, with everyone assuming they were rekindling their old flame. Friends and acquaintances poked around to see how I was holding up.

Meanwhile, I was completely absorbed in decorating the new estate with someone else, not giving them a second thought.

"Alright, that's enough."

On the day we were originally supposed to sign the closing papers, I accidentally answered an unknown number. It was Harrison.

"My assistant told me you hired movers. I know you still want that home."

"Go apologize to Chloe first. I promise we'll look at new developments next month."

His voice dripped with arrogant certainty and nauseating charity:

"Otherwise, who knows how long this will drag on? Do you really want all those design sketches of yours to rot away?"

I let out a dry laugh:

"You're worrying for nothing. My housewarming party just wrapped up. Everyone said my new home is gorgeous."

Harrison frowned, laughing mockingly:

"Housewarming party? I'm sitting right here in my office. Who on earth are you throwing a housewarming party with?"

Before he could finish, I hung up.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky was bright and clear, yet an unbearable restlessness seized Harrison’s chest. A creeping sense of dread took hold of him.

Suddenly, his eyes caught the massive LED billboard on the commercial center across the street.

A breaking news broadcast was playing on the local financial channel.

It was the headline about the city's newly risen business titan, Alexander Sterling, purchasing the ultra-luxury property: The Sovereign Estate.

Harrison’s breath caught. On the screen, Alexander had his arm wrapped intimately around a radiant, smiling woman. That woman was me.

The scrolling ticker at the bottom read: [Sterling Group CEO Alexander Sterling Moves into The Sovereign Estate with His Beloved Wife, Nora. Sources Say the Luxury Estate Was a Secret Gift for His Bride.]

A loud explosion seemed to detonate in Harrison's head. Something snapped completely.