Jardine's steps echoed like thunder as she barged into the family's mansion, her eyes narrowed with fury. The servants who noticed her fierce aura scattered like miles as she walked pass them. Getting to the living room, she found her mother who flinched in fear at her mood. "Jardine! What the hell, is everything okay?" Rowena asked with a frightened look. She's never seen her daughter that way before. "No. Everything isn't okay!" Jardine yelled. "Where are they? Where are Grandpa and Grandma? They caused this! They asked me to go out there and get humiliated!" She looked around the room, and just like they had morphed out of her thoughts, her grandparents came scuttling down the stairs. "Jardine? What's the yelling for? Why screaming like that? Her grandmother, Vienna, questionedJardine had to take a deep breath to avoid screaming at her grandmother as well. "I went to Adira's office, like you all wanted. And guess what she did to me? That bitch forced me to kneel with a promise of letting everything go. I believed her! I thought she was honest enough to keep her word. So, I did it! Despite how humiliating it was, I swallowed my pride and forced myself to kneel before my husband's ex-wife! For minutes, she kept me on my knees while she crossed her hands and told some stupid story. I looked just like a fool before her! And in the end, she rejected the damn proposal! She told me to my face that she'd make me suffer! Do you know how humiliating that was?" Everyone watched with keen attention. They knew Jardine too well and knew she was deeply hurt at that moment. A tear trickled down her face. "My pride was hurt, mother. That woman humiliated me and threatened me in the end. Now, I feel so stupid!" "Well, you caused it." Mr. Remington grumbled. "She's obviously doing all this because she hates you. If you had learned to stay away from..." "Dad, please," Rowena chipped in. "She's been scolded enough already. Let's just come up with a solution now, alright?" "What solution is there to come up with?" Vienna asked. "For moths, we've tried reaching out to Adira. We've sent her countless emails and even tried meeting her in person. But none of it has ever worked. I'm afraid we're just doomed right now." Silence descended afterwards. Mr. Remington sighed wearily and found himself a seat. "I hate her," Jardine sniffed, dabbing some of the tears from her face. "I hate Adira so much and want her to pay for the humiliation she brought me today." "Hey, you better not do something stupid. We're still trying to fix this mess of yours, alright?" Mr. Remington warned, but Jardine didn't even look at him. "Don't worry, father; she's just very upset," Rowena sighed. "Since we can't win Adira's heart, there might just be another way."All eyes turned on her, including Jardine's teary eyes. "What do you mean?" Mr. Remington inquired curiously. "I... I can't tell you yet until I've finalized the plan. But I'll try to make it work." Rowena answered. "Just let it out, Rowena. What plan are you talking about?" "Please," Rowena sighed. "Just trust me and be patient, okay? It's going to be a risky plan, but let's see how it goes." ****†****†****†****† Adira closed her eyes, her head leaned on the car seat as they drove home. For the first time in a long time, she felt so happy. So fulfilled. It was more like an empty space in her heart that had been filled to its rim. Recalling how Jardine had knelt in front of her brought her so much joy—the way her head had lowered and her legs had trembled. It was the most satisfying sight Adira's had to see in the past two years. She wore a long smile the whole time until they got home and the driver pulled to a stop. Bonnie didn't accompany her home that day because there were no extra bags to carry. So she vacated the car and proceeded into the mansion. She knew Nikolai wasn't home yet; his cars were still missing from the parking lot. Logan had left for the day already, but Yvonne was there to welcome her. "How was work today, ma'am?" She asked as she helped Adira take off her necklace. "It was awesome," Adira answered with a smile, still reminiscing on the memories. "Hm. This is the first time you've answered that question with a smile. Did something special happen, ma'am?" Yvonne noted. She was done with Adira's necklace and went over to the dresser to return it."I think so," Adira smiled again. "I had a really good time today." "Wow. Mind to share?" Adira shook her head and laughed. "Don't worry about it, Yvonne. I'll just keep it to myself." She stood up and turned towards the bathroom. "Uh... ma'am, I'll be stepping out to get a few things from the mall. Should I set the table for you?" Yvonne asked. "Yes, please." Adira walked into the bathroom, into the jacuzzi, and took a long bath. When she was done, she got into her closet and changed into one of her pajamas. She still had a smile on her face as she brushed her damp hair in front of the mirror before walking out of the room. Getting to the dining room, she discovered dinner had already been set and figured Yvonne must have left the house already. So she took a seat and began eating alone.*** After a long time, she was done eating and was about to leave when she heard the doorbell ring. Her brows arched, because she was aware that Nikolai would never ring the bell before coming in, and neither would Yvonne. Could it be a visitor? But at this late hour? She was utterly confused because Nikolai rarely got visitors. Who could it be? The bell rang again.