Audrey’s face lit up with a twisted excitement. “Liza, you can’t leave! Not until you’ve given up your title as Mrs. Liza. Do you seriously believe you’ve won Gavin’s heart? Look at yourself—you’ve been nothing but a doormat for us. Has Gavin ever come looking for you? He doesn’t love you, Liza. Stop fooling yourself!” Liza’s steps faltered for the briefest moment, but she quickly regained her composure and continued walking, her pace steady and unhurried. Seeing this, Audrey’s sneer deepened. “Don’t think you can get away so easily. Today, not only will you apologize, but I’ll make sure you leave the Stone Family for good!” Before Liza could respond, a sudden, loud crash echoed through the room. Instinctively, she turned around to find Audrey sprawled on the floor, blood trickling down her forehead. Her once-pristine clothes were now soaked in crimson, the sight almost theatrical. Audrey looked up at Liza with tear-filled eyes, her expression pitiful and weak. “Miss Susanza…” Audrey’s voice trembled as she spoke. “Please, I beg you, let me go. I was wrong… I shouldn’t have fought with you over Gavin. I shouldn’t have argued with you. You’re right—I’m just a mistress. Please don’t take this out on me. Just let me live!” The commotion drew the servants, who burst into the room in a panic. “Miss Audrey! What happened? Are you alright?” They rushed to her side, lifting her carefully as her blood continued to stain the floor. Audrey was a favored guest of Lady Edna, and any harm coming to her in this household could mean severe consequences for them all. Madam Thelma arrived moments later, her face a mask of fury and concern. “Audrey! What happened to you?!” Her gaze snapped to Liza, sharp and accusing. “You vile woman! Are you so consumed with jealousy that you would harm Audrey? How can someone as cruel as you exist?” Audrey, her face pale and smeared with blood, feigned composure. “Aunt… please don’t blame Miss Susanza. It’s not her fault. I—I’m to blame. This is all my fault…” A servant, desperate to avoid any blame herself, pointed an accusing finger at Liza. “Miss Susanza, Madam only asked you to apologize. How could you take it so far and hurt Miss Audrey? Just you wait—Lady Edna won’t let this go. You’ll face the consequences for this!” Liza stood silently, her gaze fixed on Audrey’s forehead. The wound was deep, and the blood loss was significant. It was obvious Audrey had staged this entire scene, but the extent of her self-inflicted injury left Liza wondering. Is this what she’s willing to do for a man? Is this really worth it? Her thoughts were interrupted by Madam Thelma’s anguished cries. “Seize that wretched woman! Take her to the Stone Family’s main house immediately! She must be punished for what she’s done. I’ll make her pay for what she did to Audrey!” Liza’s eyes flicked between Audrey, who now wore a faint, self-satisfied smirk beneath her feigned pain, and Madam Thelma, whose blind loyalty fueled her rage. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation at the absurdity of the scene before her. Liza understood all too well that no matter what she said or did, the blame would inevitably fall on her. Even though she hadn’t laid a finger on Audrey, they would twist the situation to suit their narrative. These people weren’t interested in the truth—they only cared about what fit their assumptions. Realizing there was no point in defending herself, Liza decided to stay silent. Arguing with them would only waste her time and energy. What baffled her most was Audrey’s willingness to harm herself just to frame someone else. Women like Audrey and Serena seemed to have no limits when it came to pursuing the men they wanted. They would go so far as to inflict pain on their own bodies, all in the name of love—or what they believed to be love. If this is what love looks like, Liza thought, then isn’t it terrifying?The servants eventually dragged Liza into a small, dark room. As they locked her inside, Madam Thelma fussed over Audrey’s injury. Her face was pale with worry, her heart aching as she fretted over Audrey’s bloodied forehead. In her concern, she failed to notice the faint, triumphant smirk that flickered across Audrey’s face. Left alone in the pitch-black room, Liza calmly assessed her surroundings. She wasn’t worried. A room like this wasn’t enough to trap her. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she fished out her phone from her pocket. The signal in the room was blocked, but with a few swift taps, she bypassed the restrictions and connected her device. For a moment, she hesitated. Should she contact Gavin? The thought lingered, making her frown. She didn’t need Gavin to solve this; she was more than capable of getting herself out. Still, the fact that her first instinct was to think of him irritated her. When had she developed such a dependency? It was a dangerous habit, one she needed to break. Shaking off the thought, Liza opened her Albert’s contact profile instead. She distracted herself by tackling unfinished work, skimming through documents and approving tasks. Keeping her mind busy helped her regain focus. She’d been spending too much time around Gavin lately—that had to be the reason he was invading her thoughts at every turn. Meanwhile, rumors about Liza’s supposed attack on Audrey spread like wildfire throughout the Stone household. Whispers traveled quickly, reaching George, who immediately felt a sense of unease. He rushed to Gavin’s office, his voice tinged with urgency. “President Gavin, Madam has been locked in the dark room. Lady Edna intends to punish her.” Gavin froze mid-action, then abruptly raised a hand to halt the ongoing video conference. Without hesitation, he rose from his chair and strode toward the door. “She’s still in there?” “Yes,” George replied quickly. “As soon as I heard, I sent someone to get her out, but—” “I’ll handle it myself.”Gavin’s expression was unreadable, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes. He didn’t need details; the mere thought of Liza being locked in that room made his chest tighten. It was as though an invisible force was gripping his heart, squeezing until he could barely breathe.