“Albert, do you happen to have any Healing Herbs?” Liza asked, her tone tinged with hope. On the other end of the line, Albert raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Healing Herbs? Are you serious? That’s an extremely rare herb. Why would I have something so hard to come by? And why do you need so much of it?” Hearing his response, Liza felt a pang of disappointment but quickly masked it. Albert’s curiosity was piqued. “Wait… is this about Gavin? Liza, I’ve never seen you this interested in anyone before. Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him?” Liza’s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze flickered with unease, but she denied it immediately, her tone defensive. “You’re overthinking things.” Albert chuckled, clearly unconvinced, but before he could say more, Liza ended the call. She stood there for a moment, her thoughts swirling. Had she really allowed herself to care this much about Gavin? Meanwhile, Gavin was reclining on the sofa in the living room, his eyes closed in apparent relaxation. His voice broke the silence, low and steady. “The Reed family is spreading rumors online and blaming my wife?” George, standing nearby, replied cautiously, “Yes, President. They’re claiming you abandoned Miss Sophia to marry Young Madam. Now, they’re saying you’ve cut ties with them just because of some grass. In short, they’re blaming everything on Young Madam…” Gavin’s expression remained impassive, but his gaze sharpened as he opened his eyes. “I see.” He gestured toward the contract on the table and added coolly, “In that case, terminate the agreement with the Reed family.” George froze, his breath hitching. The Reed family had clearly crossed the line by slandering Young Madam. Now, their actions had provoked Gavin into severing ties completely. “Where’s Young Madam right now?” Gavin asked. George answered immediately, “She’s in the backyard, cleaning up the herbs. I don’t understand why she’s so focused on that grass. Even if it’s ruined, she can always grow more. Unless…” He trailed off, as though the thought had just struck him. “Could the grass actually be valuable?” Before George could elaborate further, Gavin rose abruptly and headed to the backyard. In the backyard, Liza had meticulously arranged the crushed herbs on the ground. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed her sadness. Gavin approached her, his voice low and steady. “Do these herbs really mean that much to you?” Liza didn’t answer right away. Ever since she had discovered the truth about Gavin’s condition, she had been determined to help him. She had carefully nurtured the Healing Herbs from precious seeds, tending to the plants daily until they flourished. Her efforts were meant to detoxify the poison in his body, but now, everything had been ruined—by Sophia. Sensing her silence, Gavin softened his tone. “The servants responsible for guarding the backyard have already been disciplined. I…” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I’m sorry. Don’t be upset.” Liza glanced at him and shook her head slightly. “It’s not the servants’ fault. Sophia barged in with her car. They couldn’t have stopped her, no matter how hard they tried.” Her voice was calm, but there was a cold edge to her words. Sophia had crossed a line, and there was no way she would let her go unpunished. … From that day forward, the Reed family’s fortunes took a sharp downturn. Their business partnerships began crumbling as one contract after another was canceled. Anxiety spread like wildfire within the company as employees scrambled to address the sudden collapse. Grandpa Reed sat in his study, his expression dark and his frustration boiling over. He slammed the table with a resounding thud. “That’s it! We’re going to Longwan Residential!” At first, he considered taking Sophia along to offer an apology. However, the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. In his eyes, someone like Liza didn’t deserve an apology from the Reed family. He reasoned that once Gavin’s anger subsided, everything would return to normal. After all, Gavin wouldn’t completely sever ties with the Reed family over a woman. Yet, the reality was slipping out of their control. Business allies, fearful of offending Gavin, had begun distancing themselves from the Reed family entirely. Their influence was rapidly dwindling, leaving Grandpa Reed with fewer options. To make matters worse, his health was deteriorating. Plagued by sleepless nights and haunting nightmares, he often found himself jolted awake, his mind filled with visions of enemies seeking revenge. While he didn’t regret the ruthless actions he’d taken to secure the Reed family’s success, the consequences were becoming harder to ignore. But one thing was clear: he needed the Healing Herbs. Even a single stalk could ease his worsening condition. And Gavin had over a hundred… or at least, he used to. With a weary sigh, Grandpa Reed turned to his granddaughter. “Sophia, come with me to Longwan Residential. We must resolve this matter.” At Longwan Residential Liza was alerted by the commotion outside. Peering out, she immediately recognized the familiar faces of the Reed family. The butler approached her, speaking in a hushed voice. “Young Madam, the president specifically instructed that the Reed family isn’t to be allowed in, but they forced their way through. They claimed Old Master Stone gave them permission to enter.” Liza’s lips curled into a faint, icy smile. Grandpa Reed had finally run out of patience. Desperation had driven him to seek out Gavin for the Healing Herbs, unaware of the full extent of the damage caused by his own granddaughter. She thought back to the incident. Sophia had recklessly crushed over a hundred stalks of the precious herb. Not a single one remained. How would Grandpa Reed react if he found out the culprit behind this disaster was none other than Sophia herself? Inside the house, Gavin was fully aware of the Reed family’s arrival. He remained unbothered, lounging casually as if their intrusion were of no concern. Grandpa Reed approached with a forced smile, his tone ingratiating. “Gavin, we’re here today because—” Gavin raised an eyebrow, cutting him off. “Don’t you think it’s rude to show up uninvited, bringing your entire family with you?” The elder froze, his expression stiff with embarrassment. After a brief pause, he forced another smile and tried again. “There seems to have been some misunderstanding about what happened. I brought Sophia here to apologize. The relationship between our families is too valuable to end over something so trivial.” Gavin rose to his feet and walked over to face him, his calm demeanor laced with an air of authority. “Grandpa Reed, let’s not twist the facts. Your family was the one who threatened to sever ties with the Stone Family. And now you’ve come here acting as if nothing happened?” The color drained from the Reed family members’ faces as Gavin’s words struck them like a blow.