Liza's lips curved into a faint smile, her gaze calm yet piercing. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the butler couldn’t hold back any longer. "Madam," he interjected firmly, "this is simply unreasonable. You’re asking Young Madam to vacate the master bedroom and suggesting Miss Sophia share a room with Young Master? Let me remind you, Young Madam and Young Master are legally married." His gaze shifted briefly to Sophia, his tone laced with quiet disapproval. "Even if you’re trying to push someone toward him, this is not the way to go about it." The moment the term Young Madam left the butler’s lips, Lady Edna slammed her teacup onto the table, her expression darkening. "Young Madam?" she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you really think she’s worthy of such a title? Butler, you’ve been away from the old residence for too long and seem to have forgotten your place. And as for you, Liza, if you have even an ounce of self-awareness, you’d understand that you and Sophia are worlds apart. The difference between you two is as vast as heaven and earth!" Her voice grew sharper as she continued, "The third floor is not somewhere someone like you belongs. I’ve been generous enough to allow you to stay here at Longwan Residential, but the master bedroom? That’s far beyond your station. A person like you should be content with a servant’s quarters. You’re lucky to even set foot here. Aren’t you afraid of overstepping your boundaries and getting crushed under the weight of your own foolishness?" Lady Edna raised her chin arrogantly, her finger pointing imperiously toward the servants’ rooms. "I’ll give you a final chance. Either pack up and leave the master bedroom willingly, or I’ll personally see to it that you’re thrown out." Liza narrowed her eyes, the faint smile fading as her gaze turned steely. Was this woman seriously threatening her? Sophia, standing to the side, bit her lip delicately and added in a soft voice, "Lady Edna, don’t say such things about Miss Liza. She’s the eldest daughter of the Sinclair Family… The one they brought back from the countryside.""What?" Lady Edna’s expression twisted further in disgust. "You’re from the countryside? No wonder your behavior is so uncouth!" She pinched her nose theatrically, as though Liza carried some infectious disease. "Even if you were a proper young lady from the Sinclair Family, you’d still low in comparison to Sophia. Someone like you is only fit to carry her shoes." Lady Edna straightened herself, her voice brimming with condescension. "Liza, listen closely. Sophia is gracious enough not to stoop to your level. I suggest you start treating her with the respect she deserves. Once she marries Gavin, she might even be kind enough to spare you a place to hide your face!" Sophia lowered her gaze demurely, saying nothing but exuding a calculated vulnerability that invited sympathy. In that moment, Liza finally understood Sophia’s game. This woman had returned to the villa not out of desperation but because she knew exactly how to play her cards. All Sophia had to do was shed a few tears, and people like Lady Edna would rush to her aid, bulldozing anyone in her way. It was the same with her own parents, Mr. and Mrs. Meng. They would clear every obstacle from her path, leaving Sophia free to wait quietly for her prize—Gavin. "Lady Edna…" Sophia gently tugged on Lady Edna’s sleeve, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Please, don’t make things too hard for Miss Liza. Brother Gavin will be upset if he finds out." She then turned to Liza, her expression a perfect blend of pity and guilt. "I’m so sorry, Miss Liza. Lady Edna doesn’t mean any harm. She just speaks her mind—it’s one of the things I admire most about her. Spending time with her is so refreshing because she doesn’t sugarcoat her words or beat around the bush." Liza blinked slowly, her expression unreadable. Refreshing? she thought. This woman’s audacity truly knows no bounds. Being blunt and being outright vicious were worlds apart, Liza thought, her gaze cold and unwavering. Lady Edna, however, seemed oblivious to her own behavior. She affectionately patted Sophia’s hand and said with a warm smile, “You’re the daughter-in-law I’ve always wanted. No one else will ever compare.” Her tone turned icy as she shifted her focus back to Liza. “As for you, Liza, I know why you’re clinging to this place—it’s all about money, isn’t it? A poor girl from the countryside like you has probably never seen wealth like ours, let alone lived in a house this grand. You’ve been blinded by luxury, and now you shamelessly cling to Gavin, hoping to take advantage of him. You’re nothing more than an opportunist masquerading as his mistress.” Lady Edna’s lips curled in disdain as she added, “But if it’s money you want, I can solve this problem easily. I’ll give you five million to leave Gavin and get out of this house for good.” Ah, so she finally resorted to throwing money at me, Liza mused silently. But five million? That was laughable. If anything, it showed how little Lady Edna thought of her. Liza wasn’t lacking money—far from it. She could easily make tens of millions from a single project if she wanted to. This wasn’t about wealth; it was about power and humiliation. Lady Edna clearly wanted to degrade her by offering such a pitiful sum.Liza’s lips curled into a faint smile as a sudden idea formed in her mind. If Lady Edna wanted to humiliate her, perhaps it was time to turn the tables. But before she could respond, a calm, authoritative voice interrupted her thoughts. It came from upstairs, deep and resonant, carrying an air of unquestionable dominance. “Mistress?” Gavin’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. His figure appeared at the top of the staircase, his peach blossom eyes cold and emotionless, and his lips curved into a faint smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “She’s my legal wife. We’ve been registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau. How exactly does that make her my mistress?” The room fell into a stunned silence. Gavin’s words landed like a thunderclap, leaving Lady Edna momentarily speechless. Her face twisted with anger as she struggled to respond, but Gavin’s icy gaze stopped her in her tracks. He wasn’t finished. Turning his attention to Sophia, his tone grew even colder, his words laced with unmistakable mockery. “And you…” His eyes bored into Sophia, who visibly shrank under his piercing stare. “You know exactly why I went to the Civil Affairs Bureau that day. You know full well who I intended to marry, and it wasn’t you.” Sophia’s face drained of all color, her previously composed demeanor shattering in an instant. Her hands trembled as she bit her lip, unable to meet Gavin’s gaze. The room’s atmosphere was stifling, the weight of Gavin’s words leaving no room for argument. Liza leaned casually against the banister, watching the scene unfold with quiet satisfaction. If Lady Edna and Sophia thought they could intimidate her or humiliate her, they had clearly underestimated the man who stood beside her.