Chapter 6

The scene turned bloody, and Michelle rushed forward to grab Clarence's arm, tears streaming down her face. "Clay, stop! You'll go to jail if someone dies!" Her mind was in chaos. She hadn't expected him to step out for the restroom. She certainly hadn't thought these men would be so useless and fail to get the job done after all that time. Clarence regained his composure. He scooped up Laura, who'd curled into a ball, and held her close, his face showing both raw anguish and dark fury. Back home, Laura stayed silent, curling up tightly into herself. For a full week, he never left her side, doing everything he could to make her smile. He stood in line for five hours to get her the Westford shortbread she loved. She'd once said that she wanted him to paint countless portraits of her, so he painted a hundred. And when she mentioned a concert, he ignored the risk of revealing his wealthy family background and got them the closest seats to the stage. He even managed to get an autograph for her. Laura watched him go to great lengths to appease her, but her heart remained unmoved. One afternoon, as she looked out at the lush green trees out the window, she picked up her phone and sent the surveillance footage from outside the restroom to the police. Michelle's powerful background meant nothing now. With irrefutable evidence staring her in the face, she had no way to fight back. The police quickly arrested Michelle. Before Laura could even hear the good news, the authorities called. "Ms. Sullivan, your boyfriend signed a letter of non-prosecution on your behalf. We've already reprimanded Ms. Gibson..." Laura didn't hear a word they said afterward. Before she could end the call, Clarence stormed into the bedroom, his face twisted with anger. "Mimi had no idea those six men were hiding in the restroom! How could you just call the police and have her arrested?" Laura clenched the bedsheet, her tears falling before she could hold back. She'd meant to demand answers from him, but her words came out as a soft, frustrated whimper. "Clarence! Get it straight who your girlfriend is! I was almost assaulted! And yet you're scolding me? You keep taking her side!" Tears streamed down her face. He realized he'd been too harsh, and his tone gradually softened. "I forgot to tell you before. Mimi was the only one who treated me kindly when I was a kid. She's not just some random person—she's like family to me." Every word he spoke was still in Michelle's defense. "You said that after your grandma passed, you had no family left in the world." Caught in his lie, Clarence looked surprised. It was the first time Laura had ever talked back to him. He ran a hand through her hair, his expression conflicted. "Let's just move past this, Laura. Can't we go back to how things were?" She scoffed and turned away, refusing to answer. He stood by the bed, his heart in turmoil. If anyone else had sent those men to attack Laura, he wouldn't have thought twice about putting them in jail. But it was Michelle. He had no choice—he had to protect her. That evening, while Clarence was cooking in the kitchen, Laura received a message from Michelle. She'd sent a photo showing expensive gift boxes stacked everywhere inside a lavish villa. One entire wall was lined with jewelry. "Laura, don't you get it? In four years, he hasn't spent a single cent on you. Meanwhile, the gifts he's given me are worth millions." "Take the last incident as a warning. Stay away from Clay!" Clarence noticed her staring at her phone and leaned over to look at it. He caught a familiar profile picture just before the screen went dark.