Chapter 136 Andrea didn’t stop to breathe. The moment Gracie disappeared with her parents, her face pale and her eyes hollow from humiliation, he turned and hurried after his own family. His footsteps echoed down the marble hallway of the event center, each one fueled by anger, fear, and the stubborn determination building in his chest.“Mom. Dad. Please—wait,” he called out.Mrs. Veronica paused first, her elegant posture stiff with unease. Mr. Konstanio turned slowly, his expression unreadable. Maria lingered beside them, her face already twisted with worry.Andrea stepped in front of them, his voice thick with urgency.“That wasn’t Gracie’s fault. All of that—what you saw—it was a setup. She’s innocent.”His mother exhaled shakily, rubbing her forehead. “Andrea… you think I didn’t feel something was wrong too?” she whispered. “When it happened, my first thought was that someone was trying to sabotage her. But then that man came forward. He showed us supposed evidence. And Gracie…

Chapter 138After the call ended, Gracie lay motionless on her bed, still clutching the pillow. The room felt heavy, filled with silence and unspoken fears. But somewhere under that suffocating weight… a seed of determination had been planted.Sofia’s words echoed in her mind.“Kindness comes back. Sometimes late, sometimes messy… but it comes back.”Gracie wiped her tears, sat up slowly, and took a deep breath. She wasn’t okay — far from it — but she wasn’t completely alone.That mattered.A soft knock at her bedroom door startled her.“Gracie?” her mother called gently. “Sweetheart, please open the door.”She didn’t respond right away. Shame still wrapped her like a second skin. But after a moment of hesitation, she forced herself to get up and unlocked the door.Her mother stepped inside, eyes red, face lined with worry. Behind her stood Mr. Astor, consoling but stern, as if he wanted to shield her from the whole world but didn’t know how.“Baby…” her mother whispered, pulling her

Andrea didn’t even remember walking out of his office.His body was moving on instinct — fueled by adrenaline, anger, and a desperate need for answers. The elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside alone, pressing the button to the underground parking lot with trembling fingers.His heart was beating too fast.Too loudly.Someone wanted to destroy Gracie.Someone planned every detail.And he had almost let them win.As the elevator descended, he ran a hand through his hair, his jaw set with a fire he had never felt before.Anyone who touched Gracie…Anyone who dared to humiliate her…He would burn their world to ashes.The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Andrea strode into the parking area. His car beeped as he unlocked it, but before he could open the door, his phone vibrated again.A message from Ethan:ETHAN (Cybersecurity):Andrea, I finished the first analysis.Call me ASAP. It’s bigger than we thought.Andrea immediately called.Ethan picked up after one ring.“A

The man’s hands shook uncontrollably as he swallowed hard, his eyes darting around the room like a cornered animal.“Okay… okay!” he finally stammered. “I’ll talk! Please… just don’t—don’t hurt me!”Andrea’s expression didn’t soften. Instead, his eyes darkened even further, a storm brewing inside them.“Start talking,” he said slowly, each word measured and precise. “Who sent you? Who orchestrated everything?”The man’s lips quivered. “It… it was Laura. Miss Laura. She… she said she wanted to… to ruin her—uh, Gracie. She said… she said she wanted her humiliated at the engagement party. She… she promised me money… lots of money…”Andrea’s hands curled into fists at his sides. He could feel his teeth grinding. Every muscle in his body tensed, but he forced himself to stay in control. There was no yelling, no violence — not yet. He needed the truth, and he needed evidence.“How much?” he asked, voice low and deadly calm.“She… she promised fifty thousand cash… if I did everything… if I b

Chapter 142Laura’s screams echoed down the hallway, but Andrea didn’t slow down.He walked out of the conference room, shoulders stiff, heartbeat rapid, anger still burning under his skin. His men dragged Laura behind him as she continued to cry, beg, and call his name.But Andrea didn’t turn around.Not once.She had stepped on a landmine the moment she targeted Gracie.And now she was facing the explosion.As they moved through the building, employees and interns froze in confusion. Some gasped. Some whispered. Some stared wide-eyed as Laura— usually the proudest, loudest, most arrogant intern—was dragged through the hall by security.“Is that… Laura?”“Why is she being escorted like that?”“What happened…?”Andrea didn’t answer anyone. He simply walked ahead, jaw clenched, eyes fixed forward.When they reached the lobby, Laura dropped to her knees again.“Andrea! PLEASE!” she cried, loud enough to draw attention from everyone in the entrance hall. “Don’t send me to the police! I’l