No sooner had the words been spoken than Cherrie fixed Alaric with a piercing stare, her eyes boring into him as if trying to extract some hidden truth."What? You bought a house? Alaric, are you hearing yourself? After three years of barely scraping by, you can afford property? You couldn't even buy a closet in this market!"Cherrie was furious. The sheer audacity of this useless son-in-law spinning such tales at a time like this!Him? Buy property?She'd paid half for his and Jade's wedding home herself!With Olympus Reach prices now reaching twenty to thirty thousand per square foot!And he claims he can afford it?"Mom, I actually had some family savings when I married Jade. The purchase was recent. If you and Dad would like to stay there, I can arrange it immediately," Alaric replied evenly.Even Gavin, who'd been fiddling with antiques nearby, couldn't ignore this anymore. He snorted, "Alaric, your mother criticizes you for being unsucce

When Alaric heard Jade's voice, his expression darkened instantly, his gaze locked fiercely on Isolde.Isolde merely smirked at him and said with a mocking smile, "Hello Jade, this is Isolde."The line went dead silent."What do you want?" Jade's voice turned cold, clearly angry.Instead of answering immediately, Isolde kept her eyes fixed on Alaric and said softly, "Have you ever wondered how Jade would react if she discovered your true identity?"Alaric's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white as he growled, "Isolde, you're playing with fire and you'll get burned!"Alaric was both anxious and furious. He despised being threatened!"Alaric," Isolde said, tilting her chin defiantly, her eyes gleaming with challenge, "Surely you know me by now. The more dangerous the game, the more I enjoy it."Then, addressing the phone again, she asked, "Jade, what kind of man do you think Alaric is?"Jade hesitated only a moment before replying imme

"Alaric's ex-fiancée?!"Jade's heart pounded violently. Her pale hands white-knuckled the fabric of her skirt, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at Isolde before lowering her gaze, lips trembling faintly.How could this be happening?She was Alaric's ex-fiancée.Why had he never mentioned her?Jade's mind whirled with turbulent emotions, thoughts in complete disarray. Desperately trying to steady herself, she gulped down a large mouthful of coffee.Isolde's lips twisted into a cold, triumphant smirk, revealing her inner satisfaction as she continued, "Alaric and I were childhood friends. Seven years ago, he disappeared from our engagement ceremony without explanation. Now I discover he's married with a child."Each deliberate word made Jade feel like she'd committed some crime.They'd known each other since childhood.As a woman, Jade understood the agony of being abandoned at one's own engagement ceremony.T