In fact, Nathan was completely helpless.The only one who could reach Macie was Yosef. Unfortunately, Edward had no way of contacting her.That morning, a manager came by with the product planning proposal for Edward. But after a brief discussion, it became clear that Edward wasn't in the right headspace. His eyes were red and swollen, so the manager had no choice but to leave."Mr. Levy, do you know what's wrong with Mr. Fowler?" the manager asked Nathan in the Assistants Department's office."Oh, he's going through a breakup," Nathan replied absentmindedly as he looked up from his computer.But then he realized that it wasn't entirely accurate. Macie and Edward were married. They weren't dating, so it wasn't a breakup. It was more like…Right, a divorce.Alas… A newly divorced man was bound to be a mess, especially since Edward had brought this on himself. Nathan could only shake his head and sigh.The other assistants who overheard that were stunned and the manager was equ
Macie and Julian had almost run into Edward the last time they went out. So, she suggested that they eat at a nearby restaurant this time.Julian had done his homework and had several well-reviewed options lined up.They ended up enjoying light, refined cuisine with clean and delicate flavors. When it came time to pay, Macie intended to cover it, but Julian wouldn't let her. He smiled and said, "You can treat me next time.""I think—" Macie had just started to speak when a voice came from the side, interrupting her."Mr. Atkins?"She found the voice familiar. Macie froze for a moment, then quickly turned and excused herself, saying that she had a bit of a stomachache.Julian wanted to go with her, but the person who had greeted him was already beside him. So, he could only respond politely, "Hello.""It really is you, Mr. Atkins. I'm Nathan Levy, assistant to Edward Fowler of Fowler Group," Nathan said, smiling. Then he turned slightly to look around, frowning as he searched the
"Sharon is Macie's friend. I don't know about anyone else," Edward said. "But she won't lead us to them anyway." He sighed again, clearly frustrated."Alright. Got it. I'll keep digging," Nathan replied.He was going to mention his encounter with Julian but then thought better of it. Macie had been a full-time housewife for two years. He figured that she probably didn't even know Julian. So, he decided to wait until he had more clarity before bringing it up.Once Nathan left, the office fell silent.Edward stopped eating and stared at his chat history with Macie on his phone.Unfortunately, only the recent messages from a few days ago remained. He had deleted everything else, leaving him with no memories to fall back on. A wave of sorrow and regret washed over him, and his eyes turned red again.It had already been four days, and there was still no sign of Macie. He didn't even know where she was. In this vast sea of people, it was the first time he truly understood what it felt
At first, Macie refused the random tasks she was being assigned, but her colleagues spoke with righteous conviction. "We're on the same team. You just got here. If you don't start picking things up, you're going to drag us down.""This is a chance for you to gain experience. Otherwise, how are you supposed to integrate into the team? Will you pay us back if we lose the bonus because of you?"Macie gave them a cold look. She hadn't expected to be singled out on her first day. She was on equal footing with them, so she couldn't understand why she should take their discarded tasks."I haven't even started working with the team yet. How do you know that I'll drag you down? Giving me a chance to gain experience? Are you my supervisor to be saying things like that?" Her tone remained steady as she shot back.The arrogant colleagues hadn't expected this seemingly easy target to bite back. Nevertheless, one of them huffed and said, "We're just thinking ahead. After all, you're the newbie
Macie didn't think Yosef would have given her number to Edward. After all, she had already made everything clear to him that morning. She thought that Edward wouldn't have a right to fault her for taking legal action if he had gotten her number elsewhere.Edward didn't answer her question. Instead, she could hear him muttering nonsense on the other end of the line. She lost her patience and said, "Not going to answer? Then I'm hanging up."Edward gritted his teeth and ultimately said, "I filed a missing persons report and told the police that you disappeared. Are you satisfied now?""You're insane."Macie and Edward were already divorced. She had even stepped aside for Sharon. So, why was Edward still clinging to her like a ghost that wouldn't disappear?"It's over between us. This is the last call, and there are a few things I need to set straight with you," Macie said coldly."Says who? Unless I agree, you can forget about divorcing me. Not in this lifetime!" Edward's furious v
Edward abruptly smashed his phone in a fit of rage. He slammed a fist down on the wooden desk, making the folders on it shift.He had thought that Macie was using the threat of divorce to force him to beg her to come back. But now, another man was hanging around her. She had even claimed the divorce papers were valid—that he had signed them.He figured she was still angry with him, which was why she had made it sound so convincing, even bringing another man in to provoke him.Edward's face darkened, seething with fury. He gritted his teeth and tried to contact the police officer again, ready to track Macie's exact location and show up in person.Unfortunately, as soon as the call connected, he was informed that the case had been closed. Edward froze and demanded, "Who permitted you to close it? I haven't found her yet!""Your family did. If you try reporting her missing again, it'll be treated as filing a false report," said the officer.With that, the call ended. Edward stood br
At Julian's words, Macie had no choice but to get up and pack her things. If she stayed any longer, Julian would definitely think Palmer was giving her trouble.Julian handed her the elevator access card. She thanked him and said, "You didn't have to come find me in person. You could've just had your assistant pass it to me."He looked at her. He couldn't have used it as an excuse to walk her out if he hadn't brought it himself."We're on the same floor, and it was just nearby. That's why I didn't bother my assistant," he explained.In the elevator, Macie's phone rang again. She pulled it out and saw another unfamiliar number on her phone screen. Without hesitation, she added it to the block list. However, another strange number appeared before she could put the phone back in her bag.Her grip on the phone tightened. She blocked the new number and set her phone to silent mode."Is that another telemarketer?" Julian asked. He had been watching her from the corner of his eye.Ma
Edward couldn't wrap his head around the possibility that Macie might have gone to another man. He couldn't believe that she'd do that.He was sure that she liked him. Even if it was all just to make him jealous, hadn't she made her point already? So why wasn't she coming back? How long was she planning to drag this out?Edward's eyes were bloodshot. His fingers were tightly interlocked, causing his knuckles to turn white.When Nathan entered the office, he saw Edward not doing any work. The latter was just staring furiously at the computer screen. Before Nathan could speak, he heard Edward mumbling to himself in doubt."I never signed anything. Where did that document come from?"Nathan, do you think Macie forged my signature? I'd bring files home sometimes. She must've seen it before."Nathan looked at Edward, thinking that the latter was still in denial. It seemed that Edward was trying to erase the document's existence as if he could rewrite reality. Nathan sighed."Mr. Fowl
Lucille Zimmerman's voice had gotten so loud that it caught the attention of the entire office. Macie was about to fire back, but Alice pressed her shoulder down, getting her to sit back down. "If you've got a problem with me, go ahead and report me! Instead of squawking like a parrot here, get someone from your company to deal with me. Not even your thick, cheap foundation can hide those crow's feet.""How dare you!" Lucille's anger boiled over, pissed off at the brutal insult. "Who do you think you are, coming in here acting all high and mighty like that?" she snapped, practically leaping to her feet. "I'm calling security right now. Let's see how long you last in here!"With that, she whipped out her phone, while others tried to calm her down, saying there was no need to make a big deal of it and that it'd be fine if Alice just left on her own."I was just giving them a friendly reminder. She's the one who started insulting me first! Why should I let her off the hook so easily?
As the workday neared its end, Alice grabbed her purse and clocked out a good 30 minutes early. Why was she so bold? Well, the company was her family's, and she was the heiress. Work was just a way for her to pass the time. She'd much rather do this than sit through another boring high-society tea party.She drove straight to Macie's workplace and even picked up some mini cakes on the way to surprise her.Carrying her designer handbag, dressed in an expensive and gorgeous long dress, and strutting in her stiletto heels, Alice radiated elegance from head to toe. Tossing back her voluminous curls, she approached one of the employees near the door and casually asked where Macie's office was. The woman looked up, a little starstruck, then pointed her in the right direction. After the stunning woman left, the staff member couldn't help but glance back. The fragrance she wore was so enticing. It wasn't the cheap, artificial scent, but something natural and fresh.And her demeanor defini
"Well, yeah. Weren't your families planning a marriage alliance? That would technically make Edward your fiancé… and your brother's future brother-in-law," Xavier said cheekily."I wouldn't marry that scumbag even if he were the last man on Earth!" Alice fumed."Alright, Xavier. That's enough," Sean butted in. "Our family has already called off the marriage alliance with the Fowlers."That actually caught both Xavier and Alice off guard. The latter turned to Sean and asked, "Wait… you only said you wouldn't force me before. But it's officially called off now?""How are we supposed to go through with the marriage alliance after the scene you made with Edward last night?" Sean inquired.A smile immediately broke across her face. She would've made a scene with Edward a long time ago if she'd known that it was all it took to break off the engagement."Hold on, I smell gossip. What happened last night? What did you and Edward do, Alice?" Xavier asked, clearly intrigued."Ask my broth
Meanwhile, Xavier Marlowe leaned back in his leather chair, with one leg casually crossed over the other, as he flipped through the freshly printed documents his assistant, Miles Thatcher, had just handed him in Marlowe Law Group. The pages still carried the faint warmth and scent of fresh ink."Mr. Marlowe, are you sure you want to take this case? You'd be going up against the Fowler family," Miles reminded him."Why wouldn't I be? It's a lawyer's job to stand up against injustice." Xavier set the documents down, his lips curving into an amused smile. "There's been a lot of buzz in the upper circles about Edward's divorce lately. I never thought I'd end up representing his wife. What a small world… This is going to be fun."Miles watched his boss with a knowing expression. He could already tell that Xavier wasn't interested in the case. He just wanted front-row seats to the drama.He had already asked around with a few other firms. Macie had reached out to them, too, but none of t
Macie pressed her lips together. Edward had mentioned two days ago that he'd hired an entire legal team. She didn't think he was serious, let alone that he'd move this fast.She removed Nathan from her blocked list and gave him a call. When he picked up, she said, "Thanks for the heads-up. I'll find a lawyer in the next couple of days."He responded, "No problem. Mr. Fowler is taking this seriously. He even threatened to ruin his lawyers' reputations if they lose."Macie's expression turned colder after hearing that. Nathan had clearly risked a lot to warn her. He was still Edward's assistant, so he asked her to keep it to herself. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I won't tell anyone. I won't even tell Mr. Fowler Senior until the case is officially filed."Then, she inquired, "Was this what you were trying to tell me when you called last night? Sorry I missed your call.""Oh, no, that wasn't it," he responded. "Mr. Fowler went to your apartment complex last night, and the securi
The next day brought more clarity and another shocking revelation."Mr. Fowler has already held a meeting and laid out a plan to acquire the company Ms. Smith is currently working at, Mr. Fowler Senior," Nolan reported. "I reached out to the company's owner, and they confirmed it, saying they're currently trying to fight off the acquisition."After hearing that, Yosef's expression congealed. He hadn't expected Edward to take things this far. He couldn't believe that Edward was so hung up on Macie that he would buy out Julian's company."As for the incident with Ms. Hart, things are a bit more complicated," Nolan added. "Just as you suspected, Mr. Fowler wasn't just out for a drive last night. He was off doing something else."When Yosef learned that Edward had harassed Macie all the way to her apartment building and even forced his way in before the police dragged him off, he was so furious that he started coughing uncontrollably. "Go… to the company and… shut down the acquisitio
Yosef barked over the phone, "Edward and Macie's divorce isn't even final yet, and you were already rushing to arrange a marriage alliance with the Hart family. Did you seriously think that Edward would thank you for that? Don't give me that 'I did it for his own good' bullshit! You were clearly looking for your own gain!"After being chided by his own father, Bennett's face darkened. Clutching his phone tightly, he shot back, unwilling to back down, "Do you think your precious grandson will forever be grateful to you? You're doing the exact same thing you did to me—forcing him to marry someone he doesn't even like! The only difference is that, at least, my ex-wife came from a reputable family!"Yet, you made him marry an orphan with no notable background and no family to speak of. Careful, or one day he might realize the truth and hate you so much that he won't even show up at your funeral!""Y-You ungrateful little bastard!" Yosef was shaking. He was about to curse at Bennet when
Back when the Hart family tried to propose a marriage alliance to the Fowlers, they found out that Edward was already married. Now, the Fowlers had brought up the idea of an alliance again, claiming that he was already divorced.Diana had always wondered why the marriage hadn't been made public two years ago. The Fowlers were the kind of family that cared about social standing. Would the bride's family really agree to a hidden marriage? But after learning who Edward's ex-wife was, things started to make more sense. She figured that the elders of the Fowler family must have disapproved of the match altogether, so they skipped all the formalities. In the end, their marriage only lasted two years."Either way, Edward's not a good man," Sean added. "Alice said he was violent and that he put his ex-wife in the hospital with fractured bones. Also, do you remember his cheating scandal a while back? He nearly got her killed in a gas leak while trying to pressure her into a divorce."Every
Alice's words stunned Macie. The latter simply looked at Alice. She wondered who had the guts to trash-talk Alice and if it was another heiress from the same social circle."Do you need my help?" Macie asked.Alice shook her head. "It's better if you don't get involved. If you show up…" She paused. "You might get dragged into this, too. Don't worry. I can handle it."If Macie joined her in exchanging insults and Edward showed up mid-argument, he would drop his temper in a heartbeat and start groveling like a puppy. Alice felt gross when she thought about that. It'd be like watching a pig roll around with her prize-winning cabbage.So, she kept going toe-to-toe with that mad dog Edward. She called him out publicly and stirred things up in the socialite group chat. Her goal was to tarnish his reputation and warn the other women before anyone else was fooled by his polished mask and rotten core.That night, Edward's reputation was in ruins. Within their circle of elite families, he