Mason hurriedly chased after her and pulled her into his arms.

"Linda, don't. I agree. But it doesn't necessarily have to come to that."

"I can go find Bella and talk to her."

Linda’s eyes brightened.

"Right. If Bella is disobedient, then we’ll find her parents. Yes, we can control her parents, forcing her to listen to us. Mason, quick, quick, have someone go do it."

Mason, holding Linda, stiffened.

But in the end, he nodded in agreement. "Fine, let’s go find Bella first."

Chapter 18

Mason soon tracked down the hotel where Bella was staying.

The two of them barged in directly.

When Bella opened the door to see Mason and Linda, it was too late to shut it.

Mason and Linda forced their way in.

"Bella, we’re here today because we want to have a talk with you." Mason spoke first.

"You’ve received the shares, and you promised that we would owe each other nothing."

"What if I went back on my word?" Bella said dismissively.

"You..."

"You what?" Bella interrupted Mason.

"When you and I entered into our contract marriage, you also said you wouldn't let me be harmed or suffer any grievances, didn't you? And yet, you failed to do so. I’m simply learning from you."

Linda couldn't help but interject:

"Bella, don't be too arrogant. We’re here today to give you a chance. As long as you agree to drop the lawsuit, admit that the evidence was fabricated, and admit that you were the one slandering Mason and me, we won't hold it against you."

Bella pulled the corner of her mouth up ever so slightly:

"Linda, how exactly do you want to hold it against me? Do you want my life? Come and take it, then. See if I’m afraid or not."

"You!" Linda, enraged by her attitude, shouted,

"Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Do you think that with Ethan backing you up and those so-called pieces of evidence, you can take us down?"

"Let me tell you, in business, interests come first. As long as we offer Ethan a little sweetness, he will sell you out."

"If that were the case, why would you bother coming to see me?"

If they had already reached an agreement with Ethan, they wouldn't have come to her.

Seeing Bella wouldn't budge, Linda continued her threats.

"You might not care about your life, but your parents back in the village—they aren't young anymore, are they? I heard their health isn't great, either?"

"Linda!" Mason’s heart jumped, and he let out a low bark, cutting off whatever she was about to say next.

He looked at Bella: "Tell me, what exactly will it take to put this matter to rest?"

Bella remained unmoved; regarding this point, Ethan had long anticipated it, and her parents were currently in a very safe place.

She ignored Mason and looked at Linda.

"I used to think you were just spoiled, selfish, and pampered. Now I realize that your viciousness is rooted in your very bones. You stop at nothing to achieve your goals, treat others like blades of grass, and can trample even on the basic bottom line of being a human. No wonder you’re capable of such insane acts as driving cars into people and drugging them to cause harm."

Linda was shaking with rage and raised her hand, intending to strike Bella.

"Shut your mouth! Who do you think you are to judge me?"

But her hand was caught by Mason.

"Mason, why are you stopping me?"

Mason felt a surge of unprovoked irritation.

"Linda, can you be quiet for a second? We are here to negotiate with Bella. Do you really have to make things even worse?"

Watching the two of them acting out their abusive yet "deeply romantic" drama, Bella’s mouth curled into a sneer:

"Mason, I really 'admire' you. So you like this kind of woman? You like this... toxic woman who is vicious, arrogant, domineering, and prone to driving cars into people or drugging them? Your taste is truly unique."

"Bella!" Mason’s face went instantly pale, as if he had been stripped naked in public, filled with shame and indignation.

He wanted to retort, to say that he wasn't like that, but everything he had done for Linda over the past three months—every single act—silently corroborated Bella’s sarcasm.

"Stop trying to sow discord here!" Linda screamed shrilly, grabbing Mason’s arm tightly, as if trying to prove something.

"The matters between Mason and me are none of your business as an outsider. Mason loves me—he loves everything about me. I’ve been like this since I was a child; if I want something, I must get it, and if I don't like someone, I won't let them have it easy. Mason knows this. He’s always known."

As if proving her special status in Mason’s heart, or perhaps because she had nothing left to lose, she actually began to count them off:

"Back in high school, a girl just sent Mason a love letter, so I had people shove her into a toilet. In college, a senior competed with me for student body president, so I had people spread rumors that she was promiscuous, and she behaved herself after that. Mason knew all of this! Every time, he helped me clean up the mess and suppressed the issues."

She grew more excited as she spoke, as if these weren't stains on her character but proof of her being favored:

"After I returned to the country, seeing you and Mason together made me sick. What if I splashed wine on you? What if I slapped you? What if I hit you with a car? Who told you to stand in my path! Mason pities me and understands me, which is why he made you apologize, hit you for me, and helped me handle the surveillance! He knows I am this kind of person, and he just loves me—loves me uncontrollably. As long as I’m happy, he’s willing to do anything!"

Mason listened to Linda’s almost insane confession, his body gradually stiffening.

Those "small matters" he had tried to forget were now being recited by Linda in such a blunt, even boastful tone, like an ugly mirror reflecting the blindness and sordidness of his involvement in this relationship.

It wasn't that he didn't know Linda was overbearing and willful; he even knew some of her little schemes weren't honorable.

But he had always made excuses for himself—she was just spoiled, she just loved him too much, and those were all harmless trivialities...

He could handle them. Even if he felt it was wrong, he couldn't bear to reproach her even once.

He had even become an accomplice to her willfulness time and time again, breaking his bottom line step by step, until it resulted in an irreparable, massive mistake.

"Enough, Linda, stop talking!" Mason finally couldn't take it anymore, his voice raspy as he cut her off, the veins on his forehead bulging.

He felt a wave of intense dizziness and nausea, not just toward Linda, but toward himself.

The Quinn family upbringing had always been to treat others kindly.

Yet for Linda... even though he had compensated those people, he...

He looked up at Bella: "Even if I’m down on my luck now, I’m not someone you can provoke. Be smart and don't do anything stupid."

"You know I still have a moral bottom line, but if you push me until my bottom line is gone..."

"And if you push it until it's gone, what then?"

The door was pushed open, and Ethan walked in calmly.

"Mason, coming to threaten your ex-wife in the middle of the night—I’m truly enlightened."

He stood beside Bella. "We’ve been fighting for so long; Bella is under my protection now. If you have any methods left, use them—I, Ethan, am ready for whatever you bring."

"Ethan, in the past, our conflicts were merely commercial, but by getting involved, you’ve made it a vendetta between our families." Mason said coldly.

Ethan didn't care.

"Bring it on."

"Then let’s wait and see."

Mason left a final threat and walked out with Linda.

Chapter 19

Only Bella and Ethan remained in the room.

"Thanks for just now," Bella said, very sincerely.

Ethan didn't respond immediately. He walked to the table, casually picked up a clean white porcelain cup, and poured himself half a cup of lukewarm tea.

The misty steam dissipated before his eyes, blurring the look behind his glasses.

"I should be the one thanking you." He sipped the tea, then looked up at Bella. His tone was calm and waveless, yet it made Bella’s heart jump slightly.

"Thank me?" Bella frowned in confusion.

In this game of chess, she appeared to be Ethan’s "partner," but the initiative had always been in the hands of Ethan, who had the power to overturn clouds and rain.

What did she have that was worth his thanks?

Ethan didn't explain directly. He set the teacup back on the table with a crisp, soft click.