It was after midnight when Arthur returned home. As expected, Mia was sitting by the door waiting for him. The moment she saw him, she rushed forward piteously.

"Arthur, I know you're angry. It was my fault. I just love you too much, that's why I told those lies. Please, give me one more chance."

Her eyes were brimming with tears.

Leo followed close behind, immediately chiming in: "Yeah, Dad! Auntie Mia did it for your own good. Besides, that Wicked Witch already has another kid—why are you still helping her?"

The thought of that little girl calling Clara "Mama" made Leo incredibly resentful, pushing him even further into Mia’s camp.

Mia perked up at the mention of the "Wicked Witch." "You went to find Clara?"

Her sharp tone made Arthur lift his head, scrutinizing her. "You’re unhappy about that? Does it concern you who I look for?"

Mia quickly changed her tune, forcing a smile. "I'm not unhappy. I'm just envious of Clara for having such a wonderful husband."

Arthur opened the door. Leo, as usual, kicked off his shoes with a loud, crashing thud.

"Did your mother never teach you to be mindful of your noise?" Arthur asked darkly.

Leo’s lip trembled, and he burst into a loud wail: "Why are you being mean to me!"

As he spoke, he tried to hide behind Mia.

Arthur didn't give him the chance. He pulled the boy out and delivered a sharp slap across his face.

Leo was stunned, his eyes filling with fear. He had never seen his father like this.

But despite his fear, he still failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Wiping his tears, he choked out, "It was clearly the Wicked Witch's fault! Why are you hitting me?"

Slap—

Another blow landed squarely on the other side of his face.

This time, Leo was completely catatonic.

Mia was too terrified to make a sound. She swallowed hard and tentatively tried to intervene. "Leo is just a child, after all. You shouldn't use physical force no matter what..."

Arthur’s dark gaze shifted to Mia’s face. "I'll settle accounts with you in a moment."

He ruthlessly grabbed Leo by the back of the neck and pulled the boy toward him, clutching a handful of his hair.

Leo shrieked in pain, struggling desperately.

Arthur’s grip was far too strong for him to break. Leo howled in agony.

But there was no pity in the man’s eyes, only coldness. "When you grabbed your mother’s hair like this, did you know it hurt this much?"

He freed one hand and suddenly twisted Leo’s ear, pulling it upward. "When you yanked your mother like this, did you know it hurt this much?"

This was what he had only discovered after checking the surveillance footage.

During the time Clara spent raising Leo alone, the boy had used every vile tactic imaginable against her.

Arthur picked up a fruit knife and sliced a shallow cut into Leo’s arm. "You even dared to cut your mother with a knife?"

Leo could no longer cry; he was gasping for air in fits, looking as though he might faint at any moment.

Beside them, Mia didn't dare breathe. No matter how much Leo cried out for her, she pretended not to hear.

"Go. Kneel in front of the window. Don't you dare get up until I say so."

Leo didn't want to move and tried to sprawl on the floor.

Arthur directly kicked him over there.

Having dealt with Leo, Arthur’s gaze slowly turned toward Mia.

He stared at her face, then his eyes landed on the necklace around her neck. He reached out and ripped it off. "You don't deserve to wear something this nice."

"I saved you from that bar because you said you'd give me time. And the result? You were secretly stirring up trouble between Clara and me behind my back?"

"You actually had the nerve to send her those shameless videos and insult her? Are you really the person I thought I knew?"

He forcibly tore the necklace away, leaving angry red welts on her neck that began to seep blood.

Mia didn't dare cry or groan. She could only break down and apologize profusely: "I was wrong! I was truly wrong! I was just too anxious, that's why I did something so irrational."

"I’ll apologize! I can apologize to Clara face-to-face!"

Arthur narrowed his eyes, considering it for a moment.

But then he dismissed the idea. "Clara is disgusted by the mere sight of me now. Seeing you would only make her sick. Even I find you disgusting."

The realization that the woman he once cherished was such a toxic viper filled him with lingering fear.

Arthur lowered his eyes and said flatly, "I’ve contacted your father."

Mia’s face turned deathly pale instantly. she scrambled to his feet and shrieked, "No! Don't contact him! He’ll kill me! Arthur, you know that!"

Arthur knew, of course.

Mia’s father was a degenerate addict whose only thought was how to extort money.

If Arthur hadn't stepped in back then, Mia’s father would have sold her off piece by piece for her organs long ago.

Her father didn't have the patience for long-term profit; he only wanted quick cash.

Mia wept bitterly, clinging to Arthur’s leg. "I’ll do anything you want! Please, don't let my father come here. If he comes, I’m truly finished!"

But the only response she received was Arthur’s cold, stony expression.

The doorbell rang. Mia’s face instantly went grey, and she struggled to escape.

A man with a face full of scars barged in, reeking of alcohol and filth. He grabbed Mia and began dragging her out, muttering, "Let’s go, everyone’s getting impatient."

Once she left, it would be hell.

Mia refused to go, gripping the doorframe and looking piteously at Arthur, hoping for a shred of mercy.

Arthur turned his gaze away, unmoved.

Seeing her hands clamped onto the doorframe, the scarred man slammed the door shut with brutal force.

"AHHH—!"

Mia’s piercing scream rang out. Her fingers swelled instantly; her pinky was limp and mangled—broken.

The screams echoed through the hallway before finally fading away.

An hour later, the scarred man sent Arthur a video. In the footage, Mia was stripped bare, her mind incoherent, with not a single inch of her skin left unmarred.

He silently turned off his phone and stared calmly at the empty house.

Leo was kneeling by the window, not daring to move an inch. He had seen everything clearly through the reflection in the glass. A puddle had formed where he knelt; he had been so terrified he'd wet himself.

Is Dad crazy? How could he do such a thing? That was our beloved Auntie Mia!

"Get up," Arthur commanded coldly.

Leo didn't dare disobey. He walked toward him, trembling.

"Go with this uncle."

Arthur merely made a gesture. A man walked in from the door and picked Leo up without a word. He remained unmoved as Leo screamed and cried.

Clara, however, knew nothing of this.

At that moment, she was preparing breakfast for Lulu. Lulu was helping by her side, and the two were enjoying a harmonious morning.

Until the doorbell rang.

Clara opened the door to find a stranger—a man who looked like a local villager.

She asked warily, "Who are you?"

The man glanced into the house. Confirming there were no men present, his attitude became visibly casual. "I'm Lulu's uncle. I'm here to take her back."

Without waiting for Clara to respond, he added, "By the way, I heard her grandmother was killed in a car accident. There must have been a lot of insurance money. I'm warning you—don't even think about pocketing it."

So they had finally come knocking?

Clara shielded Lulu behind her, staring at this so-called uncle. "You say you are, but are you? I need proof of identity. If you want to take Lulu, come back with identification verified by the police station."

Such proof wasn't easily obtained; it would at least buy her a day or two.

The uncle clearly looked down on Clara. He reached out to forcibly pull Lulu away. Seeing Clara protecting her, he barged into the house, intending to use brute force.

Clara grabbed the feather duster by the door and smacked it over the uncle’s head.

Furious, the uncle raised a fist.

In that instant, Clara flashed back to the struggle in the alley behind the bar. Her body jolted, cold sweat broke out, and she instinctively closed her eyes.

The expected pain never came. Ethan shielded them firmly behind his back. He caught the uncle’s wrist and gave it a sharp twist; the man’s hand was instantly contorted.

The uncle howled in pain, threw out a threat, and fled.

Ethan turned to look at Clara, checking if she was hurt.

"I'm fine, but Lulu’s situation needs to be moved up the schedule."

Since it was a rare moment to see Ethan, Clara took the opportunity to speak. "Will you marry me?"