“Whatever. Just tell the people at Betrico to stop tracking my information. If it happens again, there will be consequences. Yvette slid her hands into her pockets, opened the door, and walked out.


    After she left, Simon sat on the couch for a full ten minutes, motionless. His expression shifted as he wrestled with hist thoughts, and finally, he seemed to reach a decision. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and walked over to the office phone, dialing the number for Betrico.


    The phone rang several times before a deep, seasoned voice answered. “Simon, do you have news about Siren?”


    Simon hesitated, his tone heavy. “Yes, Mr. Owens. L… I have news about Siren.


    They spoke for nearly half an hour. By the time Simon hung up, his hand ached from holding the receiver. He sighed, reflecting on the conversation.


    James had repeatedly emphasized not to pressure Yvette. He insisted that once his current experiment was finished, he would personallye to Seacrity. In the meantime, James urged Simon to make Yvette’s life asfortable as possible-


    her in any way, whether in her studies or daily life.


    support


    Simon let out a bitter chuckle. Yvette’s refusal to join the physicsb wasn’t some coy act. James had asked him to try to


    convince her.


    “But convince her with what?’ he wondered. ‘Money? She casually handled deals worth 100 million dors. Mr. Kirk from Sky Nimbus even offered her shares, and she couldn’t have cared less. Power? Jeremiah clearly had his sights set on her, and who could challenge his influence?


    ‘And Yvette herself? She didn’t care about money, power, or fame. If she did, she would have revealed her identity as Siren long ago instead of waiting for me to ask, he thought.


    James sounded desperate, and Simon knew that if it weren’t for the importance of the experiment, he would have rushed back from Betrico by now. But even if he did return, Simon doubted the oue would change. He sighed again, staring out the window of his office.


    Meanwhile, at the Carter residence, Robert and Yulia sat before avish dinner spread, but neither touched their food. They wore tight expressions, especially Robert, whose features hardened with anger.


    Yulia sat silently, afraid to make a sound. Robert had hit her many times in the past, especially in the early years when he took out his frustrations on her after dealing with ude.


    As their children, Victor and Reba, grew older, Robert had cut back on the physical abuse-at least in front of them. But behind closed doors, Yulia still asionally bore the scars of his rage. Over time, she had grown used to it, enduring in silence.


    Suddenly, Robert threw his fork down, the loud tter startling Yulia. Her flinch only fueled his anger. ‘Other men’s wives support their husbands and help them with their problems. And what does she do? Spa treatments, poker games, shopping. What good is she for? Robert thought


    He made Yulia go find Yvette to break off the engagement. She had been dragging her feet and still hadn’t done it, which only fueled Robert’s anger. He red at her, his tone sharp. “Have you talked to Yvette about ending the engagement yet?


    Yulia’s face went pale. She had hesitated to speak to Yvette, partly out of respect for her friendship with Lilian. She didnt want to embarrass Lilian’s daughter, which is why she had dyed her visit.


    But deep down, she knew Robert would never allow Victor to marry Yvette-someone with no talent, no connections, and no real support, especiallypared to someone like Winona After a long pause, Yulia stammered, “Since she’s Lilian’s daughter, maybe we could want a litle longes-”


    Robert cut her off sharply, his voice dripping with venom. “Quit wasting time! Lilian’s been dead for how many years now? She didn’t care about her daughter when she ran off with Zachary and abandoned the Chambers family. So why are you pretending to care now?”


    He continued, “Lilian gave up her title as Mrs. Chambers. Do you think that’s our problem now? Get your things together and go to Argrol University. I heard Yvette’s in the physics department. Go straight to her and settle this once and for all.”


    Robert’s frustration boiled over. This entire mess stemmed from ude’s insistence that Victor marry Yvette,plicated further by a marriage contract Lilian had drawn up years ago. Lipless Yvette agreed to void it, the arrangement would stand.


    But Robert had no intention of letting Victor marry her. After Winona’s apprenticeship ceremony next week, Robert nned to let Victor propose to her. He wanted all of Seacrity to know that the Carter family had secured such a prestigious match with Winona, thest student epted by the Art Association president.


    As for ude, Robert had already decided to act first and deal with the falloutter. By then, it would be toote for anyone to object.


    Trembling with fear, Yulia quickly nodded and stood up, grabbing her purse from the couch. She didn’t want to linger, terrified that Robert mightsh out again. “Wait!” he called.


    Yulia froze, her voice barely above a whisper. “What is it?”


    Robert looked at her with disdain. She seemed old, timid, and weak. She couldn’tpare to the vibrant energy his younger mistress exuded. Take the engagement letter with you. Have Yvette sign it. If she does, this whole thing ends.


    He added, “If she refuses, offer her a check-whatever she wants, within reason. Just get this done before it messes with Victor and Winona’s wedding ns. After next week’s ceremony, I’ll make the engagement official.”


    It was clear Robert had already made up his mind. Yulia had no choice but toply. She went upstairs to retrieve the engagement letter, then called for the driver to take her to Argrol University.


    At the university’s physics department, Yulia hadn’t told Victor about her visit. She hoped to handle the situation quietly and avoid embarrassing Yvette. After asking around, she finally found her way to the ssroom.


    Yulia had seen pictures of Yvette beforehand. She resembled Lilian, who was stunning with a cool, aloof demeanor. But as Yulia peered into the room, she didn’t see Yvette anywhere. Someone with her looks would stand out in any crowd. Unsure what to do, Yulia nervously paced outside the door.


    Bonnie and Andrew had just finished lunch and parted ways with John. On her way back to the ssroom, Bonnie noticed a woman in her forties standing at the door, looking lost. Curious, she approached with a friendly smile. “Hi, are you looking for someone?


    Yulia turned to see a cute youngdy, clearly a student. She smiled politely. “Yes, I’m looking for Yvette. Do you happen to know her!”N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Bonnie nodded, thinking to herself, “Why is everyone after Yvette today? She then replied, “Yeah, I know her. She should be on her way back from the Principal’s office. Would you like toe in and wait?”


    Flustered, Yulia quickly shook her head. “No, I’ll just wait out here. But thank you for the offer.


    Just then, Bonnie’s gaze drifted down the hallway. She pointed, and Yulia followed her line of sight. When she saw who was approaching, her expression froze.