"I was supposed to meet some friends," she said softly. "But on the way there, I saw Alexander being attacked. I only wanted to help him... and then I got stabbed."

Even to her own ears, the explanation sounded weak.

Evelyn remained expressionless.

"And where is he now?" she asked bluntly. "You nearly lost your life for him, yet he’s not even here to see you."

Lilian bit her lip tightly.

Evelyn’s voice turned colder.

"I warned you from the very beginning to let Alexander go. He’s married now, Lilian. But you refused to listen."

Her eyes sharpened slightly.

"You were the one who left three years ago. You betrayed him first, yet you still refuse to let him have peace."

"Mum, you know why I left!" Lilian’s voice rose emotionally. "I was terrified Daniel wouldn’t let me go after what happened. I thought he would come after me. I was heartbroken because of Daniel’s manipulation"

"And you used that guilt to keep Alexander tied to you," Evelyn interrupted quietly. "Because he didn’t know the full truth."

Lilian froze.

"Now he does," she whispered bitterly. "And he wants to send me away."

The words broke whatever restraint she had left. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed helplessly.

"After all these years... after everything... he’s choosing to abandon me because of Alicia."

Deep down, Lilian knew many things had started because of her own choices.

But she still believed that if Alicia had never appeared, she would have found her way back to Alexander eventually.

Instead, she had ended up here—alone and discarded.

Seeing her daughter cry so miserably, Evelyn’s expression finally softened.

No matter what Lilian had done... she was still her daughter.

And perhaps, somewhere deep inside, Evelyn blamed herself too. After their father’s death, she had raised both children alone. Maybe she simply hadn’t raised them well enough.

"Stop crying now," Evelyn said gently. "I brought your favorite."

She opened the container and began feeding Lilian spoonfuls of fish soup.

Gradually, Lilian calmed down.

But behind her lowered lashes, her thoughts remained restless and bitter.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Alicia.

About how everything had changed after her appearance.

"Alexander’s heart is no longer with you, Lilian," Evelyn said quietly. "He has a wife now... and he loves her."

The words struck like a knife to the chest.

Still, Lilian kept her expression neutral.

Unaware of the thoughts brewing beneath the surface, Evelyn continued softly, "I think it’s best if you return abroad. Your career can still thrive there. I’ll visit you whenever I can."

Lilian nodded obediently.

But inwardly, she had no intention of giving up so easily.

She knew her mother would never support her, which was why she pretended to agree.

After their father’s death, Lucas had inherited the family company. But compared to powerful families like the Blackwoods, the Summers had always been lacking.

Everything began changing after Lilian met Alexander.

Over the years, even after their separation, Alexander had continued supporting the Summer family behind the scenes. Many business partners had only maintained ties with them because of his influence.

But recently, things had begun shifting.

The scandals surrounding Lilian had already caused several important partners to distance themselves.

Lucas was furious about it.

And Lilian knew her brother well enough to understand one thing clearly—

If Lucas decided Alicia was the obstacle standing in their way...

He would do whatever it took to remove her.

Alicia’s POV

Just as I was about to leave work, my phone rang.

It was Jim.

"Ma’am, the car broke down," he explained apologetically. "I had to return and get another one. Please wait a little longer."

I glanced out the office window at the dimming sky. Evening had already settled over the city.

"You don’t have to worry," I replied. "I can just take a taxi home."

"No," Jim said immediately. "Mr. Alexander specifically instructed me to make sure you get home safely."

I paused briefly.

Alexander had insisted on coming to work together that morning. If I left on my own now, it would probably put Jim in a difficult position.

So I didn’t argue further.

"Alright. Call me when you’re close."

After sitting in the office for a while longer, Jim called again.

"Ma’am, I’ll arrive in about fifteen minutes."

"Got it. I’ll wait downstairs. No need to drive into the underground garage."

"Understood."

I shut down my computer, turned off the office lights, grabbed my bag, and headed downstairs.

The evening air carried a faint chill.

Standing near the roadside in front of the building, I watched the traffic pass while waiting for Jim.

A van suddenly pulled up nearby.

Assuming someone was about to get out, I instinctively stepped aside.

Then everything happened at once.

The van door slid open violently.

Two men dressed in black jumped out.

Before I could react, one of them covered my mouth tightly with a towel while the other grabbed me around the waist and dragged me inside.

The door slammed shut.

The van sped away immediately, merging back into traffic as if nothing had happened.

The entire process lasted less than a minute.

Inside the van, the two men moved quickly and efficiently. A cloth was shoved into my mouth before my wrists were tightly bound.

Then they forced me into the far corner of the seat.

At that moment, my phone began ringing from inside my bag.

One of the men unzipped it, glanced at the caller ID, then rejected the call without hesitation.

He powered the phone off completely before tossing it out the window.

Every movement was practiced.

My heartbeat pounded violently against my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Panic wouldn’t help me now.

I stayed silent, watching the two men carefully while trying to keep track of time.

I had no idea how long the van drove before it finally stopped.

The doors opened.

Rough hands grabbed me and dragged me out.

I was thrown onto the ground like discarded trash.

With my hands tied behind me, I couldn’t brace myself at all. My face slammed hard against the cold concrete, sending sharp pain shooting through my body.

For several seconds, I couldn’t even move properly.

Breathing heavily, I struggled to lift my head.

Night had already fallen.

Under the faint moonlight, I could barely make out the outline of an abandoned building nearby.

One of the men suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me upright.

Before I could steady myself, he dragged me inside.

The building smelled damp and rotten, with dust covering nearly every surface. Each footstep echoed eerily through the empty space...