In the second room of a villa, clothing belonging to a man and a woman was scattered all around the floor. A pair of torn black pantyhose hung over the couch.

James leaned against the bed and smoked his cigarette after he was done with the deed. The satisfaction across his face was evident.

Beside him, the woman behaved flirtatiously, almost as if she was still lingering on the passionate act that had just happened.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

James took a drag of his cigarette and answered the phone.

Liam said respectfully, “Mr. Fullerton, the Yates family had just held a press conference, announcing the annulment of the engagement with the Jacobsons.

“Also, there’s news spreading online about Stephen entering a hotel with an A-list celebrity. He’s being suspected of cheating.”

James scoffed, commenting, “And here I thought he was a deep and devoted man. Turns out, he’s just another playboy like his father.”

“How about the Yates family?” Liam asked.

James contemplated the question. Then, he instructed, “Continue to keep an eye on them. There’s a chance that the annulment is fake and they’re pretending to deceive me.”

“I understand, Mr. Fullerton.”

“Also, keep an eye out for Tessa Yates. I want you to report to me if there’s any movement on her end,” James added.

“Alright.”

Tessa had spent the day resting at home, adjusting her state of mind. It wasn’t long before she returned to the law firm for work.

The past two days had been relatively calm, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Both she and her family remained safe.

Tessa forced a smile, even though her heart was filled with bitterness. It seemed like there were some advantages after calling off her engagement with Stephen.

At least that crazy bastard, James, would no longer harm her or her family.

…

As Tessa walked into the law firm, her colleagues greeted her one after another.

Tessa smiled faintly as she politely returned their greetings. Then, she walked into her office in her black leather heels.

The law firm’s dress code was that professional attire and black leather shoes were mandatory.

She had worn a black suit today and tied her hair up into a ponytail. Using some concealer to cover up her dark circles, she also used red lipstick to make herself look much livelier.

She looked no different than she did two days ago, and no one could tell that she just had her heart broken.

The manager had assigned her three new cases, and Tessa quickly immersed herself in her work, analyzing each case.

Ever since Sarah resigned and Vivian had taken over, things had been much smoother for Tessa in the office.

After all, Vivian was not under any orders to make things difficult for Tessa, nor did she have a personal grudge against Tessa.

Tessa had worked overtime to finish a few cases she had on hand that day. She was about to switch off the lights and get off work when she suddenly heard someone crying.

Frowning, she closed the office doors and went out to take a look.

The cries were coming from the administrative department. The legal assistants did not have their own office, so they were all stationed to work in a certain area with dividers between their desks.

Upon walking closer, she realized that Jasmine was the one crying. Out of

concern, she asked, “Jasmine, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Jasmine took two pieces of tissue to dry her tears and answered, “Ms. Yates, I’m fine…”

Tessa pulled over another chair

from the side, encouraging, “You

don’t have to hide anything from me.

Why don’t you talk to me about it,

and

see if I can help you with

anything.”

Jasmine’s eyes were red.

After a moment of silence, she sniffled and explained, “It’s actually not a big deal.

I…”

Suddenly, two colleagues walked past them. Afraid that someone would overhear them, she quickly trailed off and stopped talking.

Tessa immediately understood. “Is it something you can’t talk about here? Do you have plans tonight? If you don’t, then why don’t we grab a bite together?”

“I don’t have any plans.”

“Alright then, you should pack up. We’ll head out for dinner now.”

Tessa had chosen a barbecue restaurant based on Jasmine’s preference. The restaurant was designed stylishly, and the lights were lit dimly, creating a great atmosphere.

Jasmine had heard of the restaurant’s name. It was a high-end location, rumored to set each person back by several thousand dollars.

Embarrassment flashed across her face as she asked, “Ms. Yates, isn’t this place a bit too expensive?”