The diagnosis was nothing more than a cheap tool Darren used to control Eliana and to silence all questioning voices.

Seeing that I still hadn't responded, his fingers moved slightly as he pushed a blank check to the center of the table. The amount line was empty; only his bold signature sat in the lower right corner.

"Ms. Norris, I know you have your own principles in this industry. You're not short on clients or money."

His tone remained gentle, but his gaze slowly hardened with unconcealed pressure.

"But she's my wife. I can't let her use her illness to disturb others. Consider this a consultation fee and a small token of my appreciation. I'd appreciate it if you stopped indulging her in this pointless game of divorce."

The comments from the chat continued scrolling.

"As expected of the richest man around—just throwing around blank checks like that. Why doesn't that kind of wealth ever find me?"

"This throwaway character really does accept it, which is why when she finds out the FMC dies later, she ends up killing herself from guilt!"

I lifted my eyes to meet Darren, my gaze calm and resolute, without the slightest hint of backing down.

"Mr. Carney, first of all, Ms. Eliana Fraser is mentally sound. She's fully capable of expressing her own wishes and is legally competent to do so. She's not the incompetent person you're describing."

I paused, lightly tapping my fingers against the table as my tone sharpened.

"Secondly, she has formally retained me for her divorce case. As of now, I'm her attorney. I'm responsible only to my client. I can't accept your check, nor do I recognize this medical diagnosis."

The smile on Darren's face didn't change in the slightest, but the temperature around him seemed to plummet sharply, and the air in the entire conference room seemed to freeze.

He spoke slowly, each word laced with undisguised threat.

"Ms. Norris, do you realize who you're refusing?"

I didn't respond. I just turned around and walked straight out of the conference room. I hurried back to the consultation room and knocked three times in the previously agreed-upon rhythm.

There was a brief silence inside. Then came the soft click of the door being unlocked.

Eliana poked her head out, her face still deathly pale. Only when she saw it was me did she let out a long breath of relief, quickly pulling me inside and locking the door again.

"How did it go? He… He came looking for me, didn't he?" she asked, her voice trembling.

In fact, her whole body was shaking as she clutched Zoey tightly.

I nodded. I quickly summarized what had happened, not hiding anything.

After listening, she forced a bleak smile onto her lips, her eyes filled with despair.

"I knew he'd do this. He's always been like this. Whenever I don't obey him, he calls me crazy and makes sure no one believes me."

She sniffled, wiping away her tears, but her gaze turned exceptionally determined.

"Ms. Norris, I don't want anything. The house, the money, all his assets—I can give it all up. I just want a divorce and custody of Zoey. I can sign the agreement right now."

The comments floated by.

"Classic angsty line. Screenshotting this!"

"The FMC is honestly so naive. But it's exactly that innocence that makes the MMC so insane and obsessed over her."

Respecting her decision, I immediately opened my laptop and drafted a very simple divorce agreement as fast as possible. There was no property division or dispute of financial compensation. It only stated that both parties voluntarily agreed to divorce, and the wife would get full custody of the child while also voluntarily relinquishing all marital assets.

After printing it out, I explained each clause to her, making sure she fully understood every word.

But she barely looked at it. She just grabbed the pen and signed her name on the line, as if she feared she'd lose her chance if she took too long.

The ink hadn't even dried yet when a deafening crash reverberated through the room.

Darren had kicked the thick, solid-wood door open from the outside.

The gentle, affectionate mask he had worn earlier was now completely torn away, replaced by a bone-chilling hostility. His eyes were dark and terrifying.

Behind Darren stood two tall bodyguards dressed in black, who looked imposing and aggressive.

The chat instantly exploded.

"Wow! This MMC is way too unhinged!"

"The second he thinks she wants to divorce, he loses it. But he still thinks it's just because he wants to keep tormenting her… This 'loves her but doesn't realize it' trope is just too delicious!"

Darren's gaze swept slowly over Eliana's pale face, then to the divorce agreement in her hands, where the ink had yet to dry. Finally, his eyes locked onto me.

His thin lips parted, and the smile at the corner of his mouth was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.

"Ellie, I'm here to take you home."

The crash from the door being kicked in shattered the silence of the entire floor.

Colleagues from neighboring offices peeked out, but the moment they saw what was happening, their faces turned pale, and they quickly shrank back, not daring to make a sound.

Steven and several other senior partners rushed over. The moment they saw Darren, cold sweat broke out across their foreheads. They hurried forward to smooth things over, worried the situation might escalate even further.

Eliana was so startled that she couldn't stop trembling. She instinctively tightened her hold on Zoey as she shrank behind me, overwhelmed by extreme fear.

Darren reined in some of his hostility and looked at Steven, his tone returning to a veneer of calm.

"Mr. Lewis, my apologies for the disturbance. I'm just here to take my sick wife home. I didn't expect Ms. Norris to misunderstand me so deeply and refuse to let her go."

Steven quickly pulled me aside.

"Evelyn!" he hissed, his voice low in panic. "Do you even know who he is? He's the head of Carney Group and one of the most powerful figures here in Opalford! This is not a case we can touch, and we definitely can't afford to offend him!"

"Hand Ms. Fraser over right now, apologize to him, and we can pretend none of this ever happened. Otherwise, the entire firm will suffer!"

A few colleagues nearby tugged at my sleeve, whispering urgently.

"Ms. Norris, don't push this. Family matters of the wealthy elite aren't something we can handle."

"Yeah, he's just too powerful. We can't win against him. Don't drag yourself down with it."

I looked around. Some faces were full of concern, some were filled with fear, and some were completely indifferent, staying out of it.

Everyone was urging me to back down.

Behind me, Eliana was trembling harder and harder.

If I backed down, too, she would truly have nothing left. She'd have no way out.

She would die.

And her death would merely serve to fulfill this damned man's twisted sense of unwavering love.

I gently pulled my arm free from Steven's grip and walked back, step by step, placing myself firmly in front of Eliana and Zoey, shielding them completely.

"There's no family matter here," my voice rang clear through the entire hallway. "There's only my client, Ms. Eliana Fraser."

"She just voluntarily signed the divorce agreement in front of me and clearly expressed her intent to divorce. That is her legal right, protected by law."

I pointed at the broken door, my tone turning sharper.

"Mr. Carney, you've damaged firm property, forcibly broken into the consultation room, and attempted to take my client against her will. This is no longer just a family matter. This is trespassing and attempted false imprisonment. You're breaking the law!"

The comments instantly split into two sides, arguing fiercely.

"I suddenly find the attorney rather badass! Aren't sisters teaming up against the psycho MMC much more exciting?"

"Why is this attorney so annoying? I just want my tragic story! Can't she disappear already?"

I ignored the chaotic, glaring text and quietly slipped my hand into my pocket, discreetly turning my phone's recording function on at the highest setting.

At the same time, I firmly shielded Eliana with my body, not giving Darren's men any opportunity to act.

Darren looked at me and let out a low chuckle.

"You really have a way with words, Ms. Norris. But tell me… Do you think what you said actually matters?"

As soon as Darren finished speaking, he tilted his head slightly and gave a subtle signal over his shoulder.

One of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward, moving shockingly fast.

Before I could even react, a rough, strong hand clamped down on my arm and twisted it sharply behind my back. Pain exploded through my shoulder. I gasped, my body forced to bend slightly forward. My arm went numb, and I couldn't break free no matter how hard I tried.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, my voice tight with pain. "This is unlawful detention! It's a crime!"

Elian's eyes turned red with panic when she saw this. She wanted to rush over to help me, but she was holding Zoey in her arms, making her movements slow and clumsy. She had barely taken a step forward when the other bodyguard reached out to stop her.

Trapped and unable to move forward or retreat, she could only watch me helplessly.

Darren strolled over to us leisurely, completely ignoring my resistance and anger. His gaze passed over me and landed on Eliana, who was on the verge of breaking down behind me.

He took out a small, stitched charm from the inner pocket of his suit, holding it carefully between two fingers as he let it sway in the air.

The charm looked old and frayed around the edges, and it was obvious it had been carefully cherished for many years.

"You remember this, don't you?"

His tone was casual, like he was talking about the weather, but every word cut straight to the heart.

"Your adoptive mother once climbed 999 steps to get to the shrine in the mountains just for this. She sewed it into the pillow you used as a child. You once said it was the most important, most precious thing in your life."

Eliana's eyes widened instantly. Tears suddenly burst out without warning, streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.

The corners of Darren's mouth curved into a cruel arc.

"Come back with me. As long as you obediently follow me home, I'll keep this. Otherwise, I'll burn it right now, and you'll never see it again."

He paused, his voice turning even colder, carrying an unquestionable threat. "You know I always keep my word."

The chat erupted in an uproar.

"The plot's gone off the rails! Wasn't that charm supposed to be something the MMC kept to reminisce about the FMC later on?"

"But an unhinged MMC is even more compelling. The crazier he is now, the more he'll regret it later!"

Eliana bit down hard on her lower lip, nearly breaking the skin and drawing blood. She looked at me—pale-faced and restrained—then at the charm that meant everything to her. Unbearable conflict and pain filled her eyes.

Finally, she closed her eyes, and tears slid down silently.

"I'll go back with you. Let Ms. Norris go."

Then she turned to me, her eyes full of guilt and self-blame.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Ms. Norris."

Holding Zoey, she walked toward Darren step by step—each one slow, heavy, and filled with despair.

Each step felt like a hammer slamming into my chest. If she really were my sister…

Using every ounce of strength I had, I threw my head backward, slamming it hard into the bodyguard's jaw behind me.

He groaned in pain, and his grip loosened instantly.

I seized the opportunity to wrench myself free. Ignoring the searing pain in my shoulder, I dashed madly to Eliana's side before anyone could react. I yanked her and Zoey back behind me and shielded them protectively.

My chest heaved, my breathing was ragged, and sweat beaded at my temples—but I stood tall, refusing to take even half a step back.

Standing in front of the mother and child, I met Darren's dark, terrifying gaze and declared firmly, "Darren Carney! Eliana Fraser is a fully competent adult. You have no right to take her against her will!

"And don't you think you should ask my permission before taking my sister—my biological sister—away?"