"You don't believe me? Do I have to dig out my heart for you to trust me?" As soon as he finished speaking, Elias grabbed a fruit knife from the table and aimed it at his chest.

Before he could go any further, Madeline stopped him. "Elias, I believe you. I really do. I was just testing you a little because, well, women like to be dramatic sometimes."

Elias put down the knife and pulled her into his arms. "You can doubt anything, but you can never doubt my love for you."

His love for Madeline was undeniable, yet his infidelity was also an indisputable fact.

While watching Whitney's dress at the banquet, Madeline couldn't shake the feeling that Whitney was doing it on purpose. Throughout the entire event, Elias escorted both Madeline and Whitney, drawing envious glances from all the men present.

Some of his former business partners couldn't resist teasing him in French. "Mr. Fisher, you're really living the dream—one on each arm! We're jealous, so jealous."

Others joined in the jokes. "Exactly! You've mastered the art of time management, keeping both your wife and your secretary in perfect harmony. Your secretary sure knows her place."

Whitney didn't seem embarrassed by the remarks. Instead, she smiled coyly. Elias even chimed in, "Isn't that the point? I like her because she listens—and because she's irresistible."

Although Madeline had married Elias, she didn't fit in with his social circle at all. She was too conservative and lacked a sense of fun. "Exactly. When it comes to the bed, men prefer someone like Miss Young. After all, no man likes a woman who's like a dead fish in bed, haha!"

Elias raised his glass and smiled but said nothing, tacitly agreeing with the comment. The men kept praising Whitney while putting down Madeline. They all assumed she couldn't understand, but she absorbed every word.

To them, she had no redeeming qualities. As she watched Elias chat easily with them, she realized this was blatant infidelity. Not only that, but he even agreed with their insults about her.

If he despised her so much, why couldn't he say it to her face? Madeline could tolerate strangers' mockery, but Elias' silent approval? That was the real betrayal.

Madeline had expected to cry. After all, no one could hear those words and remain completely unmoved. Her initial reaction was a bone-chilling cold as if she'd been plunged into a freezing lake. Every movement felt like shards of ice piercing her heart.

So, when she raised a hand to touch her cheek, she was surprised to find she hadn't shed a single tear. It was the only thing preventing her from completely falling apart.

Her rational mind kicked in, whispering, "You can endure this. Once you make it through, you can let go of everything."

From a distance, she watched Elias and Whitney chat happily with the other guests. Whitney would occasionally glance at her with a smug expression. She then told Elias she wanted to sit alone for a bit.

"Sure. Just don't wander too far. I'll come find you once I'm done."

No sooner had Madeline stepped away than she noticed Elias and Whitney entering an elevator together. Moments later, her phone buzzed with a text message from Whitney. "Parking lot."

Madeline's grip on her phone tightened, but she still got up and followed them. She took the elevator to the location Whitney had texted her. As soon as the doors opened, she saw the two of them already locked in a passionate kiss.

Once they closed the car door, they became even more impatient.

Madeline didn't approach. She crouched behind another car, watching through the window. Inside, Elias seemed utterly at ease, his face full of enjoyment as Whitney straddled his lap.

Not long after, the car started moving. This time, Madeline seemed very composed. She took out her phone and started recording the entire process.

At first, her vision was blurred by tears, making it hard to see clearly. But as time went on, her emotions slowly shifted—from heart-wrenching pain to an eerie calmness. By the time they were done, she felt utterly indifferent.

Madeline had almost forgotten what she had just experienced. She turned off the recording and hid in the back of the car. Only after the two people left did she come out.

When the elevator doors closed with a soft ding, she felt as though her heart shattered into pieces. At that moment, Madeline finally let go completely. Without waiting for them, she walked back to the hotel alone.

Madeline had no idea that Elias had been frantically searching for her during that time. The moment she returned to the hotel, Elias rushed out desperately.

"Madie! Madie! You scared me to death! I'm sorry—it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so focused on work and neglected you. Please, hit me if it'll make you feel better!"

Elias kept apologizing; his eyes red as though he was about to cry. Sadly, Madeline's eyes no longer had that familiar spark, perhaps because she had already moved on. "Sorry. I was just bored, so I wandered off. I ended up walking back to the hotel."

Madeline had never apologized to Elias before. Throughout their four years of dating and marriage, it was always Elias who bowed his head first. This one apology made Elias' chest tighten. He could tell something about Madeline had changed.

She kept smiling—calm and serene. There was no trace of anger or emotion. Yet, Elias realized there was no longer any reflection of himself in her eyes.

This realization sent a wave of panic through him, making him increasingly restless and uneasy. "Madie, don't leave me. Please, don't leave me." He hugged her tightly as if trying to embed her into his very bones, but Madeline didn't give him an answer.

"Madie, say something! You're not going to leave me, right?" He repeated the question over and over, almost like he couldn't stop until he heard the answer.

"Hmm. The old Elias was so wonderful. How could I bear to leave him?"

Elias was caught up in his anxious state, so he completely missed the word "old." Only after receiving a definite answer did Elias begin to calm down.

After this incident, Elias spent even more time with Madeline, which led to Whitney's dissatisfaction.

During the few days Elias was busy, Madeline quickly handled all her affairs. She transferred her assets, including the money she secretly made from selling her properties.

"Elias, you haven't contacted me since returning to the country. I even bought so many outfits I thought you'd like."

Elias brushed off Whitney's restless hand. "Stop it. I've already spent enough time with you. Right now, I need to focus on Madie. Be good."

Although Whitney felt unhappy, she didn't dare go against him. Elias liked obedient women and she knew better than to confront him directly.

"One more thing—when Madie is around, don't get too close to me. I don't want her to find out. Remember this: if you behave, I'll take care of you. But if you don't, you know the consequences."

For Elias, Madeline was his bottom line. No matter how much Whitney acted out in front of him, she was absolutely forbidden to cross Madeline.

By the time Elias got home, Madeline had almost finished packing everything. He walked in just as she was putting her belongings into boxes.

"Madie, what are you doing?" Elias' face darkened and he angrily knocked over the boxes. He instinctively thought Madeline was preparing to leave him.

"Where are you going? Did I do something wrong to upset you? If I did, just tell me and I'll fix it, okay?"

Madeline watched Elias' restless behavior and sighed softly, kneeling calmly to pick up the scattered items. "No, it's nothing. Just some old things taking up space, so I thought I'd throw them away."

Hearing this, Elias' earlier anxiety finally subsided. He pulled her into his arms. "You scared me to death. Thank goodness, I thought you were leaving me."

Every word Elias spoke reflected how deeply he loved Madeline and she never doubted his feelings for her. However, she no longer dwelled on the reason for his infidelity. It simply didn't matter anymore.

Seeing her clothes still neatly hanging in the closet reassured Elias. Maybe he had overthought things. Still, the events of the past few days had left a shadow in his heart. Since then, except for work, Elias spent all his time at home with Madeline.

At that moment, Madeline's phone vibrated with a message. "Miss Shepherd, all your personal records in this country have been successfully erased."

Reading this, Madeline felt an immense sense of relief. Without hesitation, she used her overseas identity to book a ticket to Burgola.

"What are you doing? You seem so focused."

Madeline was startled and quickly locked her phone screen. "Nothing. I was just thinking—tomorrow's your birthday, right? I've prepared a surprise for you. Excited?" She smiled brightly as she spoke, but if Elias had looked closely, he might have noticed a hint of mockery in her eyes.

However, he was too distracted by the word surprise to notice. His face lit up as he lifted Madeline and spun her around in joy. "You're amazing, Madie! Every year, your gifts always surprise me!"

Madeline had always put her heart into preparing his birthday gifts, which made them all the more special to Elias. While other people's gifts were casually bought, hers were always handcrafted.

Therefore, Elias had carefully kept all the birthday gifts from all these years. Madeline had once joked that since he treasured them so much, he might as well lock them in a safe.

Elias had laughed it off, never minding her jokes. "You don't understand, Madie. These gifts carry your love and I'll cherish them forever."

Yet now, all those memories felt like bitter irony. "Trust me. This year's surprise will definitely blow your mind."

Elias always held his birthday parties at home, inviting only close friends rather than business associates.

In the past, Madeline didn't fully understand the glances those friends gave her. Now, she finally did. Deep down, they had been mocking her all along, seeing her as nothing more than a fool.

As usual, their lively conversations quieted when she entered the room.

"Madie, are you hungry? I've warmed up some milk for you." Everyone watched this scene, mocking Elias for being henpecked.

Elias just laughed and agreed. "Call me whipped if you want. I don't mind as long as it's for Madie. What do you guys know about love?"

Still, some friends couldn't help but exchange knowing looks with Whitney, who stood nearby.

Later in the evening, Elias spoke in French to one of his friends. "Call me away in a bit. I need an excuse to leave. It's been a while since I've spent time with my little secretary and I've been missing her."

Everyone burst out laughing, a hint of pity in their eyes as they looked at Madeline.