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.

This time, Madeline wasn't sad or upset. She could even face the situation with calm indifference.

Maybe it was because she already knew. So, when they spoke up and Elias turned to her, she agreed naturally.

However, Madeline's composure made Elias' heart sink again. He truly felt that her calmness was unusually unsettling.

In the past, even if she didn't fit in with his social circles, she would try her best to blend in. Yet, she said nothing. She sat quietly beside him.

Even when his friends teased her, she agreed so quickly and easily. He had expected a much longer struggle. "Madie, are you upset? If you are, I won't go. Okay?"

"No, you're the star of the day. Go ahead."

Elias pulled Madeline back into the room. As soon as they entered, he noticed a box on the table. He reached out to open it, but Madeline stopped him.

"Open it later, after you get back. It won't disappear."

The more Madeline pushed him out the door, the more suspicious Elias became, but he couldn't pinpoint what was off. Still, an inexplicable unease surged in his chest, leaving him restless. "Madie, how about I don't go? I'll stay home and keep you company."

No! How could Madeline leave if Elias stayed?

"I'm really fine. I'll just play on my phone for a bit and then go to sleep."

Despite his anxiety, Elias couldn't resist his body's needs. He kissed her forehead and left.

Just as he was stepping out, Madeline called after him. "Elias, you know … there are some things in this world that can never be forgiven."

Her smile pierced through him, but his phone rang before he could think about her words.

Watching him disappear around the corner, Madeline murmured to herself, "Elias, I hope we never meet again in this life."

She pulled out the suitcase she had packed in advance. When she stepped out of the front door, she turned to look back at the cage that had trapped her for so long. Finally, she was free.

At the same time, elsewhere.

"Elias, you'd better make it up to me tonight! Otherwise, don't even think about touching me again. Hmph!"

Elias wanted to do it at first, but now he was a little absent-minded for some reason. Madeline's words kept replaying in his mind. It felt like he had missed something important.

Whitney noticed his distraction and grew annoyed. She leaned in and bit him lightly.

Her action ignited his passion and he was ready to go all the way. However, the unease in his heart wouldn't subside. At the last moment, he pushed Whitney away.

"Elias! What's wrong with you? You're always like this. It's so frustrating!"

Elias didn't say anything; he had just picked up his coat and was about to leave. Whitney wasn't about to let him go so quickly and grabbed his arm. "You're not leaving tonight! You promised to stay with me!"

Elias' expression turned icy. He warned her sharply, "I need to go home. Don't push me, or you'll regret it."

Sensing his anger, Whitney reluctantly let him go. As she watched him leave, her fury boiled over. She smashed everything in the living room in a fit of rage.

"Ugh, it's definitely that clingy Madeline again. She can't keep a guy interested, so she's pulling some stunt, huh? Pathetic." Elias was hers and Mrs. Fisher's position would only ever belong to her. No one could take it away.

On the way back, Elias' unease grew stronger with each passing minute. He took out his phone and dialed Madeline's number.

Unsurprisingly, a mechanical voice responded. "The number you dialed is currently switched off."