"You beast!" I shouted as I stepped forward to slap Felicity.

Unfortunately, I was held back by two bodyguards.

Felicity gave the two bodyguards, who were standing closest to Stella, a look.

The bodyguards immediately leaped into action and started stalking toward Stella. They stopped her from getting back to shore.

Stella had never been cornered before. The color drained from her small face as she grabbed the hem of my shorts in a death grip. Her body was quivering violently as she exclaimed in a teary voice, "Save me, Mommy! I don't want to perform for them!"

My temper exploded. "Let go of my daughter!" I roared.

The sound of a slap rang through the air.

My cheek stung terribly.

Felicity shook her hand with a mocking smile. "I think you should be worrying about yourself right now."

My eyes widened as I watched the bodyguards force Stella deeper into the ocean.

It was obvious that Stella was struggling to maintain her balance. She accidentally swallowed some seawater and started coughing violently.

Tears stung my eyes as I clenched my fists tightly. "I'm only going to say this one more time. Let go of my daughter, or you'll pay for the consequences of your actions!"

Felicity didn't look bothered at all by my wrath. On the contrary, my reaction only spurred her on. "Consequences? What could you possibly do to me? How dare an ugly and old housewife like you threaten me?"

She reached out her hand and patted my cheek. "Your daughter's not allowed to return to shore until she makes Mr. White happy. Mike won't shed a single tear for a brat like her, even if she drowns! His first priority is to get in Mr. White's and the other finance tycoons' good graces now."

"Micah definitely won't let you off the hook if he finds out how you've been mistreating our daughter," I snapped.

However, my words only made Felicity smile even wider.

"Don't make me laugh. Mike told me a long time ago that an old hag like you can't satisfy him. The one that he loves is me! If he wants children, I can give birth to a child any time since I'm still young and beautiful!"

I didn't want to waste my breath talking to these lunatics any longer. It was pointless since they were just bent on humiliating me.

I twisted my body and freed myself from the bodyguards' hold before bolting into the ocean. The icy water drenched me in an instant, but it did nothing to extinguish the flames of fury burning within me.

I was determined to make Felicity pay for her actions.

I swam over to Stella as fast as I could. I scooped her out of the chilly waters and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Stella's face had turned a ruddy red, and she couldn't stop coughing. She sobbed as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I'm so scared, Mommy…"

I patted Stella's back lightly and used my body to block her from the chilly sea breeze.

Felicity was furious that I had ruined her plans.

"Who told you that you could save that brat?" she demanded. "You useless piece of trash! Can you bear the consequences of ruining Mr. White's fun? I'm going to call Micah right now! I'm going to tell him to kick both you and your daughter to the curb!"

She then grabbed her phone, looking as if she was going to make good on her threat.

However, the powerful roar of an engine interrupted her.

A white speedboat was approaching Moonrise Bay at breakneck speed. It eventually slowed to a stop near the shore.

Micah was dressed in casual beachwear and wearing a pair of sunglasses. He alighted from the speedboat while accompanied by a team of assistants and bodyguards.

His appearance caught the attention of everyone on the beach.

Felicity immediately fixed a troubled and teary expression on her face when she noticed Micah. She hurried over to him and threw herself into his side. She then grabbed his arm and spoke in a coy voice that made my toes curl.

"You're finally here, Mike! Your wife and daughter appeared out of nowhere. She even claimed that Moonrise Bay belongs to her!"'

I had to give Felicity credit. She was an expert at twisting the truth.

"She even offended Mr. White and the other guests," Felicity continued. "I tried to advise her out of the goodness of my heart, but she raised her hand against me!"

She then pointed at her face, which was clearly unharmed. She complained about me and my so-called crimes with her grossly exaggerated acting skills.

Micah was wearing an impatient expression when he took off his sunglasses. He looked at Mr. White and his group, taking in their displeased expressions. He then swept his indifferent gaze over Stella and me.

"Micah!"

"Daddy!"

Stella and I called out to him at the same time.

However, Micah simply frowned. His voice took on a critical edge when he demanded, "What are the two of you doing? Who said you could come to Moonrise Bay?

"Don't you know that I booked the entire place today to host my important guests? Take Stella and leave now. You're embarrassing me by being here."

Tears spilled down Stella's cheeks. At that moment, Micah didn't seem like her father at all.

I was also stunned and stood rooted to the spot. "Moonrise Bay is my private beach, Micah. How could you—"

"That's enough!" Micah exclaimed, shooting an annoyed look at Stella and me.

In the next second, he fixed an apologetic smile on his face as he turned to address Mr. White and the others. "My apologies, Mr. White and Mr. Lawson, for letting these inferior scum, who don't know the rules, spoil your fun. I'll kick them out right now!"

I stared at Micah in disbelief as Stella shrank back against my embrace.

"Mommy, why did Daddy call us inferior scum?" Stella asked. "Does he not want us anymore?"

I frowned deeply.

I couldn't believe that Micah chose to belittle us to curry favor with his important guests and his mistress.

A chill ran down my spine.

At that moment, I felt like a joke for tolerating and doing everything that I could for Micah in the last decade.

It was partially my fault. I granted all his wishes after we got married. I even pretended to be a regular housewife and stayed home to take care of Stella, so that he could focus on running his business, inadvertently giving him the impression that he could trample all over me.

It seemed that Micah had forgotten that I was still the head of the Quinton family. The Quintons preferred to keep a low profile in Seacrest City, but we were still the most powerful family in the city.

I smiled. "Are you sure that you don't want to acknowledge me, Micah?" I asked in an eerily calm voice.

"Are you sure that you don't want to acknowledge your wife, whom you doggedly chased after and promised to protect for the rest of your life? Are you sure that you don't want to acknowledge your daughter, whom you once cherished like a precious treasure?"

I stared unblinkingly at Micah.

Micah visibly stiffened as a hint of panic flickered in his eyes. He swiftly averted his gaze and didn't dare make eye contact with me.

Seeing that Micah hadn't corrected her and criticized us, Felicity became confident that he was on her side. Her voice was colored with smugness when she said, "Mike has already spoken. Didn't you hear him, you piece of trash? It's time for you to scram!

"If you insist on sticking around, I'll have security throw you and your daughter into the ocean to feed the sharks!"

I didn't budge an inch as I held Stella. I continued staring at Micah and said, "I'm giving you one last chance, Micah. Are you going to clarify our relationship to them?"

We had been married for seven years. I was already being kind by giving him a way out.

However, Micah remained as still as a statue. He continued to turn his back on Stella and me.

Felicity grew even bolder and began barking orders at the bodyguards.

"Why are you just standing around? Capture those two eyesores and throw them out of here!"

"Be quick about it! Don't let them get in the way of Felicity's party and ruin Mr. White's and the others' good moods anymore!" her lackeys chimed in arrogantly.

I glared at Felicity, who was gleefully hopping in place. I then directed my gaze to Micah, who was standing silently a short distance away.

It seemed that Micah had made his choice.

Good.

I raised my hand. I was wearing a custom-made watch that had the sigil of the Quinton family on it. It was only given to the core members of the family.

I calmly tapped on the watch, speed-dialing a number that I had already committed to memory long ago.

The call connected within seconds.

A steady and feminine voice echoed from the watch. "Ms. Quinton?"

"Send the Seashark Special Forces to Moonrise Bay. I have a job for them," I said calmly.