Monica was visibly pregnant at five months, her belly prominent, and she seemed drained and pale, likely from the stress over Liam's situation.

However, the moment she saw me, her eyes blazed with unmistakable resentment.

"Jean Spencer, what on earth are you trying to do? Do you want to destroy me completely?

"My child isn't even born yet, and you're already determined to send his father to prison. What are you thinking?

"Do you have any idea how Liam's mother has been making my life miserable? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been kept out of their door!"

I was astonished and asked, "Do you still want to marry him after all this?"

Monica just took it for granted. "Who else would I marry if not him? Do you think I can find a better man by leaving him?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, thinking that any man on earth would be a step up from Liam.

With a mocking snort, I looked at her coldly. "Monica, I've been generous to you throughout our years of friendship, not counting clothing and daily expenses, the money I've transferred to you adds up to 200 thousand dollars."

I brought this up, hoping that Monica might still have a shred of conscience to feel some shame.

But to my surprise, she impatiently shot back, "You gave it to me willingly, I never asked for it."

I swallowed the anger rising in my throat and continued, "Also, Liam mentioned that you had secretly taken pictures of me. Is that true?"

As if struck by sudden inspiration, Monica burst into laughter. "Yes, I did take pictures of you without your knowledge, photos of you nude, and even while you were showering!

"So, if you don't want those pictures to see the light of day, you better get Liam out and give me the house!"

I pretended to be panic and pursed my lips. "I don't believe that! You're just trying to scare me."

Seeing my feigned panic, Monica became even more self-satisfied, as if she was relishing the thought of me in a state of desperation and begging for mercy. She quickly pulled out her phone and opened her photo album for me to see.

I inhaled sharply.

She wasn't bluffing. She really had those pictures.

Noticing my silence, Monica became smug.

"To be honest, it was Liam who was clever. He once told me that you're not as nice as you seem and suggested I take photos of you, saying I could use them against you when necessary. I had almost forgotten about that if you hadn't brought it up."

With a cold snort, I gave a hint to the bodyguard sitting at a nearby table, who was disguised as a bystander.

Now that it was confirmed that the photos existed, dealing with the situation became a simple matter.

The bodyguard swiftly moved in and snatched Monica's cell phone from her grasp, and as realization dawned on her, she erupted into screams.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to delete those photos?

"I'm telling you, even if you take my phone, it won't matter. I have backups!"

I exhaled wearily, "Who said I was trying to erase the pictures?"

I took out my cell phone and made a call. "Hello? 911?"

In times of crisis, turning to the police was the right move.

I knew precisely when to involve law enforcement.

I declined any private mediation and submitted the evidence, including the transfer records to Monica, to press charges against her.

My lawyer paused for a moment, then remarked that this was another lawsuit, another cost to be paid.

The first to face trial was Liam, and with my lawyer's persuasive arguments and solid evidence, he was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay 300 thousand dollars in damages.

Monica faced her own trial and was sentenced to six months in prison and 300 thousand dollars in restitution. However, due to her pregnancy, her sentence was not executed immediately.

The law had spoken, and Liam and Monica dared not make a scene.

I was taken aback when the lawyer informed me that Monica had actually proposed to marry Liam while he was in prison.

"Has she lost her mind?"

The lawyer shook his head and sighed, "I just feel for the baby. His parents are certainly not the epitome of stability."

I scoffed and said, "I'm afraid this kid is going to be a troublemaker as well.

After all, he was diagnosed as 47,XYY.

Even if Liam and Monica were to be released in the future, I suspected their lives would be anything but tranquil.

Just as I was thinking that the coming year might be a little more peaceful, the lawyer dropped a bombshell, informing me that Liam and Monica had been released on bail.

Upon further investigation, it turned out that the person who had bailed them out was none other than Yvonne.

I immediately made my way to Yvonne's office.

"We've known each other for ten years. Why did you do this?"

Yvonne sighed and explained with a tone of helplessness, "I didn't want to, but it's out of my hands."

Yvonne told the whole story to me.

She revealed that Monica appeared to be the lost daughter of her aunt, Susan Norton.

The bodyguards Yvonne had assigned to me were on loan from the Norton family, and one of them recognized the pendant around Monica's neck as a Norton family heirloom and reported back to Susan.

This led to the confirmation that Monica was indeed the only daughter of the Norton family.

The Norton Group, known for their involvement in both legitimate businesses and underworld dealings, was certainly not a group to be trifled with.

Yvonne looked at me with a hint of apology in her eyes. "The Stone family has always been in the Norton family's debt, and I had no choice but to comply. I am truly sorry about this."

I was silent for a moment, then shook my head. "I don't blame you."

With that, I left Yvonne's office.

I never imagined that Monica would have such a background.

It was my own action of hiring the bodyguard that accidentally revealed Monica's true identity.

Yet, there was no way I could simply sit back and let events unfold.

People like Liam and Monica, once they got the upper hand, wouldn't give me a chance to breathe.

I informed Yvonne that I was leaving the Stone Group. Instead of trying to stop me, she offered me a substantial severance package.

We both understood that our decade-long friendship had reached its conclusion.

After departing from the Stone Group, I went directly to the Norton Group.

As soon as Ethan saw me, he greeted me with a teasing smile.

"You didn't come to the Norton Group when we waved high salaries at you. Why are you taking the initiative to come today?"

Ethan Norton and I were classmates in college and shared a tutor during graduate school, so we had known each other for ten years.

I got right to the point and said, "I heard that the lost daughter of the Norton family has been found."

Ethan's smile faded. "You are well informed."

As the adopted son of the Norton family, Ethan was no doubt disturbed by Monica's return.

"Susan indicated that I could continue to work at the Norton Group if I am willing to marry her daughter."

I scoffed and said, "Ethan, you're inherently arrogant and choosy. Would you really want to marry a woman who's a hopeless romantic and didn't even finish high school?

"Besides, she is carrying another man's child. Such a heavy burden, would you be willing to shoulder it?"

Ethan's gaze intensified. "So what? What are you trying to say?"

"I can assist you. We could collaborate."

I was an orphan and hadn't enjoyed the privileges of life that Monica had. But I had toiled for years in my studies and career, building connections across various sectors.

Ethan recognized my value, so he wasn't going to turn me down.

"All right, I'm in."

Ethan and I came to an agreement, and he arranged for me to take a senior position within the Norton Group.

I didn't waste time. I proactively went to see Liam.

While Monica was embraced by the Norton family, Liam was left to grapple with his situation in a dilapidated rental house.

Ethan told me that the Nortons had originally intended to leave Liam to fend for himself, but Monica's desperate pleas for Susan to help Liam had forced them to rescue him as well.

The Norton family had paid a substantial sum in damages, sparing Monica and Liam from imprisonment.

As soon as Liam saw me, he cursed with hate. His eyes were bloodshot as he lunged at me, ready to strike.

But he was blocked by the bodyguard Ethan had assigned to me.

I chuckled softly. "Liam, how did you end up in such a pitiful state? Monica—oh, I mean Monica Norton now, she's become the apple of the Nortons' eyes, with more money than she could ever spend. Why didn't she come to pick you up?

"Didn't she say she wanted to marry you? How could she forget about you the moment she became a lady of wealth?"

Liam froze and then asked, "What lady of wealth?"

I feigned surprise. "You didn't know? Monica is the long-lost daughter of the Norton family."

Liam was rooted to the spot, shock written all over his face, as I turned on my heel and walked away without a backward glance.

With Monica's hopeless romanticism and Liam's thug persona, the Norton family might find themselves in for a world of chaos.

I had been immersed in my work at the Norton Group, simultaneously searching for evidence of tax evasion by the organization.

During this time, Ethan paid me several visits.

He informed me that Liam, who had somehow gotten the address to Norton Manor, had been showing up every day and making a scene to see Monica.

Monica, in turn, was persistent in her desire to meet with Liam.

However, the Norton family was firmly under Susan's thumb. With only one daughter to her name, Susan was protective to a fault and refused to allow her daughter to marry someone like Liam.

"Due to Liam's constant presence, Susan is already planning an engagement party for Monica and me to sever the ties between them."

I snickered, impressed by Liam's tenacity. He hadn't failed in his attempts to reach Monica after I deliberately disclosed the address to Norton Manor.

Ethan, however, seemed a bit melancholy.

Susan pressured him to claim Monica's baby as his.

Ethan looked at me with anticipation in his eyes. "Is there anything else you want to say?"

My lip curled in a quick sneer. "What's the rush? Liam is planning to make a big scene on engagement day. The engagement will fall through anyway."

Ethan seemed a little anxious. "That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking, do you really want Monica and me to get engaged?"

I looked at him, puzzled. "What does this have to do with me?"

Ethan left, shutting the door with a bang.

I smiled at the evidence that was just about complete in my hands.

On the day of the engagement party, I specifically bribed the security guards at the door to ensure they'd let Liam in.

When Monica emerged with her prominent baby bump, the guests' expressions varied.

But such occurrences were not uncommon in wealthy families, and the engagement of an adopted son to a daughter was not something shocking.

Susan, a tough and astute woman, helped Monica up to the stage and loudly declared that Monica was the daughter of the Norton family, and the baby in Monica's belly was Ethan's.

Monica hung her head low, lost in her own thoughts. Judging by her expression, she was not keen on this arrangement.

But she couldn't let go of the privilege.

She wanted to be a princess, yet she also wanted to be with Liam.

"Honey! I finally get to see you!"

A loud voice echoed through the hall, signaling the start of the dramatic scene.

Liam dashed through the entrance and positioned himself beneath the stage, gazing up at Monica with an expression of deep affection.

Susan's face immediately registered shock. "Who are you? How dare you just barge in like this? Where is the security guard? Throw him out at once!"

But Monica, in a sudden motion, shook off Susan's hand and hurried towards Liam, cradling her baby bump.

"Hubby, I've missed you so much," she exclaimed.

They held each other, tears streaming down their faces, while Ethan watched from the side, feigning a mixture of annoyance and humiliation.

The attendees, all business elites, quickly caught on to what was happening.

The adopted son of the Norton family had been betrayed.

The media present were thrilled at the prospect of such breaking news.

Susan's face turned purple with rage as she stepped forward, forcibly separating Liam and Monica.

"What are you yelling about? My daughter is about to get engaged!"

How could Liam pass up this golden opportunity to impress the wealthy Nortons?

From his pocket, he produced the marriage license he and Monica had obtained while he was in prison.

I couldn't help but sigh in amazement. Monica's infatuation with Liam had gone so far as to secure a marriage license even while he was behind bars.

"This is our marriage license. Monica is my wife. Mrs. Norton, you can't just marry Monica off to someone else just because I'm poor! I love her, and I'll do my utmost to take care of Monica and the child. Please don't marry Monica off to someone else!"

It had been a long time since Monica had heard such loving words from Liam, and she was instantly moved to tears.

"Mom, all I want is to be with Liam. I don't want my child to have to call someone else his father. The child needs the love of his real father."

Ethan and I exchanged glances, both of us in good spirits as we watched the unfolding drama.

After today, word of the Norton family's scandal would spread, and those who had grievances against the Norton Group would surely seize the opportunity to exploit the situation.

With Liam's impassioned plea, the engagement party could not proceed any further.