"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.

After all, Susan had a soft spot for her daughter, and seeing Liam's tearful confession of his wrongdoings, she simply gave him a chance.

Susan promised to arrange for Liam to join the Norton Group once Monica had given birth.

Upon hearing this news, Ethan complained to me, "She's getting more and more muddled with age, not only allowing that 47,XYY child to be born but also letting that scoundrel into the senior management of the Norton Group."

I patted him on the shoulder. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? The net has been cast for so long, and it's time to reel it in."

Ethan took a deep breath. "It's only a matter of time before the Norton Group goes bankrupt. Let it pave the way for my new company."

Four months later, Monica gave birth to a son, Felix Norton.

As he wished, Liam joined the company.

On the day of the shareholders' meeting, which was also Liam's first day at the company, he showed up late. He also kicked Ethan out of the main chair, being really arrogant.

Ethan didn't just let Liam's behavior slide—he actually greeted him with a smile.

Liam, emboldened, pushed further and demanded Ethan's office.

Ethan remained silent, offering no resistance.

Liam got a bit too comfortable and, of course, didn't forget about me. It wasn't long before I received the news of my dismissal.

Followed by a team, Liam came specifically to my office. "Jean, I think I have to thank you. If you hadn't told me that Monica had become the daughter of the Norton family, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy today's success."

He smiled smugly. "How about this? If you get down on your knees and beg me, I'll promise not to fire you."

I kept my head down, continuing to pack, paying him no mind.

He leaned closer and whispered something only we could hear, "If you're willing to be with me and give me a son, I'll consider keeping you in the company. What do you say?"

I looked up, met Liam's gaze with a smile, and pulled out my recorder.

"If I play this recording for Susan, do you think you'll still be able to swagger around here?"

Liam's face drained of color and he cursed under his breath. Then, probably bored, he left with his team, not bothering me anymore.

Leaving the office, I headed straight to the lawyer's office where Ethan had been waiting for me for quite some time.

With the evidence we had meticulously gathered, we were well-prepared to take down the Norton Group.

I asked Ethan, "You stayed with the Norton Group for so long, were there ever any moments of hesitation?"

Ethan sneered and replied, "If it weren't for the Norton family, I wouldn't have lost my family in the first place. How could I have hesitated?"

It turned out that Ethan's biological parents had been under Susan's employ.

When Susan's husband had passed away and the Norton Group faced allegations of tax evasion and collusion with gangsters, Susan had used Ethan's parents as scapegoats. She then adopted Ethan to maintain her reputation.

We submitted the evidence, leveraging all of our connections to ensure it had the intended impact.

Eventually, the Norton Group collapsed under the weight of its scandals.

The saga ended with the bankruptcy of the Norton Group. Ethan seized the opportunity to acquire the company as a subsidiary of the new conglomerate he had created, thrusting him into the limelight.

However, Susan was not one to go down without a fight. Despite the decline of the Norton family's fortunes, they were not entirely destitute.

In a last-ditch effort to save herself, she made Liam take the fall for the family's misdeeds. Now he was facing the prospect of a life behind bars.

I became a shareholder in Ethan's company. I saw Susan on several occasions, humbled and seeking cooperation.

However, she was mostly ignored.

Ethan occasionally visited my office to tease, "Jean Spencer, you've done me such a great favor, should I give myself to you in return?"

I smiled back at him. "Let's talk about that when you hand over control of the Synthovision Group to me."

Ethan promptly fell silent.

After all, men were often more concerned with power and position and were not always trustworthy.

Everything settled into a steady rhythm.

For seven years, Ethan and I enjoyed a peaceful life.

Then one day Ethan told me that Susan and Monica had died.

There was a fire at Norton Manor and they could not escape. Only Felix survived.

Ethan said that Felix was probably around seven or eight years old and that the 47,XYY syndrome's negative traits were already manifesting.

He had scalded Susan with boiling water, causing disfigurement, pushed Monica down the stairs twice, leading to her hospitalization in intensive care, abused stray cats, and even blinded a classmate.

The fire, it turned out, was also set by Felix.

After blinding a classmate, Susan had lost a significant amount of money and had reprimanded him, which led Felix to hold a grudge.

At this young age, he faced the police without any sign of panic and even stated that Susan and Monica deserved their fate.

Such a child couldn't be placed in an orphanage due to his criminal actions. However, because of Felix's age, he couldn't be sentenced and was instead sent to an institution.

Nevertheless, I was certain that individuals like him would eventually face the consequences of their actions one day.