Ashley spat out a mouthful of blood, and looked at Melissa with disappointment.

“What mistake? Why should I admit to something I didn’t do? If I admit now, what comes next? If she demands the ring, where am I supposed to get it? Mom, you really think I stole it?”

Melissa was left speechless, her face contorted with anger and a hint of guilt.

“If you didn’t steal it, then who did?” Mrs Quinn snarled, glaring viciously at Ashley. “Your mother is no good, and neither are you!”

Ashley’s face went pale as she looked at Mrs Quinn, her eyes empty and numb. “Mrs Quinn, do you really think that?”

Then she turned to Olivia, “Miss. James, no matter I admit it or not? You’re gonna accuse me of stealing your ring, right?”

Ashley’s tone was so calm that it sent a shiver down everyone’s spine.

She looked directly and fearlessly at Olivia, causing the latter to be stunned and unable to respond.

Mrs Quinn pointed at Ashley with a trembling hand. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Melissa panicked. “Ashley, what are you saying? Stop talking nonsense and kneel down to apologize to Miss. James!”

Melissa had no other way to deal with the Quinn Family except to cry, kneel, and apologize.

These tactics had always solved her problems in the past.

Seeing Olivia and Mrs Quinn about to trouble Ashley, she instinctively wanted her daughter to do the same.

But she had no idea that Ashley’s heart felt like it had a cold, gaping hole, leaving her unable to feel any softness.

They wouldn’t let her go anyway, so why should she show weakness? Had her numb forbearance ever led to a better outcome? No.

Without looking at Melissa, Ashley fixed her gaze on Olivia. Olivia’s eyes were filled with smugness and malice, almost overflowing.

Suddenly, Melissa kicked Ashley’s leg, causing her to stagger and fall to her knees with a thud. Ashley turned sharply to look at Melissa. “Mom!”

Melissa gritted her teeth. “Apologize!”

“I didn’t steal!” Ashley looked at Olivia. “Olivia, why are you framing me?”

Seeing Ashley’s disheveled state, Olivia’s eyes flashed with satisfaction, though her face still wore a delicate expression.

“Ashley, what are you talking about?” As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, barely hiding the jealousy within.

During her relationship with Brian, Olivia often smelled a faint rose fragrance on him.

As an adult, and spent many years living abroad, Olivia knew well what that scent implied.

In the world of high-class’s marriages, interests outweighed love.

But Olivia had indeed fallen for Brian.

Initially, she hadn’t planned to dig into the identity of the other woman. But as their relationship deepened, she wanted more.

So Olivia hired someone to investigate Brian. The private detective reported that Brian’s life revolved around work and home, with little entertainment.

His assistants were male, and he had no connections with girls, making him seem almost inhumanly clean.

Yet Olivia had seen the scratch marks behind his ears, the kiss marks on his neck, and his disinterested gaze toward her.

All these pointed to the existence of another woman, someone close to him.

Olivia’s suspicion fell on Ashley.

Although Brian’s daily routine was monotonous, with no female encounters, there was Ashley, who sneaked upstairs at night in the Quinn Family residence!

This disgusting, vile maid had dared to climb into her fiancé’s bed!

And now, how dare she look at her and refute her accusations?

Olivia’s eyes filled with heat, and tears streamed down her face.

She grabbed Mrs Quinn’s hand. “Auntie, could it really not be her? Ashley seems to be telling the truth.”

“If not her, then who? In the entire Quinn Family, who else could act so recklessly? Butler, butler! Call the police, call them now!”

Hearing this, Ashley looked at Olivia’s eyes and saw the smug confidence in her expression.

Had she planted something in her room?

Before Ashley could think it through, Melissa suddenly stood up, grabbed Ashley’s hair, and smashed her head against the ground.

“We can’t call the police! Ashley, apologize! Apologize now! Mrs, please don’t call the police! We’ll pay for the ring, just don’t call the police—”

Mrs Quinn, venting her anger, kicked Melissa in the chest.

“Who are you! Old bitch? How dare you order me around?”

Melissa swayed, her body collapsing to the ground as if lifeless. Her already pale face turned even grayer. Ashley’s eyelids twitched, and she trembled as she rubbed Melissa’s chest. “Mom? Mom?”

Melissa lay on the ground like a deflated balloon, her chest barely moving.

Mrs Quinn, momentarily flustered, quickly straightened her back.

“If she’s going to die, let her die far away. Don’t cause trouble for the Quinn Family!”

The living room fell into a deathly silence.

“What’s going on here?” A voice came from upstairs.

Everyone looked up to see Brian coming down shirtless. “What’s the matter? Did something get stolen?”

Olivia quickly moved to greet Brian. “Brian, why are you coming down? You’re still injured!”

Although the Quinn Family hadn’t hidden Brian’s injury, Mrs Quinn hadn’t allowed maids to serve him on the second floor.

During the day, the butler attended to him personally, and at night, Ashley slept on the floor to accompany him.

The maids hadn’t seen him for days.

Now, seeing him downstairs, their eyes turned to the bandages wrapped around his body.

Brian looked at Olivia. “What was stolen?”

“Nothing. We can’t handle. Brian, you should go back upstairs.”

Brian looked into Olivia’s eyes. She felt a surge of unease, as if he already knew everything.

Ignoring her, he walked over and saw Melissa lying on the ground, barely breathing, with Ashley’s swollen face tending to her.

He turned to Mrs Quinn. “What’s going on?”

“What else could it be? This—”

“Nothing!” Olivia interrupted Mrs Quinn. “Brian, don’t worry about it. Just go resting.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

He scanned the living room. “Tell me.”

Mrs Quinn glared viciously at Ashley. “It’s your engagement ring! Olivia wanna show it to me, but this little bitch stole it!”

Brian paused, and looked at Olivia. “Engagement ring?”