"Ever since my mother and I moved in and became part of the Scott Family, you've been shunning us. You've made things difficult for us in everything we did. My mom had asked me to tolerate you. She said that you were only acting like that because you couldn't accept your mother's death. She even told me that things would get better in time."

Mia was crying in torrents. When she spoke, her voice sounded completely miserable. She stood alone before Joanne, the shoulders on her lean and tiny frame quivering slightly. From all perspective, Mia looked like some kind of socially vulnerable girl who had been oppressed for years. Nobody would be able to quell the feelings of pity evoked by such a sight.

Joanne kept looking at Mia's eyes. "Wonder what mascara she's using," Joanne thought. "Didn't get ruined even after all that crying."

"But even after so many years, you're still the same!" Mia kept throwing out accusations while making sure that she looked pitiable. "You haven't changed one bit. Your mother's death had nothing to do with my mom, and yet you took everything out on her. Fine, let's forget about how you're always looking for ways to cause her trouble. I'll let that pass. But do you have to humiliate her like this today? And in such a place too! Sis... no. I won't be calling you that ever again. Joanne, you can't take things too far!"

"I told you ages ago that my mother only gave birth to me and my brother. I don't have a younger sister," Joanne said, her eyes holding mild ridicule. "You're only starting to get it now?"

Hah. Sister? What sister? When they were all alone, when there was no longer a need for Mia to keep up her facade of innocence, she would always use Joanne's full name. The way Mia spoke would always sound like she was the oldest daughter of the Scott Family instead of Joanne.

"You..." Mia's tears flowed with much greater vigor. "You've taken your bullying too far."

Joanne smiled. "Patricia knew clearly well that Steven was a married man, and yet she still chose to be with him. She even gave birth to you. They hid their affair from my mother for over ten years. Then, when my mother's was in the worst condition, Patricia suddenly showed up at our house with you. She told my mother that all these years, Steven had another family outside the house. My mother was traumatized and was dead because of it. Mia, are you still going to deny that my mother's death had nothing to do with you people? Let me tell you something. All three of you are murderers. All of you killed my mother."

"No, it's not like that..." Mia sobbed in panic. In her current state, she looked nothing but pitiable. "It's not like that. My mom had nothing to do with it."

An icy smile formed on Joanne's lips. "Enough, Mia. You can stop all your acting now."

"Brian," Mia said, suddenly throwing herself at Brian. "Do you see now? This is what sis is truly like. She isn't a kind person, she..."

"Miss Scott." Brian cut Mia off coldly. "I know my wife's personality and conduct much better than you do."

"..." Mia was stunned into silence. She even forgot to cry.

"There is, however, one thing between us that I would like to settle right now." Brian's expression grew darker and darker. Danger leaked from his long and narrow eyes.

All of a sudden, a bad feeling formed at the pit of Mia's stomach. "What do you mean? Brian, is there some kind of misunderstanding?"

"Leaking Joanne's personal details and photo on the forum. You call that a misunderstanding?"

Mia visibly paled. She stared wide-eyed at Joanne, completely incapable of speech.

To many people, the memory of Joanne's doxxing incident was still fresh. But what many people had not expected was that Mia was the one who had leaked Joanne's personal details. It was Mia's actions that had caused Joanne to be assaulted.

The pitiable image that Mia had been trying so hard to fabricate fell apart in an instant.

"Really can't believe this girl is capable of such schemes..."

"Tsk, tsk. She was even calling 'sister' just now. Even I almost believed that her suffering was real."

"Scheming whore!"

...

Those words from the crowd had found their way into Mia's ears. She clenched both fists tightly. A savage look had now replaced the paleness on her face.

She had used a newly registered anonymous account to do her dirty work. She did not expect to be found out like this.

Brian angled his head to look at Joanne. "What would you like to do?" he asked, his tone coddling and affectionate.

"I don't want to see her face," Joanne said.

Brian nodded and two police officers came in from outside. The officers walked up to Mia and flashed her their IDs. "Miss Mia Scott, you're suspected of unlawful disclosure of the personal information of others. Please follow us to the station for follow-up investigations."

"I'm not..." Finally, Mia became afriad. "I didn't. It wasn't me."

"Whether you did or didn't, it's our job to find out. Miss Mia Scott, please cooperate with us."

Mia turned away to run, but the police officers were quick on their feet and had blocked her way before she could escape. "Miss Scott, if you refuse to cooperate, then we have no choice but to handcuff you."

Hearing those words, Mia stared at Joanne in terror. "Joanne, you can't do this. You can't just send me to the police station."

Joanne stepped right up to Mia's face and stared her down with cold eyes. "In the many times you've provoked me, is there a time where I let you off the hook?"

Mia's shoulders sank limply like a deflating balloon. The police officers led Mia away with a screaming Patricia at their heels.

The gravity of the situation hit Steven the moment he saw his daughter being led away. In a fit of anger, he stalked towards Joanne and slapped her in the face. Nobody had seen it coming let alone stop him.

A burning pain began to spread from Joanne's cheek. Still, no amount of physical pain could top the hopelessness that had begun swirling in her heart like an unstoppable tempest.

A dark and dangerous glint flashed in Brian's eyes. He stepped forward and shielded Joanne behind his own body. He saw the crimson finger marks on Joanne's white cheeks. The sight of those marks had appalled him.

All of a sudden, a chilling coldness took over his entire comportment, as if he were a wild beast whose scales had been unduly touched. A bone-chilling aura pervaded the entire room. Others who were standing around them could not help but step back in fear.

Everybody knew that things would turn bloody the moment Brian got angry.

Just when everyone was expecting a storm of blood and flesh, Joanne reached out and grabbed Brian's hand. She stepped around Brian and walked up to Steven.

"Steven Scott, from now on, I'm no longer your daughter." Joanne's face was expressionless and her voice was flat. "From today onwards, all ties between us are severed. We're no longer related to each other."

A look of regret flashed across Steven's face. At the same time, a crying Patricia re-entered the room.

"My daughter is arrested! My daughter! Arrested!" Patricia glared at Joanne savagely. "This is all your fault!"

Patricia lifted her arms to strike Joanne.

A narrow-eyed Brian caught Patricia's forearm just as Iris hurried over. "Mr. and Mrs. Scott," Iris said, "This is my charity night, so if you're here to cause trouble, please take your leave. This place doesn't welcome you."

After everything, Steven would not have wanted to stay either. He left, taking Patricia with him.

Those in attendance were seasoned elites, all of whom were astute enough to know that the event would be ruined if they allowed the awkwardness to linger in the ambience. So they went back to chattering and laughing with each other as if the untoward incident just now had never happened.

Brian took Joanne's hand and led her to the balcony.

Even during nightfall, the city's din refused to let up. On the other side of the river, the night was dotted with the financial center's incandescence. Each building held the dreams and aspirations of countless of people. This side of the river was occupied by The Quayline whose opulence would make any person go starry-eyed. Miscellaneous pedestrian zones were set up nearby, all of which was bustling with activity.

Joanne took in the entire view of the city from high up. It gave her the impression that this city would never allow its inhabitants to stop their activities.

Brian caressed the visible finger marks on Joanne's cheeks. "Does it still hurt?"

"No. Not anymore." Joanne leaned against the railing nonchalantly. "There's now a good reason for me to cut ties with him. I've been wanting to do that ever since he killed my mom."

It had been nine years since then. In those nine years, there were indeed occasions where Joanne was tempted to disown Steven. But she never did. She had never thrown out the words. Back then, she still had qualms about disowning her father, and Brian knew why. But today, the last vestige of hope that she had once held in her heart was sundered by Steven's slap.

The wind was cold tonight despite the approaching summer. Joanne felt the chill right down to her toes in her high heels, causing her to hug her shoulders.

Brian removed his jacket and draped it over her.

Joanne felt a sudden warmth on her back. She turned around and stared back at Brian in surprise. "Thanks," she said, deciding she might as well just put on the jacket.

All this while, she had thought that she would never have to good fortune to experience Brian's act of chivalry.

"By the way, how did you know that the person who leaked my information was Mia?"

"Did some digging."

The night it happened, Brian had ordered Gavin to conduct an investigation. It did not even take thirty minutes for Brian to obtain the IP address, which was registered to the Scott Family. From there, it became obvious that Mia was behind the leak.

"You knew it was Mia too?" Brian asked.

For the past month, Joanne never said anything about it. So Brian just assumed that she did not know anything.

"Of course I knew." Joanne drew Brian's jacket closer to her body, inhaling his familiar scent. "Other than Freya, nobody knew about my personal details. Also, that photo was taken during my high school graduation. It's always been sitting at the house. Steven won't stoop to such things. Patricia doesn't know how to use the internet. The only one left is Mia, who has hated my guts ever since we were young."

Brian's brows creased. "She's hated you since young?"

"Well, what to do?" Joanne shrugged, her palms facing up. "It's easy for someone's who's too excellent or too perfect to be ousted."

Smiling, Brian cradled Joanne's face with his long fingers and turned her head towards him. There were clear signs of swelling on her right cheek. "Put some ice on it when we get home."

The lights from the other side of the river washed over them, illuminating Brian's face. Every time she set eyes on him, Joanne thought he looked even more handsome than any other times she had seen him. The sharp contours of his face accentuated his beautiful features to perfection. Out of nowhere, she asked, "Brian, shouldn't there be more people plotting against you?"

Brian raised an eyebrow. "They wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't dare? Because nobody is better than him? Or is it because those people chose to suck up to him instead?" Joanne thought.

Joanne laughed. "Then I guess I'm lucky to be married to you."

She overdid it with her laughter. A sharp pain pierced through her right cheek. She released a hiss and pressed her palm to her cheek.

Brian frowned again. Then, he offered Joanne his hand. "I'll take you home."

Joanne was a bit reluctant. "Why go home so early..." She had slept from yesterday afternoon until this morning, so she was full of energy. She did not feel like going home at all.

"So you don't want to go home." Brian stepped closer to Joanne. "Then shall we continue that thing we were doing here just now?"

"Just now... the thing we were doing?" Joanne thought.

Joanne remembered Brian's strength, the way his soft lips had covered her own. Crimson crept up her face swiftly and spread through her entire face...