Elena’s POV

My eyes immediately scanned for Silvia—but she was nowhere to be found.

She probably feared a confrontation and slipped away. Typical. As my “good friend,” she could’ve returned at any moment to twist the story, destroy my reputation in one fell swoop. But for now… with her gone, I could speak freely.

I turned politely toward Xue Man’s husband. “Thank you, but I think I still need to explain.”

He glanced aside, about to interject. “You don’t need to explain. ...