Amy Sinclair halted mid-step, a sly, knowing smirk playing on her lips.

"Ms. Langley," she purred, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Let me offer you a piece of advice. You're wasting all your suspicion on women. Men can be just as treacherous—if not more so."

She cast a sideways glance at Alexander Blackwood. "You should be careful, Mr. Blackwood. Someone might take advantage of that handsome face of yours."

Nathan Prescott immediately caught the implication, his temper flaring. The pretense of civility was gone now that Amy and Alexander were divorced. He took a threatening step forward, ready to act.

But before he could move, Alexander's icy voice sliced through the tension. "Nathan," he said coolly. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Nathan jabbed a finger toward Samantha Reynolds. "This woman has a filthy mouth. She needs to be put in her place!"

Alexander's expression twisted in disgust. "And you think striking a woman is something to boast about?"

Nathan froze, suddenly aware of the growing crowd around them. People had stopped to watch, some already pulling out their phones to record the scene. A public confrontation on the steps of city hall was bound to draw attention—and endless speculation.

Chastened, Nathan backed down.

Meanwhile, Alexander turned to Amy, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Liam is running a fever. Aren’t you going to check on him?"

Amy’s expression remained impassive. "I’m not going back," she stated flatly.

Alexander pressed further. "You’re really going to abandon all responsibility for your own child just because we’re divorced?"

She met his gaze without flinching. "If you want me to take care of him, then give me full custody. If Liam lives with me, of course I’ll look after him."

Alexander fell silent, his expression unreadable.

Samantha nudged Amy gently and whispered, "Celeste, don’t forget—he still owes you the rest of the money."

Amy nodded, then turned back to Alexander. "Alexander, as agreed, you still owe me the final payment—nine million. I want it transferred now."

At her words, Victoria Langley nearly lost her composure. For a batch of worthless supplements, Alexander was giving her ten million? Was Amy completely shameless, or just delusional?

Nathan leaned in, his voice low. "Don’t worry, Victoria. Even if the money hits her account, she won’t get to enjoy it. Alexander can always take it back."

Victoria shot him a skeptical look. "You really believe that?"

A dark glint flashed in Nathan’s eyes. "Oh, I’m certain. She might have the money, but she won’t get to spend a dime of it. Someone like Amy, who knows nothing about business or finance? Please—we can handle her with our eyes closed."

Victoria hesitated. "But they have a child together. Would Alexander really go that far?"

Nathan scoffed. "If Amy hadn’t pulled those stunts recently, maybe he would’ve gone easy on her. But after what she did? She crossed a line. Some of Alexander’s business partners saw his wife cozying up to a rival company. For all they knew, Blackwood Enterprises was playing both sides. That’s a serious breach of trust in our world, and it took Alexander weeks to smooth things over. Some CEOs just cut ties completely."

His gaze slid to Amy, cold and venomous. "Thanks to her, Blackwood Enterprises has suffered massive losses. Alexander is furious. He was willing to give her another chance for Liam’s sake, but now? She’s finished. The only reason she’s still breathing easy is because Alexander hasn’t made his move yet. Once he does, she’ll learn what true despair feels like."

Victoria seemed to relax slightly, reassured by Nathan’s words.

Meanwhile, Alexander was all business. He made a quick call to Gregory, instructing him to wire the final payment to Amy.

Within minutes, Amy’s phone buzzed—a notification confirming the massive deposit.

She checked the balance and allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.

"Come on, Samantha," she said. "Let’s go."

Samantha practically bounced with excitement, even more thrilled than Amy. "We’re celebrating! Dinner’s on you!"