Amy's fingers trembled slightly as she erased the final message from her phone. "This might only be the start," she murmured under her breath.

...

Just as Amy had predicted, the storm arrived sooner than expected.

They were barely done with dessert when Theodore Whitmore's frantic call came through—his herbal clinic had been vandalized beyond recognition.

Without hesitation, Amy grabbed her purse and dashed out with Samantha and Sebastian in tow.

The devastation that greeted them was absolute. Shattered glass crunched beneath their shoes as they stepped inside. Medicine bottles lay broken across the floor, their contents forming colorful puddles. The reception desk had been split in two, and the framed medical certificates now hung crookedly from the ruined walls.

It looked like a tornado had torn through the space.

Amy's heart clenched as she spotted the elderly doctor sitting on the cracked front steps, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Dr. Whitmore!" She rushed forward, helping the shaken man to his feet.

He attempted a weak smile. "I'm alright, child." But as his gaze swept over the destruction, his voice cracked. "Though I suppose this settles it. My retirement begins today."

Amy's breath hitched. "You're closing the clinic?"

"Permanently." He sighed, rubbing his wrinkled forehead. "My children have been begging me to retire. I was planning to leave next month anyway... this just moves up my timeline."

Her throat tightened. "Dr. Whitmore, let me help rebuild—"

"No, no." He waved a dismissive hand. "At my age, this is the universe's way of telling me it's time to go home."

Amy stared at the ground, guilt twisting her insides. "This is my fault."

The old doctor's bushy eyebrows shot up. "Nonsense! How could this possibly be your doing?"

"If I hadn't involved you..." She swallowed hard. "Nathan did this because of me."

A knowing look crossed Theodore's face. "Ah. That Prescott boy?"

Amy hesitated, then gave a small nod.

The doctor snorted. "I suspected as much. Your ex-husband may be ruthless, but he's too clever for such crude tactics. That Prescott boy, though—he's exactly the type to throw a tantrum when he doesn't get his way."

Earlier, while rushing over, Amy had received a text from Dominic with damning confirmation: "Nathan's handiwork, though Alexander watched it happen."

Dominic had even attached security footage as proof.

Amy had known Alexander would become her adversary after the divorce. But she hadn't anticipated he'd sink to this level.

"Dr. Whitmore, I'll cover all the damages—"

"Absolutely not!" Theodore cut her off sharply. "Why should you pay for that spoiled brat's misbehavior? If anyone's footing this bill, it's Nathan Prescott!"

"He won't pay." Amy knew Nathan too well. He'd been waiting years for this moment—for her and Alexander's marriage to crumble so he could finally exact his revenge. Compensation was the last thing on his mind.

The doctor's face flushed with anger. "I know. But I'll be damned if I let him get away with this unscathed." He gripped Amy's arm. "Do an old man a favor—call that little bastard. I want to give him a piece of my mind before I go!"

Samantha, who'd been silently fuming, finally exploded. "This is unbelievable! After everything you did for Victoria? You saved her life with your medicine, and this is how they repay you?" She turned to Sebastian, her voice dropping to a furious whisper. "I should've poisoned their prescriptions when I had the chance."

Sebastian's eyebrow arched. "Poisoned?"

Samantha proceeded to recount the entire story behind the controversial treatment in hushed tones, her hands gesturing wildly.