Alexander's gut twisted at Amy's words.

He had intended to put her in her place—that much was true. But reclaiming that billion had never been his real goal. Yet the way she spoke, it was as if he had broken some unspoken promise between them.

A chill settled in his gaze. "Amy, have you considered the consequences of donating all that money? If you fail to uphold our agreement, you'll be drowning in a billion-dollar debt."

Amy merely smiled, unfazed. "And did you ever stop to think that if I'm bold enough to give it all away, I'm clearly not afraid of debt?"

Alexander's sharp brows lifted, his expression laced with challenge.

"So you're relying on me, is that it? Betting I won't actually come after you?"

Amy paused, then let out a laugh—sharp, mocking. "Alexander, do you really think so highly of yourself? That you wouldn't harm me? You and your little circle blacklisted me, spread lies to ruin my reputation, tried to have me thrown in prison—and now you claim you wouldn't hurt me?"

She leaned forward, her voice dripping with disdain. "When did you become so shameless?"

A shadow flickered in Alexander's eyes. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Amy cut him off with icy precision.

"Let me guess—you're about to claim you had nothing to do with it? Even if that were true, you didn't stop it. You let Nathan do his dirty work while you stood back, waiting for the perfect moment to finish me off yourself."

She set her coffee cup down with a deliberate clink.

"Honestly, all of you disgust me."

For a fleeting second, something unreadable flashed across Alexander's face.

How did she know so much—sometimes in greater detail than even he did?

Amy met his gaze without flinching. "I know why you're here. You want me to let Nathan off the hook. But let me be perfectly clear—that will never happen."

"He's targeted me again and again, and you turned a blind eye. Now that he's finally facing consequences, you want to negotiate? Maybe you should've thought of that sooner."

Her tone was razor-sharp. "It's only because he has a friend like you—someone who always cleans up his messes—that Nathan ever thought he was untouchable."

"If he's ended up in this position, well, he brought it on himself."

"I know you have power, Alexander. You could make Nathan's problems vanish with a snap of your fingers. But I don't care. They say pride comes before a fall, and honestly, I should thank you. If not for your help, Nathan wouldn't have gone this far. In a way, you've avenged me for everything he's done."

With that, she stood, locking eyes with him.

"As for why I'm not afraid of that billion-dollar debt? Simple. I know Victoria isn't dying. She was never terminally ill—not from the start."

She knew Alexander wouldn't believe her, but it didn't matter. Once doubt was planted, it would grow.

In his office, Dominic Whitmore lounged at his desk, sipping tea while scrolling through his phone.

"Alex, I just saw that all of Amy's accounts have been reinstated. Every platform has issued public apologies to her... The story of her standing up to corporate giants is everywhere, and she's gained another twenty million followers. The hype isn't dying down."

Alexander stood by the window, his back to the room, his expression hidden.

His voice was cool, detached. "She did spend a billion. If she couldn't at least get this much in return, it would've been a waste."

A pause. Then, quieter: "And... it seems Amy knows everything about Nathan's schemes."

Dominic's hand stilled, the teapot hovering midair. "Oh?"