Elise didn't waste time arguing with her grandfather.

She had lived in that house long enough to know how his circular arguments drained the life from her.

Grabbing Elizabeth's hand, she pulled her out of Levine Manor and into the waiting car that would take them back to Elise's apartment.

The entire ride was filled with Elizabeth's silence, so profound she might as well have been invisible.

Elizabeth had never been good at reading people—if she were, she wouldn't have been so thoroughly broken by her own failed relationship.

She couldn't decipher Elise's impassive expression. Was she genuinely heartbroken, or was she truly as composed as she appeared?

But once they arrived home, Elise moved through her evening routine with practiced ease—showering, changing, preparing for bed.

It was as if the evening's events never happened, as if she hadn't been betrayed, traumatized, or confronted by Elizabeth's grandfather.

Unable to bear it any longer, Elizabeth dropped to her knees beside the bed. "Just cry, Elise! You'll feel better—I've done it countless times myself. Keeping all that pain inside will destroy you."

Elise turned to meet Elizabeth's worried gaze.

A faint smile touched her lips.

It wasn't that she didn't want to cry, but tears changed nothing. The situation would remain exactly the same.

After everything she'd endured, she'd become numb to suffering. No tragedy, no matter how devastating, could break through that barrier.

Today was no exception.

Elizabeth grew more agitated seeing Elise's calm demeanor. "Don't smile like that! It'll only hurt more later!"

"I'm fine, Elizabeth," Elise responded evenly, her voice steady and clear.

Her eyes reflected genuine tranquility, with no hidden pain beneath the surface—as if she truly didn't care.

But Elizabeth knew better. Even if Elise didn't love William, no one could remain unaffected by such deception.

What horrors had Elise experienced to make her heart so resilient?

Years after Ethan first shattered Elizabeth's heart, the pain still haunted her!

"Please don't worry about me," Elise added softly.

A terrible thought struck Elizabeth. "Are you keeping your distance because I'm a Levine?"

"No." Elise's smile warmed slightly—she genuinely didn't feel that way, even if her opinion of the Levine family had plummeted after tonight.

Elizabeth was different, though Elise couldn't explain why she trusted her so instinctively.

Perhaps after encountering so many villains in her life, not every person she met would be another one!

She refused to believe fate could be that cruel.

"God, Elise—I don't even know why I care about you so much," Elizabeth confessed earnestly. "But I promise you this: even if you and William become enemies, you'll always be my best friend!"

"I believe you." Elise nodded. "I won't hold your family name against you either. I've learned to accept things as they come. Nothing hurts when you truly embrace what life gives you."

Elizabeth stared in disbelief while Elise continued calmly, "It's getting late. You should rest—don't you have filming tomorrow? I don't want to keep you up."

Elise's rationality was heartbreaking!

"Ethan rescheduled my scenes," Elizabeth revealed. "He told me to stay with you tonight. He also had some messages for you."