"Aren't you supposed to be moving out? Why aren't you leaving?" Leon questioned as he stared straight into Victoria's eyes.

"I don't need your reminder. I'm leaving anyway. This place is full of trash; I can't stand another second here." Victoria grabbed her suitcase.

With that, she turned and left without hesitation.

Seeing her act so resolute, Leon's eyes darkened slightly. "Wait."

Victoria paused.

Before she could speak, his gaze fell on her suitcase. Then, he turned to the bodyguards at the door and ordered, "Inspect Ms. Smith's suitcase. Make sure there's nothing inside that doesn't belong to her."

"What do you mean by that?" Victoria held onto her suitcase protectively.

"Considering your earlier attempt to steal jewelry, there's no telling if you've taken other things as well. Checking it is for everyone's best interest." Leon knew exactly how to push her into a corner.

"Is

Edwin scanned the room before his gaze fell on the suitcase in Victoria's hands. His soft innocent voice carried a hint of seriousness. "Mommy, why are you holding a suitcase?"

Victoria opened her mouth but struggled to think of a reasonable explanation.

"It's for me." Leon squatted down to meet him at eye level. "I'm going on a business trip for a few days. You behave and listen to Mommy while I'm away, alright?"

Edwin obediently nodded. "Okay."

Leon ruffled his hair. "Good boy."

"Who's this lady?" Edwin's gaze shifted to Eva. 

"She's my secretary, and she's coming with me on the business trip." Leon lied effortlessly.

Victoria's grip on the suitcase tightened, but her face betrayed none of the emotions stirring inside her.

Leon got up and walked over to take the suitcase. Then as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he pressed a kiss on her lips and gently said, "I'm

Victoria's heart shattered under Leon's harsh words. She pursed her lips and finally said, "Must you go that far?"

"I'm just trying to tell you that without me, your life will be a complete mess." Leon stepped closer and looked down at her condescendingly.

"Of course, if you really need something to make ends meet, you can always ask Eva if she'll agree to it."

Eva pointed at herself. "Me?"

"You're the lady of the house now, and it's naturally up to you to decide what stays and what goes." Though Leon was speaking to Eva, his gaze remained on Victoria as if he were warning her of the consequences of disobedience, which was to be replaced.

Victoria's hands clenched tightly at her sides as a wave of humiliation surged through her chest.

"If Vicky wants to take something as a keepsake, I have no problem with that," Eva said and carefully selected her words to fan the flames. 

"But if she's selling them, it feels like she's cheapening your love for her. If I were in her shoes, I'd never do that, no matter how desperate I was."

Leon turned to Victoria. "Did you hear that?"

The response he received was her throwing the jewelry onto the floor with a loud crash. Then without sparing them another glance, she strode toward the door.

"Why is Vicky so upset? Did I say something to piss her off?" Victoria bit her lip, and her face was full of remorse. "Should I apologize?"

"No need." Leon refused.

"But…" Eva's words trailed off. She wondered if she should voice out what she was thinking.

"See if there's anything you don't like. If there is, I'll have it removed. From now on, everything is yours." Leon indulgently ruffled her hair.

"Thank you, Leon," Eva replied as she hugged him.

Victoria caught the scene from the corner of her eye. Though she knew they were intimate, seeing Leon treat Eva with such gentleness still made her heart ache.

He'd once told her she was his most beloved and only exception. But now, all of that was gone.

"You're taking this long to pack. Do you not want to leave?" Leon appeared before her and looked down condescendingly.

Victoria snapped her suitcase shut. "I just wanted to see how a decent person turns into garbage."

"Did you get your answer?" he asked.

"I did."

"Then get out. You're not welcome here."

For a moment, Victoria wanted to say: "Aren't you afraid I'll stay here and refuse to divorce you, and that Eva will forever be forced to be a mistress?"

Then, she remembered this was exactly what he wanted.

"You don't have to pack Edwin's stuff. Once you find a place, I'll have someone send them over. I just hope you won't sell them off to cover your mother's medical expenses." Leon was as infuriating as ever.

"Not everyone's as shameless as you are," Victoria retorted.

Leon stepped closer and leaned over to send her into a corner. "Then I'll be watching. I look forward to seeing how well you manage on your own."

Victoria glared at him. Just as she was about to shove him away, Eva appeared.

Seeing them leaning so close, the smile on her face instantly vanished. But she quickly acted unfazed for fear that Leon would notice her jealousy. "Leon."

"What?" Leon turned to her.

"I like everything in there. Can I have all of it?" Eva asked as her gaze flickered toward Victoria.

Leon straightened up and didn't seem to care. "If you like it, take it. You don't have to get my approval."

"But these were gifts for Vicky. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to take them?" Eva appeared as if she were genuinely conflicted.

"If you really thought that, you wouldn't have asked in the first place. Don't bother putting on an act now that you've brought it up." Victoria could barely hide the anger on her face.

Then, she continued, "You're a homewrecker. What's there left to be concerned about?"

Eva's eyes turned red as she called out, "Leon…"

Leon's expression darkened instantly. He took a step toward Victoria and closed the distance between them until they could sense each other's breath.

"Has no one ever told you? The one who isn't loved is the mistress here."

Victoria's eyes widened as if it was her first time hearing such a twisted statement.

"Aren't you supposed to be moving out? Why aren't you leaving?" Leon questioned as he stared straight into Victoria's eyes.

"I don't need your reminder. I'm leaving anyway. This place is full of trash; I can't stand another second here." Victoria grabbed her suitcase.

With that, she turned and left without hesitation.

Seeing her act so resolute, Leon's eyes darkened slightly. "Wait."

Victoria paused.

Before she could speak, his gaze fell on her suitcase. Then, he turned to the bodyguards at the door and ordered, "Inspect Ms. Smith's suitcase. Make sure there's nothing inside that doesn't belong to her."

"What do you mean by that?" Victoria held onto her suitcase protectively.

"Considering your earlier attempt to steal jewelry, there's no telling if you've taken other things as well. Checking it is for everyone's best interest." Leon knew exactly how to push her into a corner.

"Is that who I am to you?" Disappointment and anger filled Victoria's gaze.

Leon's heart softened brie

Chapter 6