Rnd pulled out a crisp white handkerchief and leisurely wiped the traces of Leonard''s grip from his hand. With a polite smile, he said, "Leonard, please inform your boss that Ms. Suthend and I are leaving now."


    Leonard stood tall by the door, his voice cold and unyielding. "Mr. Lockwood, are you aware of the consequences of today''s events?"


    Rnd''s grin didn''t waver as he pocketed the handkerchief. Turning to M, he said, "Ms. Suthend, shall we?"


    Once the two had departed, Leonard pulled out his phone and dialed Lysander.


    "Sir, your wife has left with Rnd. I apologize, I couldn''t stop them."


    There was a brief silence before Lysander''s voice came through the line, "If it''s Rnd, it''s understandable you couldn''t prevent it. Don''t beat yourself up."


    "And as for her?"


    "Keep an eye on her, but let her be. She truly thinks Rnd and the Lockwood family are easy to handle?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Mr. Lockwood, I really appreciate your help today."


    In the parking lot, M expressed her gratitude but couldn''t shake off Leonard''s earlier warning. "Mr. Lockwood, your assistance today, considering the Lockwood and Montgomery families..."


    Rnd chuckled, "Ms. Suthend, don''t overestimate your influence. This is a matter between the Lockwood and Montgomery families, not something you can disrupt on your own."


    So straightforward, she thought.


    M sighed, "...That''s a relief."


    It didn''t matter to her whether people were blunt or not, as long as she wasn''t caught up in it.


    But the dynamics between the Montgomery and Lockwood families puzzled her. Weren''t their elders supposed to be on good terms? Yet the younger generation seemed to be at odds.


    Particrly Rnd, the elder of the Lockwood siblings, who never seemed to see eye to eye with Lysander, despite his brother''s childhood friendship with him.


    However, as Rnd pointed out, the intricacies of the two families'' affairs were not M''s concern.


    Nor could she influence them.


    M recalled a previous conversation and couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Lockwood, about the old friend you mentioned... How has he been all these years?"


    She couldn''t shake off the worry.


    Rnd studied her for a moment before replying with a gentle smile, "Ms. Suthend, you know well enough. If he returns, he will find you, and then you can see and ask him yourself."


    Then Rnd added, "I have just one thing to say-I hope when that timees, Ms. Suthend, you won''t deceive my friend with lies, as you did seven years ago."


    "I didn''t..."


    M wanted to defend herself, but the words faltered. No matter the truth, she had indeed wronged that person.


    ...


    Driving back to her studio, M''s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about the family gathering.


    A sense of unease gnawed at her.


    Trouble seemed toe in waves.


    Her entangled marriage with Lysander was far from resolved, and now the ghosts


    of seven years past were resurfacing, one by one.


    First Giselle, and now him...


    It felt like they hade to settle old scores.


    Yet in the chaos of the past, M had been the most powerless, a leaf blown by the wind, undeserving of such retribution.


    M tightened her grip on the steering wheel, a hardened resolve glinting in her eyes.


    No matter what those returning intended, M was no longer the rootless leaf she once was. She was determined to confront whatever they had nned.


    Suddenly, her phone rang, breaking her train of thought.


    She nced at the screen on the dashboard-it was her son, Adrian, calling.


    Why would he call at this hour?


    Having just argued with Adrian''s father, seeing her son''s number stirred a mix of emotions. The thought of Adrian''s closeness to Giselle made her brow furrow slightly.