"Jade, did you want to see me?"


    The night had already been overwhelming just as M finally figured out how to handle Lysander, trouble red up with the kids.


    Her mind was still a tangled mess when she was summoned to Jade''s study.


    She''d originally wanted to keep things from Jade, worried the news might upset her. But the moment she saw the butler''sptop screen, she fell silent. "Jade, you know everything."


    "Yes." Jade''s face was unreadable. "If I hadn''t called you here, were you nning to keep this from me?"


    M said nothing.


    "I''m not as fragile as you think." Jade''s tone was cool. "Now, what are you going to do about it?"


    M didn''t answer right away.


    She pulled theptop closer, scrolling through the files. What Jade had was far more detailed—and brutally clearpared to what Leonard had mentioned.


    She herself had just learned the truth today.


    Somehow, Julian Pembroke and Adrian had ended up not only at the same school, but in the same ss. M couldn''t make sense of it.


    Didn''t Sophia hate her? Wasn''t there deep resentment between them?


    Why would she send her own child to Adrian''s ss, knowing full well the boys didn''t get along? M thought back to the incident at the restaurant. With these two in the same ssroom, the odds of something going wrong were almost a guarantee.


    Then she saw the photos in the file.


    Juliany in a hospital bed, bandages wrapped around his head and torso, unconscious. His injuries looked serious.


    And the exnation? Apparently, Adrian had pushed Julian down the stairs. Impossible.


    Adrian had promised her-no more fights, no more violence, ever.


    But then another voice crept into her mind-Was he lying to you? This wasn''t the first time she''d seen his temper, wild and unpredictable, just like his father''s. Last time, simply seeing Julian had nearly set him off-he''d almost smashed a te in anger.


    Don''t forget, he''s a Montgomery.


    She couldn''t be sure.


    But...


    M stared at theptop, her hands clenching tightly in herp, eyes burning. He promised me he wouldn''t fight. Was he lying to me?


    That voice again:


    He''s a Montgomery.


    -The Montgomery family are nothing but liars!


    "M?"


    dher


    Jade noticed her lost in thought and made a gesture for the butler to


    close theptop. Only when M finally came back to herself did Jade ask, somewhat impatiently, "What are you thinking about? I asked you a question-what''s your n?"


    "I''m going back home," M said, no longer hesitating.


    Jade frowned, tapping the closedptop in annoyance. "What for? Honestly, why do you still care about that boy? He''s nothing but trouble always causing chaos, never a day of peace! Let the Montgomerys sort out their own mess!"


    "Jade!" M pressed her temples, exasperated. "I have to see for myself. I want to hear it from Adrian, from his own mouth-was it really him?"


    Jade fell silent.


    After a moment, she sighed. "So, what-you don''t believe he did it?"


    "I... I don''t know." M lowered her gaze, voice uncertain but resolute. “But at the


    very least, as his mother, I have to be there for him. And Jade, he promised me."


    She didn''t want to believe Adrian had lied.


    She needed to find out for herself whether out of duty or simply a mother''s instinct.


    She was his mom.


    And honestly, she wasn''t exactly at ease about Julian either. Knowing the boy was in such bad shape, and with old conflicts between the two, why had Sophia put them in the same school? What was she thinking?


    How could she treat her child like this?


    But considering Jade''s attitude toward the Montgomerys-and Adrian-M hesitated, uncertain how Jade would react if she insisted on going. "Jade, I.....”


    "You can go."


    To M''s surprise, Jade agreed. But then she added, "On one condition."


    "M, you know how I feel. I''ve never liked you keeping in contact with the Montgomerys—especially Adrian. That boy''s been out of control for years, and don''t try to tell me otherwise."


    "Even now..."


    “Anyway, I''ll allow you to go this time. But when you see Adrian, you make him choosee back to Ennd with you, or stay with the Montgomerys."


    "If he chooses to stay with the Montgomerys, then once this is over, he''s no longer our responsibility. Other than a set


    amount for child support, we


    done. But if he chooses toe back with you, I''ll let bygones be bygones, and I''ll devote all our resources to his future. In that case, the Montgomerys will have no im on him."


    Jade paused, meeting M''s stunned gaze, then continued, "But no matter what, you have seven days."


    "Seven days-whether things are resolved or not, you muste back! If you don''t, I don''t care how old and frail I am, I''lle get you myself. Understand?" "...Understood," M whispered.