Felicia''s expression instantly changed as she snapped her gaze toward Alex. "Oh dear, Mr. Hastings, why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Seizing the opportunity, she immediatelyunched into a vicious tirade against Nicole and Serena. "You have no idea, but Nicole is nothing but trouble! She''s a vixen whopletely bewitched my son, and now, she''s trying to coax Serena into changing herst name. Who knows what ulterior motives she has?"


    Just then, Shirley came down the stairs. Hearing Felicia belittle Nicole and Serena, she couldn''t help but fan the mes.


    "Exactly! My mom is right. Nicole doesn''t look like a decent woman at all. She''s always dressing up so seductively. Who knows how many men she has lured?"


    She paused for a moment, then said even more sharply, "God knows what kind of poison she''s been feeding Serena, making her turn her back on her own grandmother?"


    "Seriously, young people these days are getting more and more out of control!" Felicia sighed, shaking her head as if heartbroken. "No sense of propriety at all!"


    Shirley eagerly chimed in, "That''s right, Mom. Do you think Nicole is doing this on purpose?"


    "I''d bet on it!" Felicia dered with certainty. "That mother and daughter are just trying to get their hands on my son''s fortune!"


    "Mom, you''re absolutely right! Women like her should just..." Shirley made a throat-slitting gesture with a glint of malice in her eyes.


    "Hmph! One day, I''ll make sure they''re both utterly ruined!" Felicia spat venomously. "I''ll teach them a lesson so that no one will dare to mess with the Ashford family!"


    Listening to this vile exchange, Alex''s expression grew darker and darker.


    He hadn''t expected them to be this malicious and brazen in ndering Nicole and Serena. He could no longer hold back. mming his


    palm down on the table, his


    he roared, "Enough! Both of you! Watch your


    damn mouths!"


    The sudden outburst stunned Felicia and Shirley.


    Felicia panicked a little, hastily trying to exin, "Mr. Hastings, we... We''re only doing this for Serena''s sake..."


    "For her sake?" Alex let out a furiousugh. "Is this your idea of looking out for her? Spreading lies to the media and dragging her mother''s name through the mud? Is that what you call concern?"


    Both women stared at him in shock, clearly not expecting his sudden eruption of anger.


    Felicia was the first to recover. Her eyes darted around before she suddenly clutched her chest and wailed, "Oh no! Oh no! I''m going to die! This is too much for my poor heart!"


    She dramatically pounded her chest, looking as if she were on the verge of copsing.


    Alex immediately saw through the act. She had just realized he''d been baiting her, and now, she was trying to y the victim.


    "Oh, my heart! It hurts! It''s killing me! Alex, you have to pay up! You owe mepensation for emotional distress!"


    Alex nearly aughed in disbelief at


    her shamelessness. He forced himself to swallow his rage and


    asked onest time, "I''ll only ask this once more-why did you nder Madam Burke?"


    Felicia continued her theatrical groaning, but Shirley rolled her eyes impatiently


    and snapped, "She brought this on herself! Who told her to-"