"You think she''s so sweet, thoughtful, and considerate, don''t you? She even put aside her past grievances to tell you my birthday. So you think I shouldn''t disrespect her kindness and should just ept the gifts she so carefully selected?" ire asked Felix, her voice dripping with sarcasm rather than anger.


    Felix hated it when ire used that tone. His eyes turned cold.


    "Have you forgotten how to have a normal conversation?"


    ire sneered. "I''m just speaking to a dog in anguage it can understand."


    "Since she''s so kind, did she also happen to tell you that I never celebrate my birthday?"


    "Felix, do you know why I agreed to leave the marriage with nothing? It''s because I''m leaving the money for you to get your head checked!"


    After firing off herst insult, ire left without a second''s hesitation.


    Felix''s expression grew even darker.


    Madeline clutched the gift bag, looking aggrieved. "Felix, I think my cousin misunderstood again. Maybe I should go exin things to her. I don''t want the misunderstanding between you two to deepen, and I don''t want you to havee all this way for nothing."


    She paused deliberately, gauging Felix''s reaction.


    But she waited a long time and got no response.


    He was frowning, lost in thought, and seemed not to have heard her at all.


    Gritting her teeth, Madeline pulled out her phone. "I''ll just send my cousin a text to apologize."


    "Don''t bother," Felix said, his tone cool and distant. "Why doesn''t she celebrate her birthday?"


    Madeline''s heart skipped a beat.


    She hated it when Felix''s attention was on ire.


    She bit her lip and said vaguely, "I think it has something to do with my aunt. I was too young back then, so I don''t remember clearly."


    Fortunately, Felix didn''t press further. With a grim expression, he went after ire. Of course, he didn''t catch her.


    A car was waiting for ire right outside. The moment she stepped out, she got in and was gone.


    By the time Felix rushed out, all he saw were the car''s taillights disappearing into the distance.


    He stood there, watching the direction the car had gone, his face dark and an inexplicable irritation brewing inside him.


    For some reason, he had a faint feeling that ire was different now.


    She was avoiding him like the gue.


    Did she have to be so angry?


    He hade all this way to celebrate her birthday. She should have taken the olive branch.


    He wondered how long she nned to keep this up.


    Just as he was fuming, his secretary called again to say that Coley was looking for him.


    He was asking when Felix would be free to discuss the divorce in person.


    "Tell him ire and I are not getting a divorce! And tell him not to waste his time and energy on this case!"


    Felix yelled into the phone his anger boiling ever.


    The secretary on the other end didn''t dare make a sound.


    Madeline, who had followed him out, naturally heard his words.


    Her eyes narrowed, and her expression soured.


    Felix''s attention wasn''t on her at all; he seemed to have forgotten she was even there.


    After angrily hanging up, he strode directly to the parking lot.


    He had just gotten into his car when Old Mrs. Quigley called.


    Felix suppressed his anger and answered.


    "You went to Northcrest?" Old Mrs. Quigley asked.


    "Yes."


    "With that little schemer Madeline again?"


    Felix paused, then exined, "I came to celebrate ire''s birthday."


    Old Mrs. Quigleyughed, but it was augh filled with anger. "Let me guess, it was Madeline who egged you on to celebrate ire''s birthday, wasn''t it?"


    Felix didn''t know what cosmicw he had broken to deserve everyone speaking to


    him with such passive-aggressive sarcasm.


    He could criticize ire, but he couldn''t say a single thing against his grandmother.


    So he had to keep bottling up his


    rage. "Madeline meant well. She saw


    our rtionship was strained and was just trying to help. She didn''t mean anything by it.


    "I swear your mother forgot to give you a brain when you were born! If you had paid even the slightest bit of attention to my dear granddaughter, you would know that she doesn''t celebrate her birthday because it''s the anniversary of her mother''s death!"


    Felix''s heart suddenly clenched, and a burning sensation made it hard for him to breathe.


    It took him a long moment to speak, his voice finallyced with a hint of panic. "I honestly didn''t know..."