Lilah's expression was particularly earnest.

After getting to know Absolon and Joselyn over time, she felt that neither was capable of betraying their partner.

Therefore, she stubbornly believed there must be more to the story.

Absolon remained silent for a moment, his eyes flickering with different emotions.

When he looked up again, there was a glimmer of hope in his deep, dark eyes.

He said a name: Alivia.

Lilah sent these three characters to Gerard, asking him to help investigate.

Meanwhile, something was happening at the other end of the hallway.

"Karol, Karol, I'm really at my wit's end. Please help me. A good deed is its own reward. My dad... he was good to you back then, remember?"

Marlene pleaded, gripping Karol's arm tightly, trying to evoke any remaining sympathy she might have.

At this moment, Marlene was truly at a dead end. Recently, she had hit rock bottom in her life. Her company was swindled, she was betrayed by both her best friend and boyfriend, and even her father, Onyx, had a stroke from anger, now lying critically in the hospital.

All her money had been seized by creditors, and everything valuable had been sold off. If she had any other choice, she would never have come back to seek help from Karol.

"Move aside, don't cling to me. Look at you, how filthy you are.

How many days has it been since you last showered?" Karol looked Marlene up and down with disdain, focusing on her sallow face.

"Oh, Marlene, no matter how down and out you are, you should at least wash your face. Are you so broke you can't even afford a meal now? How pathetic, " Karol sneered, covering her mouth and nose, but the mockery was evident in her voice.

Despite having anticipated the outcome, standing in front of her former friend and hearing such cold and ruthless humiliation made Marlene realize how terribly wrong she had been.

She let out a bitter laugh...

How could she have forgotten that if Karol could conspire with Kaden to seize her family's shares and send creditors after her, how could she expect any mercy?

Marlene's composure shattered.

She slowly raised her head, her eyes burning with unrestrained anger. "Karol, what did I ever do to you to deserve this? Why, why?!"

She clung to the last shred of sanity, not wanting to lose too disgracefully.

Karol merely chuckled lightly, crossing her arms and looking at her with a dismissive glance. "Why? Because you're stupid, brainless. Because Kaden actually likes me, and you, a plain Jane, kept him to yourself for so long.Who wouldn't find that annoying? Oh, and there's also... "

At this point, Karol paused deliberately, savoring Marlene's resentful expression. She felt immensely satisfied, as if the frustration of the past month had vanished in an instant.

"Every time you rushed forward to help me deal with Lilah, that's when you were of some value. Though, you never really managed to get rid of her for me."