Alice''s tone was dripping with sarcasm. Chloe gritted her teeth; once she controlled the Windham family, she''d make Alice suffer. She swore it.


    ke pped Chloe."What are you looking at? Apologize!"


    Chloe winced."Alice, it was my fault. I spoke carelessly, making Four resent you for years.”


    Alice almostughed.


    ke turned to Alice, his tone stiff."You heard her. I was deceived; I misunderstood, and I made things difficult for you."


    “Oh,” Alice said tly."Finished? I''m leaving."


    As she turned, ke called out,''Alice, it was a misunderstanding. Can''t we reconcile?" Reconcile? Alice turned back. A few apologies, and we''re supposed to reconcile? What about everything I suffered?" A little bit of self-harm, and she''s supposed to forgive him? Impossible. ke''s face darkened."Alice, I''ll make Chloe suffer everything you did. Is that enough?"


    Alice nced at Chloe, saying deliberately, "That''s barely a start."


    Chloe''s face went white. She was in agony; wasn''t that enough? Did Alice want her killed? ke tried to speak but was stopped by Alice. Mr. Windham, please stop."


    "You dare stop me?"


    “Mr. Windham, your manager begged us to handle the assault case. But we''re working for M Alice now.” ke was furious. Did they think they could ignore him?


    Alice entered the elevator, looking at the injured Chloe with disdain. She wanted to see how long Chloe could endure. She hadn''t seen Chloe meet that middle-aged man again.


    Back in her room, Alice said, “Ms. Alice, the Windhams will try to make you drop the charges." "I know,” Alice replied, understanding the Windhams''s intentions. She wouldn''t relent, but she wouldn''t make it easy for Chloe either.


    After Alice left, Alice opened herptop. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, hacking into Chloe''s phone. Chloe would likely contact her father.


    Alice found a brief exchange. Chloe''s father instructed her to feign vulnerability to gain Ethan''s sympathy and drain the Windham family''s assets. That was Chloe''s n.


    Alice remembered her past life; she''d exposed Chloe''s lies and Ethan''s evidence. No one had believed her; she''d been kicked out and died in a mental institution. She didn''t know if Chloe had seeded in draining the Windham family''s assets.


    Chloe couldn''t have done it alone; someone was behind her, likely her father.


    Alice found nothing else except some intimate photos of Chloe and Gavin in an encrypted album. She nted H virus


    Chloe''s phone


    her monitor


    on


    contacts.


    Chloe''s father was cautious. He''d be difficult to deal with. But wasn''t he a rural migrant worker? How did he know so much about technology? Something was wrong.


    She could only wait. She didn''t believe Chloe could endure this forever.


    60:15


    Alice went to the garden to watch the ants. A well-dressed woman, wearing a hat and mask, approached cautiously. She called someone, Have you found out which room she''s in?" Mrs. Yates wanted to speak to Alice herself; she wanted to see what made Jack so captivated.


    She was trying to avoid being seen by Jack''s people, preventing her from approaching Alice. But Mrs. Yates tripped and fell.


    “Careful,” Alice said, quickly catching her.


    Mrs. Yates patted her chest. “Goodness! Thank you, dear."


    Alice released her but identally touched her injured arm, her face paling in pain.


    Mrs. Yates helped her sit down."Are you alright? Need a check-up? I''ll take responsibility." If Alice hadn''t caught her, she might have broken a bone.


    Alice shook her head. "Just a little pain."


    Mrs. Yates, feeling guilty, gave her a business card. "Contact me if you need anything.” She needed to find Alice and couldn''t dy.


    Leaving hurriedly, Mrs. Yates nced back, finding Alice vaguely familiar.


    Alice was watching ants when Ethan called. She answered calmly. “Anything important? Unless it''s about the firewall, I don''t think we need to talk."


    “Alice, I didn''t want to call. Four brought Chloe to apologize. She''s badly injured. You''re not showing any leniency. Do you want her dead?"


    Alice scoffed."First, I didn''t beat her. Second, I found it satisfying. Third, it''s none of my business!"


    "Alice, do you have any conscience? You grew up with Chloe. Are you so heartless?"


    “Stop the moral grandstanding. Don''t you remember I almost died during the live stream?”


    Ethan was speechless. "But you''re fine, right?"


    "Yes, I survived. So, it''s not my turn to die."


    Ethan sighed. “Alice, Chloe''s father died saving Mom and Dad. Please, let her go."


    "Are you sure Chloe''s father is dead?"


    This chapter maintains the suspense and introduces another key yer: Jack''s mother, adding anotheryer ofpAlicety to the unfolding drama while consistently maintaining the Americanized context and informal


    tone.