Chapter 159

The entire household staff was visibly relieved.

They could finally see the back of this unwelcome guest.

Heaven had answered their prayers.

It was a blessing.

For the first time, they felt their mistress had made a brilliant decision.

The vast mansion was soon empty except for Isabella Langley.

She stood alone in the deserted living room, staring into space.

…

Night deepened. The Roscente family estate was brightly lit.

Amelia Roscente had just stepped inside when she saw her mother, Victoria Roscente, reclining on the sofa.

A professional therapist was massaging her shoulders and neck.

"Mom? You're back?"

"Hmm."

"Weren't you taking care of Isabella Langley?"

It had been over half a month. Why had she returned so suddenly without a word?

It was very unusual.

Victoria snorted coldly. "Don't mention her to me. The very name disgusts me!"

"What happened?" Amelia sat down beside her. "What's going on?"

Victoria began pouring out her grievances, listing every indignity she had suffered over these days.

By the end, she pushed the masseuse away and stood up abruptly.

She crossed her arms and launched into a furious tirade at the empty air.

"...I have never seen such a shameless woman! If I'd known, I would have preferred Ethan stay with Sophia Sullivan!"

At least Sophia was cultured and knew her place.

You don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. Victoria was now filled with bitter regret.

Seeing her mother so upset, Amelia's eyes also reddened.

A simmering anger burned in her chest.

It seemed that last slap hadn't been hard enough.

She should have landed a few more!

"And your brother," Victoria said, her voice cracking with genuine hurt at the mention of her son. "He actually believed that bitch's lies! He thought I tampered with his files! And he refused to apologize! He'd rather trust an outsider than his own mother! I'm his mother!"

Amelia was incensed. "Ethan has gone too far! I'm calling him right now—"

She immediately pulled out her phone.

Victoria did not stop her.

She wasn't going to take the blame for this.

The phone rang for half a minute before it was answered—

"Ethan! Did you know Mom is home?"

Ethan Roscente was in a private room at a club with Charlie Lowell, discussing a collaboration.

The short drama market was booming lately.

Charlie had invested in several media companies, perfectly catching the trend and making a fortune.

But no one ever complained about having too much money.

He wanted to bring Ethan in to expand the operation and get a larger slice of the pie.

They had basically reached an agreement, planning for their subordinates to sign the contract the next day.

Amelia's call came through at that moment.

"Home? Which home?"

"The family estate, of course! She was so upset by you and Isabella that her dizziness nearly flared up again! And what are you two doing? One is living it up at the mansion, and the other is having fun at some club!"

The music on the other end was deafening, with a heavy bass beat, clearly from an entertainment venue.

Victoria cooperatively held her forehead and let out a low moan.

Ethan frowned. "Is Mom okay? Has she been to the hospital?"

Amelia sneered. "Now you're concerned? Where were you earlier? You and Isabella are two of a kind! Mom was kind enough to look after her, but she deliberately made trouble. And you actually believed her over your own mother."

"Ethan, I'm so disappointed in you!"

She hung up directly.

Ethan held his phone, looking dazed.

Disappointed?

Perhaps…

He curled his lips in a self-mocking smile.

Charlie hadn't heard the whole conversation, but from the fragments, he guessed it was a family matter.

Remembering Ethan's current situation, he wasn't sure how to comfort him.

Ethan ordered a bottle of vodka and began drinking one glass after another.

Seeing him drink like this, Charlie quickly tried to dissuade him.

"Ethan, this is too strong. You should slow down…"

He didn't want him ending up in the hospital again…

Ethan ignored him, clutching his glass tightly. "Your phone. Give it to me."

"What for?" Charlie asked, puzzled, but handed it over anyway.

His hand was only halfway there when Ethan snatched the phone and quickly dialed Sophia Sullivan's number.

Soon, a familiar female voice came through.

He was like a desert traveler seeing an oasis, speaking urgently. "Sophia, I miss you so much…"

Sophia: "?"

Charlie: "!" Oh no… She'll probably never answer his calls again after this…

"Sophia, come back, please? I know I was wrong… We promised to grow old together. How could you just leave me?"

"Let's let bygones be bygones. Whether you want to pursue your master's degree or work, I'll support you…"

"Last year, we said we'd go to Turkey to watch the sunset and count the stars. Have you forgotten all that?"

He was rambling, his voice hoarse.

His demeanor was utterly pathetic.

But there was only silence on the other end.

Ethan continued, "It was all my fault in the past… Now I finally understand how much you sacrificed for me… Sophia, I love you. I can't live without you…"

Sophia: "Are you done?"

She finally responded.

However—

"I heard congratulations are in order. You're going to be a father."

"Beep—beep—"

A single sentence sent him straight to hell.

Ethan's eyes went blank. The phone slipped from his hand.

She said congratulations.

Ha… She actually said congratulations?!

So she knew! She knew everything!

Charlie asked cautiously, "Ethan, are you okay? What did Sophia say?"

Ethan waved his hand with a laugh. "Enough talk. Let's drink! Tonight, we drink until we drop!"

He then picked up the bottle and started guzzling it directly.

Horrified, Charlie tried to stop him. "You can't drink like that… This is vodka!"

Ethan suddenly paused. "Charlie, tell me… if I drank myself to death, would she come to see me? Just once?"

Charlie's heart pounded with fear. "Ethan, don't talk like that. Please, don't…"

When Charlie helped Ethan out later, aside from slightly flushed cheeks, he seemed fairly sober.

"Ethan, let me drive you home…"

"No need." Ethan waved him off, taking his jacket from Charlie's arm. "I'll go back myself."

Seeing he was coherent, Charlie didn't insist. "Alright, send me a message when you get home."

The night was deep, the moonlight cold.

Pushing the door open, the mansion was as silent as a tomb.

Ethan went straight upstairs to his study.

He turned on the computer and pulled up the surveillance footage.

When the villa's security system was designed, the security team had recommended installing cameras.

He had discreet ones installed but never used them.

Now he wanted to see who had really tampered with the files.

He wanted to see how Isabella and Victoria usually interacted day to day.

Accessing the storage drive, he found it contained surveillance recordings from the past year.

There were twelve folders, organized by month.

On a whim, he clicked open the earliest one.

From exactly one year ago.

Back when he and Sophia Sullivan were still together.