They had tormented her for years, and she had endured it silently. But now they dared to lay a finger on her best friend? That was unforgivable.

Nathan strutted around with that infuriating smirk, confident that even if he hurt Samantha, Alexander would turn a blind eye.

Some wounds she could bear, but Amy Sinclair would never let her loved ones suffer because of her.

And how could Victoria possibly be innocent in all this?

Alexander met her gaze. "But Victoria needs constant supervision right now."

Amy's eyes turned to ice.

On the surface, this was between Samantha and Nathan. But beneath the polished veneer, it was truly a battle between her and Victoria.

The message was clear - when forced to choose, Alexander had picked Victoria.

Amy opened her mouth to speak, but Alexander moved faster. His fingers closed around her wrist. "Amy, let's discuss this outside."

The moment they left, Nathan's bravado crumbled. Doubt crept into his voice. "Victoria, he wouldn't actually have me arrested, would he?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Victoria purred, patting his arm. "Alexander would never do that to you."

Nathan exhaled in relief. "The harder Amy pushes this, the more she'll piss him off."

Victoria nodded. "You barely touched Amy. Alexander doesn't care about trivial matters."

"Besides," she added with a dismissive wave, "it's just Samantha. To Alexander, she's nobody."

...

The hallway echoed with their footsteps as they faced each other.

"Amy, I want this matter dropped."

Even though she'd seen it coming, his words still sent a jolt of fury through her veins.

Alexander continued, "I'm swamped with work, and Victoria needs round-the-clock care. Arresting Nathan would devastate her."

"And why should I care?"

His voice remained eerily calm, detached. "You could pursue this, but what do you really gain? A fleeting moment of satisfaction?"

The message was clear - no matter how badly Samantha was hurt, Alexander wouldn't punish Nathan. Because in his world, Samantha didn't matter.

Amy stared into those fathomless dark eyes. "What if I refuse?"

His expression didn't flicker, but his words turned glacial. "Amy, you have no proof."

A sardonic smile curved her lips. "Overconfidence is dangerous, Alexander." She held up her phone. "I recorded Nathan's entire confession. Would that suffice as evidence?"

Something unfamiliar flickered in Alexander's gaze.

If this was just another ploy for his attention, he might have understood. But this ruthless determination to punish his mother too...

Could she actually be considering divorce?

The thought vanished as quickly as it came. Their son was nearly grown - surely she wouldn't abandon their family now.

Noticing his prolonged silence, Amy arched a brow. "What, Mr. Blackwood? Planning to snatch my phone and destroy the evidence?"

His eyes darkened. "What if I am?"

Amy's laugh was sharp as broken glass. "If I dared show you, I'm not afraid of you trying. Even if you smash this phone, the cloud backup has everything."