Sebastian's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "Mr. Blackwood, when Celeste was being attacked earlier, you were nowhere to be found. Now you want to swoop in and play the hero?"

Alexander's expression darkened, his jaw tightening visibly.

Victoria stepped forward, quick to defend him. "Alex just arrived. He didn't intentionally abandon Ms. Sinclair."

Sebastian's smirk widened. "When the press hounded Ms. Langley, Mr. Blackwood shut them down immediately. But when they were spreading vicious lies about Celeste, he remained conspicuously silent."

Victoria interrupted impatiently, "Ms. Sinclair has already confessed to some of those accusations. They're established facts now, not rumors. If you don't believe me, Mr. Kingsley, why don't you ask her yourself?"

Sebastian didn't even glance at Victoria, his piercing gaze fixed on Alexander. "Mr. Blackwood, is that your position as well?"

Alexander's stormy eyes remained locked on Amy. "Are you coming down or not?"

It was as if Sebastian's words had fallen on deaf ears. Speaking to Alexander felt like talking to a stone wall. Amy murmured softly, "Mr. Kingsley, could you please take me to the hospital first?"

Sebastian chuckled lightly, "At your service, Celeste."

As Sebastian carried Amy past Alexander, an icy tension crackled between them.

At the hospital, the doctor examined Amy's foot - just a minor abrasion, nothing serious.

Sebastian stepped out to take a call, and Amy, exhausted, drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Her dreams were a chaotic whirlwind of disturbing images. Victoria's malicious smirk appeared, followed by Alexander and Liam pushing her into a terrifying void.

Amy awoke with a gasp, her pulse racing, a thin sheen of sweat coating her forehead.

"Nightmare?" A deep, controlled voice broke the silence beside her, offering tissues.

Amy accepted them with a quiet, "Thank you."

As she dabbed at her forehead, she turned to see a tall, familiar silhouette. Her breath caught, eyes widening momentarily before narrowing. "What are you doing here?"

Alexander noted the frost in her expression and gave a humorless chuckle. "Disappointed it's not who you were hoping for?"

Amy's voice was glacial. "Not seeing who I want isn't the issue. Seeing someone I'd rather never lay eyes on again - that's the problem."

Alexander studied her intently. "Apologize, and I'll publicly declare this whole mess a misunderstanding."

Apologize?

Amy nearly laughed aloud. "I've done nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?"

Alexander hadn't expected her stubbornness to persist, and his tone turned frigid. "Amy, do you truly believe you're blameless in all this?"

Amy's hands clenched into fists, knuckles whitening. The online vitriol had nearly broken her, and now Alexander expected her to capitulate? The absurdity was almost comical.

Her reply was arctic. "The biggest mistake of my life was marrying you!"

Alexander's face hardened like granite. "Amy, that's enough."

Her laugh was bitter. "I've had enough. You can remain blind to Victoria's manipulations, but I refuse to be the docile fool who takes every insult lying down."

Alexander's eyes darkened dangerously. "You're pushing too far."