Nathan scoffed, his lips curling in disdain. "If you want to know the truth, ask Victoria yourself."

Liam's voice was firm, his young face set in stubborn determination. "Mom, if you don’t apologize to Victoria, I won’t forgive you."

In the past, Amy would have crumbled, rushing to soothe him with desperate reassurances. But this time, she merely flicked her gaze over him, her expression unreadable, before turning away without a word.

The shift unsettled Liam. Lately, his mother had been acting… different. His grandmother and Nathan had assured him it was just another one of her attention-seeking ploys—that he shouldn’t fall for it.

Clenching his fists, Liam doubled down. "Even if you’re just trying to get Dad’s attention, you shouldn’t have hurt Victoria. If you do it again, I won’t call you Mom anymore!"

Amy’s fingers tightened at her sides, but her face remained impassive. "Do whatever you want."

Liam blinked, taken aback. Was this another trick?

Just then, Victoria was wheeled out of the examination room. Alexander and Liam immediately followed her to the private ward, leaving Nathan behind. His cold stare bore into Amy. "You think you can walk away from this, Amy? You’re responsible for what happened to Victoria."

Inside the hospital room, Victoria had regained consciousness, her delicate fingers brushing Liam’s tear-streaked face.

"Liam, sweetheart, I’m alright," she murmured, her voice soft with feigned concern. "I just hope my hand recovers… I’d hate to never play the violin for you again."

The mention of the violin brought back memories—Victoria performing flawlessly in front of his classmates, their awed whispers ringing in his ears. "Liam’s mom is like a princess! So talented!"

Unlike Amy, who he could never brag about.

"Victoria, you will get better," Liam declared fiercely. "And if Mom doesn’t apologize, I won’t even look at her."

The door creaked open. Amy stepped inside, her presence immediate and unyielding. Liam’s guilt flickered, but she didn’t spare him a glance. Her focus was entirely on Victoria.

"Ms. Langley, how are you feeling?"

Victoria offered a weak smile. "It’s nothing serious. Thank you for coming to see me, Ms. Sinclair."

Her graciousness only fueled Nathan’s anger. "Victoria, why are you being so kind to the woman who tried to kill you?"

Amy’s lips curved slightly. "Mr. Prescott, if I were a murderer, Ms. Langley wouldn’t be sitting here perfectly fine, would she?"

Nathan’s voice rose. "You pushed her down the stairs! That’s attempted murder!"

Amy’s gaze flicked to Victoria’s bandaged head before returning to Nathan, cool and unbothered. "Accusations require proof. I’ve already said—Ms. Langley lost her footing. I didn’t lay a hand on her."

"You’re lying!" Nathan snapped, turning to Alexander, who had remained silent. "Alex, aren’t you going to say anything?"

Alexander’s eyes settled on Victoria. "What do you want to do about this?"

Victoria’s face was pale, her voice barely above a whisper. "As long as my hand heals… let’s just drop it, okay?"