An agreement was finally reached.

Amanda stepped out of Henry's study.

Henry took a slow sip of his tea, then released a heavy sigh.

"I've ended two relationships in just two days."

"It was unavoidable with Ms. Scott, but Ms. Mitchell... that was different."

Lawrence, having served Henry for decades, understood his master's thoughts perfectly.

"Sir, you summoned Ms. Mitchell to test her character, not to deliberately separate them. She simply failed to meet your expectations."

Ultimately, it had little to do with Mitchell Corp or her past scandals.

Henry gave a dry chuckle.

Lawrence was correct, as always.

If Elise and Amanda had switched places, the outcome would have been entirely different.

The moment Amanda left the study and saw Ethan, her composure shattered, and tears streamed down her face.

Ethan knew exactly what his father had done.

His father had always been clear: anyone wishing to enter the Levine family must first pass his scrutiny.

Amanda had clearly failed.

In truth, Ethan had anticipated this result even before she entered the study.

He hadn't objected because this... would finally bring closure to their complicated situation.

Their relationship had begun as a facade anyway, but Amanda was the one who kept demanding more.

"Let's go. I'll drive you home," Ethan said, taking Amanda's arm and leading her toward the estate's gates.

Amanda suddenly stopped walking.

Ethan turned to face her.

"Ethan Parker, you knew your father would never accept me, didn't you? You deliberately brought me here today to humiliate me, right?"

Amanda jerked her arm away, her voice trembling with accusation. Even she, in her naivety, had finally pieced it together.

Ethan remained silent. His silence was answer enough.

Slap! Amanda's hand connected sharply with Ethan's cheek.

Overwhelming humiliation gave way to uncontrollable emotion. All the indignities she'd suffered throughout the day came pouring out.

Meanwhile, on the balcony of her room, Elizabeth lit a cigarette.

She wasn't a heavy smoker, but she occasionally indulged when feeling frustrated or troubled. She had been considering calling Elise to chat once she felt better when the explosive scene below caught her eye. She watched the two of them arguing as if enjoying a theatrical performance.

Of course, she couldn't hear their words.

Elizabeth wondered if Amanda, unable to swallow the slap she had received earlier, had decided to return the favor to Ethan.

See? How clever.

If she had slapped Amanda, it might not have truly taught her a lesson.

But slapping Amanda meant Ethan would be implicated too. She had killed two birds with one stone. She definitely held the upper hand this time.

Back at the entrance, Amanda's tears continued to fall.

"If you wanted to break up, you could have just told me directly. Why did you have to humiliate me like this?"

"I've told you before. Did you listen?" Ethan countered coldly.

Amanda bit her lip.

Ethan had repeatedly reminded her that they were only pretending to be a couple.

Once their public popularity faded, their relationship would naturally dissolve. She was the one who insisted on pushing for more, finding every excuse to cling to him and refusing to let go.

"It's getting late."

Ethan had no desire to continue this conversation.

It wasn't so much that he didn't want to pursue the matter, but rather that his patience with her had worn dangerously thin.

Amanda eventually got into Ethan's car. The interior was eerily silent.

"Can we still be friends after this?"

Amanda's voice broke the quiet.

Ethan's eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.

"Your father said if we break up amicably, we can still be friends," Amanda continued, looking at him pleadingly. "Regardless of everything, I was always there for you when you needed help. Can't we remain friends on that basis alone?"

"Yes, we can," Ethan finally nodded.

"If you need help in the future, feel free to come to me."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Of course," Ethan promised.

That seemed to offer Amanda a small measure of comfort.