Elise took a slow sip of her coffee, gazing out at the city of Crestwood swallowed by the night.

Once more, she had chosen to stay in Crestwood.

How vast could one city truly be? Encounters were inevitable, and she had no real place to conceal herself anyway.

If William wished to find her, it would be effortless.

What was the use in resisting the inevitable?

"I'll tell my brother."

Elizabeth's face immediately blossomed into a wide, radiant smile.

Elise genuinely valued Elizabeth's character.

Elizabeth was unburdened, vibrant, and full of life. Spending time with her always infused Elise with a greater sense of optimism.

"It's late. You should get some rest," Elise reminded her.

"You too. You work relentlessly; it will take a toll on your health. Have you eaten dinner?"

"Yes, I have."

"Please, take good care of yourself. I'll return tomorrow to keep you company."

"Alright."

Elizabeth ended the call happily and went directly to William's room.

A line of stern bodyguards stood guard outside his door, their postures rigid, ready to intervene at the slightest provocation.

Elizabeth feigned ignorance and reached for the door handle.

"Miss."

One of the bodyguards moved to block her path.

"I need to speak with my brother."

"The Young Master is asleep."

"Then I'll wake him."

"The Old Master has given explicit instructions. No one is to see the Young Master alone."

"Seriously..."

Elizabeth felt her temper beginning to flare.

"Especially you, Miss," the bodyguard added, his tone respectful yet firm.

Her grandfather was certainly taking William's engagement to Victoria with grave seriousness. A flicker of worry ignited within her.

Would William have any room to maneuver against this? Elizabeth gritted her teeth in frustration. There was nothing she could do here but retreat.

Later, well past midnight, Elizabeth concluded that Ethan probably wasn't coming back.

Since Amanda wasn't staying at the manor overnight, they could be anywhere else.

After a fight, wasn't sharing a bed often the best way to reconcile? Elizabeth turned away from Ethan's bedroom door.

As she took a step, she saw Ethan ascending the staircase.

"Looking for me?" Ethan asked, his demeanor cool and composed.

"My brother asked me to relay a message to Elise, to wait for him. I called Elise just now, and she agreed. I was concerned my brother might be worrying, so I wanted to tell him, but the guards refused me entry. Grandfather probably knows I'm close to Elise and specifically ordered them to prevent me from seeing William alone. Could you please deliver the message for me?" Elizabeth asked politely.

"Of course," Ethan nodded.

"Thank you."

Elizabeth expressed her gratitude before turning to leave.

Ethan simply watched her retreating figure. He saw her door close once again, a barrier he could seemingly never cross.

For the past several days, the headlines of every major news outlet in Crestwood had been saturated with coverage of William and Victoria.

There were fresh developments daily.

On the first day, William escorted Victoria to renowned sightseeing spots across Crestwood. Hashtags like #LevineCoupleGetaway and #SweetWhispersLove began trending online.

The news pictures didn't explicitly show them holding hands, but the two were clearly captured in intimate conversation, leaning close, laughing and chatting with apparent joy.

The second day, William took Victoria to Crestwood's most luxurious shopping mall. #LevineSpendsBigToWooWife started trending.

Photographs depicted William laden with numerous shopping bags, dutifully accompanying Victoria.

The third day, William brought Victoria to the offices of Levine Holdings. #MrsStuartDotesAtHubbyWork began circulating online.

Pictures showed William opening the car door and offering his hand to assist Victoria out of the vehicle at the main entrance of the Levine Holdings building.

The fourth day, and the fifth day...