Elise heard the door open and turned to see Victoria standing there.

Victoria's expression showed neither anger nor displeasure.

In fact, she appeared completely composed.

"Oh! You're here too, Miss Scott? What a pleasant surprise."

Elise was momentarily taken aback by Victoria's unexpectedly warm greeting.

Given her family's connections, Victoria undoubtedly knew everything about Elise's relationship with William.

Elise was certain Victoria also knew that James was Elise's son.

Elise couldn't tell if Victoria genuinely liked William enough to tolerate her presence, or if she was simply confident no woman could steal William from her...

Or perhaps, she was maintaining this facade for William's benefit.

Whatever the reason, Elise's presence felt inappropriate given William and Victoria's engagement.

Unlike Victoria, Elise wasn't comfortable enough to pretend everything was fine.

"James was having trouble with his pronunciation, so I've been giving him extra lessons," she explained flatly.

"William mentioned he hired a private tutor for James. I didn't realize it was you," Victoria exclaimed with genuine surprise.

Her voice carried no trace of hostility whatsoever.

"No, all the other tutors quit after working with James. I had no choice but to take over myself."

"Oh, James made them quit? My boy is quite particular, isn't he?" Victoria praised, sounding genuinely pleased.

Victoria didn't seem like the calculating type at all. Her harmless demeanor was completely different from the fake innocence Sophia always projected.

Victoria appeared confident, cheerful, and down-to-earth, whereas Sophia always played the vulnerable, self-sacrificing martyr.

Women would likely find Victoria more relatable, though men might have different opinions.

"Thank you, Miss Scott. It must be quite demanding for you to come every evening to teach James," Victoria said.

Her gratitude felt like a subtle way of asserting her position as the woman in charge. Elise recognized the underlying message clearly.

However, she had no right to challenge it.

"It's nothing," Elise replied dismissively before turning to William.

"James has overcome his pronunciation issues now, so I'll be leaving." With those words, she moved directly toward the door.

As she slipped on her shoes, William approached her. "I'll walk you out."

"No. It's still early," she refused immediately.

She didn't want to create any more discomfort for Victoria...

Though it seemed Victoria already had her in her sights.

"Please tell James I said goodbye." The moment her shoes were on, she stepped through the front door.

But William continued to follow her, forcing her to stop him before he could join her in the elevator. "Are you really going to escort me? Under what pretense? How can you accompany another woman when your fiancée is waiting in your apartment? Have you considered her feelings? There's a limit to how low you can sink, William!"

"Victoria and I—"

"Whatever it is between you two is none of my business," Elise snapped, cutting him off sharply.

"I don't need to know, and I'm not interested in finding out. James's pronunciation is fine now, so there's no reason for me to come here anymore."

William remained silent, and Elise said nothing more. She stepped into the elevator and immediately pressed the close button.

She knew she shouldn't let her emotions show around him; after all, what they had was in the past.

Outside the elevator, Victoria stood quietly behind William. Even without seeing his face, she could sense his darkening mood.

Over the years, she had never seen him react so strongly to any woman. She had always been the only woman allowed to remain close to him.

Yet everything about him had changed because of Elise Scott.

She wouldn't tolerate this humiliation, nor would she allow anyone to steal William from her.

Still, she quietly composed herself before speaking apologetically. "Did I come at an inconvenient time, William?"