Patrick laughed softly, a teasing glint in his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd actually get nervous."

"I simply want to know what happened," Elise replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "Victoria's wedding to William directly impacts my safety and my future."

Yes, she was being entirely selfish. All she cared about was whether she could secure James's custody now that the wedding had collapsed.

Patrick shrugged, deciding to end the suspense. "Right before William could say 'I do', the Police Commissioner of Rockville himself stormed in with an arrest warrant. Apparently, William is the prime suspect in a major corporate conspiracy case."

Elise's fingers tightened imperceptibly. Patrick studied her reaction. "Do you understand what this means?"

"The wedding is canceled," she stated flatly.

Patrick chuckled at her composure. "Even I find this hard to watch, Elise. The man went to such extremes for you, willingly destroying his reputation and future just to stop this wedding. And you're completely unmoved?"

"How should I react? Can I change anything?" Elise countered. "I don't see how this differs from simply calling off the engagement. His reputation would be ruined either way!"

"I expected more insight from you," Patrick remarked skeptically.

Elise remained silent, though irritation flickered across her features. Patrick elaborated, "Did you truly believe rejecting the engagement would go smoothly? That Victoria's family wouldn't retaliate against his? Common citizens should never provoke government officials—or did you forget that basic principle?"

"But he's lost everything now," Elise argued.

"In exchange, he protected certain people," Patrick stated unequivocally. As Elise bit her lip, he continued, "Regardless, the Stuarts wouldn't touch William with a ten-foot pole now that he's facing criminal charges. The rejection is coming from their side, not his. William gave them the perfect excuse to annul the engagement without losing face."

"Aren't you concerned they might plot against him?" Elise questioned, skeptical of the logic behind this risky move. "And Victoria will definitely seek revenge for losing William. You know how ruthless she can be."

"Perhaps, but the Stuart family won't be involved," Patrick said plainly. "Our family has a reputation to maintain. Charles wouldn't openly attack William while he's down. In fact, he'd consider the Levines worthless as allies now and would immediately seek a replacement."

"Therefore, no matter how furious or vengeful Victoria feels, she'll be acting alone... So there's truly nothing to fear."

Elise fell silent, completely stunned.

She couldn't determine whether William had truly sabotaged his future for her sake, or if he was genuinely arrested for breaking the law.

Hadn't they agreed he would marry Victoria?

How could he allow the wedding to be called off midway?

"Anyway, I've gathered some information," Patrick informed her. "He's currently being held at Rockville Detention Center. Since the crimes were committed in Crestwood, he'll be transferred there for trial within five days. Do you want to see him now, or wait until he's moved to Crestwood?"

"Right now, I need to process this," Elise replied.

"Then I won't disturb you further," Patrick said, promptly ending the call.

Elise leaned back on her sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

There were too many factors to consider, such a complicated mess that she suddenly couldn't distinguish anything clearly.

The next day, news of William Levine's arrest during his own wedding spread nationwide.

The initial media blackout, followed by sudden widespread coverage, clearly indicated the Stuarts had abandoned him.

Just thirty minutes after the first headlines broke, the Stuarts officially announced the annulment of William and Victoria's engagement. Their statement emphasized that their family had served the country with honesty and diligence for over a century, completely free from criminal associations. Therefore, any connection with individuals facing criminal charges would dishonor their legacy.

With the annulment now official, the news spread like wildfire...