The Chaos

Malika always maintained a graceful facade in front of outsiders.

Nadia didn't dare cry out in pain after being slapped, and she spoke humbly.

 "Madam, please let me explain."

 It would have been better if she hadn't spoken. At her words, Malika seemed provoked, lunging at her violently, her voice sharp.

 "Explain? What is there to explain? What did you promise me? You said you would leave Royce, you said I could rest assured, is this how you reassure me?"

 Malika and her husband had a business marriage.

The couple had no feelings for each other; the husband was seldom home, and she divided her time and energy into two parts.

One part was creating the illusion of a loving couple, the other was raising and educating their only son.

 She hated shrews, despised women who couldn't control their emotions, but she lost control when she saw Nadia tonight.

Over the years, she had harbored a resentment.

 Back when Edmond intervened in Royce and Lily's matters, her family advised her that if she couldn't get rid of Lily, she might as well try to accept her.

Her elder brother said, "Malika, if it's really that unbearable for you, just change your perspective. Think of it this way:Lily is Edmond's savior. Once Lily marries Royce, Edmond, considering Lily, will surely help Royce. It's a good thing."

 Change her perspective? She couldn't.

 If Lily hadn't saved Edmond back then, she might have accepted it, but she did save Edmond.

If that car accident had killed Edmond, Royce would have been the heir to the Jingxiu Group.

 Her mother said, "Malika, Edmond is alive now. You can't change that. You should look ahead."

 Look ahead? She couldn't. She hated Edmond, not just because of the heir issue, but because he was the son of that woman...

 In short, she hated Edmond, and since Lily saved him, she had to suffer for it.

 Seeing Lily infuriated her. If Lily really became her daughter-in-law, she feared she would die of anger.

 Over the years, she had painstakingly made her son despise Lily, and finally succeeded. She could finally sleep well.

 But as soon as she got rid of Lily, another trouble, Nadia, emerged from the slums.

 Her desired daughter-in-law had to be a good match, capable of helping Royce in his career.

 A woman of Nadia's low status was unworthy of Royce.

 Malika had her pride. In front of others, she always maintained elegance; before, no matter how angry she was, she wouldn't act out publicly.

 But in recent days, her severe insomnia had worsened. Last night, she didn't sleep at all.

 Today, with so many people discussing Royce and Nadia, it kept aggravating her nerves.

 Her emotions were on the verge of collapse, her mind about to explode, and then Royce walked in with Nadia.

 Malika wished she could kill Nadia. "You said you'd leave Royce. You've been lying to me from the start, haven't you?"

 When Nadia said she would leave Royce, Malika had believed her.

 But when Edmond called to discuss Nadia and Royce's wedding, she said there was no need to talk; Nadia had agreed to resign and leave.

Edmond had chuckled.

 "Resign? She's already ordered her wedding dress. Didn't you know?"

 Only then did Malika realize she had been deceived; Nadia had no intention of resigning!

 "Mom!" Royce didn't expect his always elegant and dignified mother to strike someone in front of so many people.

 Seeing his mother scratch Nadia's face, he hurriedly grabbed her arm, igniting Malika's fury further.

 "You dare to protect her!"

 Malika lunged at Nadia again, venting all her insomnia-fueled frustration and feelings of betrayal on her.

 Nadia didn't dare fight back, desperately hiding behind Royce. Royce struggled to protect Nadia without harming his mother, resulting in clumsy movements and occasional accidental injuries.

 The wounds from Lily's high-heeled shoe on his face hadn't fully healed, and now he sustained several new injuries.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amid the chaos, the family patriarch, Mr. Zhou, banged his cane on the floor three times.

 "Stop this at once, or all of you get out!"

His command brought everyone to their senses, and they quickly intervened, separating the three. Malika was pressed onto the sofa, while Royce and Nadia sat on stools.

 Royce was severely hurt, with scratches on his face. Nadia wasn't in great shape either, her hair disheveled, left cheek swollen, and right cheek bearing bloody nail marks.

Neither dared strike Malika, so Malika's hair was intact, her face unscathed, only her clothes were disheveled.

 Just as things calmed down, Edmond walked in, accompanied by Royce's father, Nelson.

 Malika, still with a splitting headache but now composed, saw Nelson, her expression softened. But upon seeing him with Edmond, her face darkened again.

 Nelson glanced at Malika, then at his son and Nadia's battered appearances, guessing what had transpired but said nothing.