To stand up for her

"God has eyes. I hit my head and forgot the past. I'm not clinging to you anymore. You can marry your little mistress. Isn't that great for everyone?"

She swung the heel at his face.

"When I woke up in the hospital, the first person I saw was your Uncle Edmond. Now I like him. What's wrong with that?"

The heel of her shoe scraped his forehead.

"You and Nadia have already set a wedding date, haven't you? You said it yourself, the wedding after the New Year is still on, just with Nadia instead of me. You're getting married, so why are you still bothering me?"

With a final blow, Lily struck Royce's chest with the high heel.

"Are you asking for it?"

Following the news of Lily's head injury, her public assault on Royce at the bar caused another uproar in their circle.

Especially her words:"The wedding after the New Year is still on, just with Nadia instead of me." This was effectively an official announcement from Lily for Royce and Nadia.

Now, everyone knew Royce was marrying Nadia, and that the wedding was set for after the New Year.

While outsiders saw it as juicy gossip, Nadia felt immense relief.

 She even wanted to send Lily a "Good Person" banner.

Although Edmond had said he would make sure she and Royce ended up together, there had been no action, leaving her anxious.

 Now, with things so public, Royce had no choice but to marry her.

Royce had been badly beaten by Lily.

His face was bruised, and his chest was covered in welts.

The internal wounds were even worse than the external ones, forcing him to stay home and recover.

He was furious at Lily's irrational behavior and at her publicly announcing his and Nadia's wedding.

The family's constant calls had driven him to smash his phone, and he cursed Lily hundreds of times a day.

Lily was also apprehensive.

She had spoken without thinking in the heat of the moment.

She wasn't regretful, just worried she might have messed up Edmond's plans.

He had said he would bring up Royce and Nadia's marriage before the end of the year.

Now she had spilled the beans. Would it ruin his plans?

With the wedding only days away, she decided to hold out a bit longer. Nervous all night, she calculated the timing the next day and called Edmond during a quiet moment to explain what happened.

"Did I mess up your plans?"

Edmond replied, "No, you didn't."

He had specifically chosen the end of the year on purpose because the Zhou family had a rule:"No matter how big an event, unless you're dead, you must return home for the holidays."

With so many people around, he planned to publicly announce Royce and Nadia's marriage, ensuring Royce's mother accepted Nadia as her daughter-in-law, causing resentment between the two.

This would vent Lily's anger.

Edmond didn't share these details with Lily.

"You did well. Rest for a few days, and I'll handle the rest."

Though the plan had been disrupted, it was manageable.

 He had other ways to avenge Lily.

The next afternoon, Edmond returned from his trip and called Royce.

"Be at the family estate by seven tonight, and bring Nadia."

Nadia received the call from Royce while she was trying on wedding dresses at the bridal shop.

She had come alone, keeping it a secret from Royce.

Since Edmond had promised to help them, she had been quietly preparing for their wedding.

Her first thought was the marital home.

Lily had designed that house, and Royce had taken her there once.

They even spent a night in it.

She loved the house, though she hated to admit that Lily was incredibly talented.

 Every corner, every detail of the house was beautiful, down to the handcrafted toothpick holders.

Royce mentioned that many of the small items in the house were made by Lily herself. Unfortunately, Edmond had it sold, and all the items inside were disposed of before the sale.

Nadia never had a chance to touch any of it.

It was clear Edmond wouldn't do something so petty; it must have been Lily's idea.

Nadia regretted letting Lily see that photo back then.

It happened on May Day this year.

Lily had gone on a trip out of town with Aria.

Nadia was with Royce at a business meeting, and a heavy rainstorm caused their car to break down halfway.

Remembering that Royce and Lily's marital home was nearby, she suddenly wanted to see it.

Royce hesitated for a long time but eventually agreed.

The house was stunning, making her both envious and jealous.

While the house wasn't hers, the man was.

Nadia always considered herself not a greedy person.

Initially, she only wanted to be close to Royce, content just to catch his eye.

But desire grows.

 From standing behind Royce to holding his hand, being embraced like Lily, openly protected by him—she became greedier.