Mia Kendall expected Eric Kendall to blow up at her right then and there. But unexpectedly, he just stared at her for two seconds before striding away.

Mia Kendall had heard everything Mr. Kendall said just now.

Even though she was usually sick and tired of Eric Kendall, her heart ached for him just then for some reason.

Mia Kendall took a deep breath and entered the living room.

Mrs. Kendall’s face was alight with joy as she held Bobby, playing with him.

"Bobby, look who’s back! It’s your sister."

While doting on her precious son, Mrs. Kendall offered Mia a rare smile.

Mia walked over and played with her little brother with a toy for a moment before saying to her mother, "Mr. Kendall was furious earlier. If he saw you acting like this, do you think he’d be happy?"

Mrs. Kendall’s smile widened even more. She whispered, "You... heard that too? Hmph. That wolf cub, Eric Kendall, is digging his own grave. I don’t even have to lift a finger. Mr. Kendall was so mad his blood pressure probably shot through the roof. He’s gone upstairs to rest. Otherwise, do you really think I’d dare to look this happy?"

"Mom, don’t be like that," Mia said, her voice laced with guilt. "Actually... I was the one who made the anonymous tip."

She then told her mother what happened at the Crimson Spring Resort over the weekend, explaining that Eric Kendall had provoked her, and she’d just wanted to teach him a little lesson.

Mrs. Kendall was stunned. Then, she grasped Mia’s hand and said with rare affection, "You really are Mommy’s good little girl. You finally know how to look out for your mother and brother. I was actually worried that wolf cub was going to turn the tables on us in front of Mr. Kendall with that popular resort of his. I never thought... instead of turning the tables, he’d crash and burn!"

"Mom!"

Mia couldn’t believe her mother didn’t understand her at all. The truth was, she was already regretting her actions.

She stood up and said sullenly, "I’m going upstairs to rest. I’m tired."

"Wait a minute."

Mrs. Kendall stopped her, a wide smile on her face. "Oh, right. The Rivaster charity gala is tonight. It’ll be crawling with the young masters and ladies of high society. How about Mom takes you so you can see what it’s like?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Mia shook her head, her expression blank. "I’m not interested. You and Mr. Kendall should go."

With that, she headed upstairs, her mind weighed down with worries, ignoring her mother’s displeasure.

In her room, Mia took out a script for a web series she had just been cast in.

Even though it was only a small supporting role, she cherished the hard-won opportunity.

But the look in Eric Kendall’s eyes as he left earlier kept flashing through her mind.

Mia tossed the script aside, suddenly finding herself unable to focus on anything. She just lay flat on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

’I must be going crazy,’ she thought. ’How could I actually feel sorry for that bastard Eric Kendall!’

’He’s the one who almost had someone break my legs last time!’

’But... Eric must hate my guts by now. So why didn’t he tell Mr. Kendall that I was the anonymous informant when he was getting yelled at?’

’After all, the Crimson Spring Resort is still a Kendall Family business. Mr. Kendall would never have guessed that it was ultimately sabotaged by one of his own.’

’If Eric had exposed me, wouldn’t that have been the perfect way to knock Mrs. Kendall down a peg? And he could have gotten his revenge on me in the process.’

Mia stayed in her room like that for the rest of the day, her thoughts running in circles, but she couldn’t make sense of it.

It wasn’t until her stomach started growling that evening that she finally left her room to find something to eat.

That evening, Mr. Kendall and Mrs. Kendall had gone to the charity gala, taking Bobby with them.

The household staff were the type to treat people differently based on their status. Seeing that the heads of the house were out, they didn’t pay Mia any mind and had all gone home early to rest.

So, Mia went to the kitchen herself and grabbed a package of instant noodles.

Just then, she heard footsteps outside.

Mia quickly ran out to see who it was. It was Eric Kendall.

He was usually out carousing at this hour and rarely came home so early.

Thinking about what had happened earlier, Mia felt a pang of guilt and asked quietly, "Have you... eaten? I’m making some instant noodles. Do you want me to make a package for you, too?"

Eric Kendall’s dark gaze finally landed on her. His lips were pressed into a thin, hard line, a clear sign he was still suppressing his rage.

After a few seconds, his gloomy eyes swept over her before he strode toward the sofa on his long legs, carelessly tossing his jacket aside.

Mia was used to bickering and arguing with him.

She would rather he just fight with her.

Because the Eric Kendall standing before her right now was far more terrifying than the one she usually argued with.

In the end, Mia still decided to apologize.

She slowly walked over to him. The strong stench of alcohol washed over her; he had clearly been drinking heavily.

Mia lowered her gaze. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know the tip would have such a huge impact on you. I thought it would just be a fine, or maybe trip you up a little. I honestly didn’t expect it to turn into this..."

"Mia Kendall."

Eric Kendall cut her off, his voice dark. "Are you done yet?"

Mia bit her lip, filled with self-blame. "Don’t be like this. You’re scaring me."

Eric Kendall’s sinister gaze locked onto her. The next second, he suddenly shot out a hand and yanked her toward him.

Caught completely off guard, Mia was dragged onto the sofa. His long, slender fingers mercilessly gripped her chin, forcing her head up.

Eric Kendall gritted his teeth. "You, your mother, and that little Bobby... you all think you have the Kendall Family in the palm of your hand, don’t you? But tell me... what kind of shocked faces would my dad and your mom have if they came back today and found out I’d slept with you?"

Mia was terrified. She scrambled to explain, "No, Eric, let me go! It’s not like that, I..."

Before she could finish, Eric suddenly leaned down and bit her lips, hard. The reek of alcohol flooded her mouth.