Nigel stiffened. "Me and Anne..."


    Celine cut in, "Nothing ever happened between you and Anne, right? At this point, even I could recite those lines by heart, much less Mrs. Hampton."


    Nigel was speechless.


    Celine raised her brow. "Mrs. Hampton and her assistant haven''t done anything either, yet you''re this upset over it. Perhaps you should try to put yourself in her shoes. Doesn''t it make sense that she''d care about your rtionship with Anne?"


    Nigel had nothing to say.


    Celine continued, "Mr. Hampton, I looked into it. I know Anne''s parents died because of the Hamptons."


    Nigel looked at her andughed dryly. "Celine, you actually investigated my background?"


    She smiled. "I know you''ve been trying to make it up to Anne all these years, but there are other ways. You don''t have to do it this way."


    Nigel fell silent for a few seconds. "I got it."


    Then, he turned to leave.


    Celine followed him. "Wait, Mr. Hampton. I''ll go back to the Hampton residence with you."


    Nigel drove back to the Hampton residence and parked his luxury car on thewn. Inside the living room, Anne and Carly were already waiting-they''d been nning to act the moment Nigel returned. Nigel got out of the car and walked inside.


    Anne immediately stood up. "I know there''s no ce for me in this house anymore. I''ll leave right now!" Carly tugged on her arm. "Ms. Warwick, don''t go! You don''t have a home anymore—your parents died because of our family. Dad himself said that the Hamptons if your family now. Please don''t go!"


    Anne squeezed out a couple of tears and said in a pitiful voice, "Carly, don''t hold me back. There''s no ce for me here. If I stay, I''ll only be humiliating myself further


    Nigel strode into the living room and asked, "What are you making a fuss about?"


    Carly ran over to him. "Dad, Ms. Warwick wants to leave."


    Nigel looked to Anne. "Anne, what''s going on?"


    She looked utterly wronged. "Nigel, just let me go. I can''t shamelessly stay here any longer."


    Carly frowned. "Dad, Ms. Warwick never married all these years. She''s still pure. Butst night, she was in your bed-and you just left her.


    "If word gets out, how is Ms.


    Warwick supposed to hold her head up? I think Mom can''t ept her either She''s stuck between a rock and a hard ce. She has suffered more than enough."


    Tears streamed down Anne''s face as she sobbed. "It''s just my bad luck. I lost my parents so young and became an orphan. I don''t me anyone..."


    Nigel frowned at the scene, then said, "Anne, if you want to leave, then leave."


    What?


    Carly froze, and Anne''s crying stopped altogether.


    They both looked at Nigel in shock.


    The whole point of this performance was to get him to beg her to stay Anne''s parents had died because of the Hamptons, and Nigel had been making amends all these years.


    He promised he''d take care of her for life. He said the Hamptons were her family.


    A man like Nigel never went back on his word. They never imagined he''d actually change his mind and tell her to leave.


    Anne stared at him in disbelief. "Nigel, what are you saying? You want me to leave?"