Chloe Evans bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening as if she had suffered the greatest injustice.
Her usual gentleness had vanished, replaced by pitiable fragility. With tears glistening like morning dew on petals, she looked like someone anyone would want to embrace and comfort.
But the room was filled with people harboring their own thoughts. Benjamin York had already retreated to admire his porcelain collection, Sophia Sullivan lazily stifled a yawn, Ethan Sullivan watched the scene with amusement, and only Liam Winston pulled Chloe protectively into his arms.
"Liam..." Her voice trembled. "To me, you'll always be a man of unshakable dignity. Even if you've been tricked, you shouldn't kneel so easily. A man's pride is worth more than gold."
Her words pierced Liam’s heart like needles, sharp and aching.
He could only watch helplessly as the woman he loved turned to Sophia with a plea.
"Sophia, even a day as husband and wife should leave behind a hundred days of kindness. Even after divorce, there should be some courtesy left. Liam still represents the Winston family's dignity. It's all my fault—let me kneel and apologize in his place, okay?"
Chloe began to bend her knees, her posture as delicate as a willow branch.
"Though we spoke out of turn first, you hid your pottery skills for three years... Maybe it's because you dislike me. I only ask that after today, you stop making things difficult for us."
Sophia arched a brow, almost tempted to applaud this masterful twisting of truth.
This was the art of manipulation in its purest form.
Even after losing the bet, Chloe had turned the tables. If Sophia hadn’t known her true nature, even she might have been fooled by that wounded act.
Before Chloe’s knees could touch the ground, Liam yanked her back up, shielding her like a mother hen.
"Sophia Sullivan!" Liam’s face darkened with fury. "I was willing to let it go, but you keep pushing! This was all a trap from the start! Three years, and you never once mentioned pottery—let alone being Benjamin York’s teacher!"
"You planned this humiliation, didn’t you? How can you sleep at night with such malice in your heart?"
"I did mention pottery," Sophia replied calmly. "You just never listened. Like that ceramic dog—you never cared about anything I said."
Liam faltered, remembering the shattered figurine. But the flicker of guilt vanished when Sophia spoke again.
"I’m genuinely curious—how does someone forget their roots so completely?"
"You—!" Any remorse in Liam evaporated instantly.
Ethan covered a smirk. People called him sharp-tongued, but today he was witnessing a true master.
But facts were facts. Liam’s face burned with frustration, yet he had no defense.
"It was a misunderstanding," he forced out through gritted teeth. "We were married once—must you be so relentless? Grandfather always said to leave room for reconciliation. You might need my help someday. I am, after all, the CEO of Winston Group..."
The bet had been impulsive, but he was a man of status—how could he kneel so easily?