Chapter 836: Chapter 836



He turned to Fiona. “Fiona, let’s go.”

Fiona hesitated, casting a glance at her stepmother’s stern, unforgiving face. “Michael…”

He shot her a cold glance. “If you want to stay, go ahead. It’s your choice.” Michael stepped out the door, and Fiona stood frozen for a moment. She quickly apologized to her stepmother, then hurried to follow him.

In the car, Fiona’s composure broke. She sobbed quietly. “Michael, I really have no choice! My stepmother has had control over everything for years. If I don’t listen to her, she’ll make my life unbearable!”

This time, Michael didn’t respond with anger. He had long understood Fiona’s nature. That was why Lacey had tried so hard to protect her, fearing that Fiona would get hurt.

Michael handed her a tissue. “Once you finalize the divorce with Crowell, focus on building a life for you and your child. Don’t rely on him or your stepmother. You’ll make it through.”

“But how can I get divorced?” Fiona cried, the weight of her situation spilling out in a rush. “I can’t just leave with nothing, can I? But if I don’t leave with a penny, Crowell won’t divorce me. And he’ll never let me have custody of our child.”

Michael remained silent for a moment, deep in thought, before responding with resolve. “I’ll talk to Crowell.”

Crowell had booked a hotel room for the entire year. His refusal to return home had become the talk of their social circles. If this continued, Fiona would become the subject of gossip—exactly the fate Lacey had always feared for her.

When Michael arrived to see Crowell, he found him wrapped in a towel, fresh from the shower, with several scratch marks on his chest—marks that clearly hadn’t been left by Fiona.

“Michael, what brings you here?” Crowell quickly scrambled for his pants, hastily closing the bedroom door behind him. Michael caught a fleeting glimpse of a long-haired woman inside, likely Crowell’s mistress.

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“I’m here to talk about Fiona.”

Crowell froze, his hands pausing mid-buttoning. “Michael, this is between Fiona and me. Stay out of it. Anyone who doesn’t know might start thinking you have something going on with her.”

Michael stood frozen, his mind momentarily blank. He hadn’t expected Crowell to be so utterly despicable.

Crowell’s laugh was sly and mocking. “I know you’re not the kind of person, Michael. I’m just thinking about your reputation.”

Michael’s voice sharpened, his anger rising. “Do you dare repeat what you just said?”

“I genuinely care about your reputation. As an outsider, you should not concern yourself with my marriage to Fiona.”

Michael’s tone remained cold. “That’s not what I asked. What did you say about me and Fiona?”

Crowell’s eyes widened, realizing his slip-up too late. He slapped himself on the face, a feigned gesture of regret. “I’m wrong. Okay?” His flexibility and thick skin were unmatched.

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