When Martha learned that Carlisle had brought Shirley and Ivy back, she chose to turn a blind eye, saying nothing. Had it not been for his overstepping, she would never have gotten involved in this again. But in the end, it had come to this...

Martha lowered her gaze, her entire demeanor seeming to age decades instantly. "I never knew you held such resentment and hatred toward me. Fine, then. This is the good son I raised with my own hands." She stood up, her eyes clouded with red as tears threatened to spill.

Without sparing Carlisle another glance, she uttered in utter disappointment, "If you can't let her go, I won't interfere anymore. I'm old now. Do as you wish."

With that, Martha ascended the stairs, never once looking back at the ungrateful Carlisle.

Seeing the disappointment on her face, a flicker of regret crossed Carlisle's features. He parted his lips, wanting to say something to fix things, but the words wouldn't come out in the end.

It wasn't until Martha had gone upstairs that Shirley dared approach.

"Carlisle," she said, her voice quivering as she threw herself into his arms. "Thank you for standing up for me. I heard everything you said to Mrs. Zachman Senior.

"You don't owe me anything. I did everything for you willingly."

The guilt Carlisle had felt earlier vanished the moment he heard her words.

He kept telling himself that it wasn't his fault and that Martha and Evelyn were the ones to blame. If it hadn't been for their pressure, he wouldn't have broken his promise to Shirley, and they wouldn't have lost their child.

It was all their fault! By treating Shirley better now, he was only atoning for their sins. This was their debt to her.

Once he fully embraced this, the last

trace of quilt in his heart

disappeared. He gently patted Shirley's back, offering reassurance. "It's all fine now. You don't need to move out. Stay here peacefully.

"The Zachman residence will always be your and Ivy's home. That will never change."

Shirley leaned into him, her response soft and sweet, but her eyes held nothing but icy calculation and a sense of triumph.

Fortunately, Carlisle wasn't the same man he used to be, and the Zachman family wasn't the same, either. Martha no longer had the power to control him.

As long as Carlisle protected Shirley, Martha was no longer a threat to her.

It was a shame, though. If she could

still bear children, she would have given Carlisle a son, and then, she wouldn't need to rely on Ivy to win over Wren.

But no matter what, Carlisle was on her side. Taking control of the Zachman family was just a matter of time.noveldrama

"Thank you, Carlisle. I don't know what I would've done without you," Shirley said, pulling away.

Her face, carefully maintained, was perfectly vulnerable, and her reddened eyes made her appear fragile and pitiful. Carlisle had always been drawn to this side of her ever since they were young.

Though her background wasn't the best, her useless parents had at least given her a beauty that made men instinctively want to protect her. Over the years, this face had ensured she lived comfortably, but none of those men were as devoted ofas wealthy as Carlisle