Shirley had decisively left the other men behind and returned to Carlisle. Fortunately, her gamble had paid off-he still had feelings for her.

Even better, she had taken great care of her appearance, and as she grew older, her beauty had developed a graceful charm.

Otherwise, no matter how much affection Carlisle had for her, it would have been hard for him to feel anything but pity for a face worn down by time.

Carlisle reveled in the warmth of her dependence and tenderness. He immediately instructed the household staff to return everything they had moved out to its original place. However, the staff hesitated when I came to Ivy's room.

"Mr. Zachman, Mrs. Zachman Senior instructed that Ms. Jones is not to stay in Ms. Salford's room. Should we still move her belongings back?"

Carlisle paused, recalling Martha's deep affection for Clara and her firm stance on the marriage between Ivy and Wren. Ultimately, he decided not to go against her wishes.

"If that's what she wants, then so be it. Move Ms. Jones's belongings back to her original room. The previous room should be tidied up and reserved for Ms. Salford." Surprise flashed across Shirley's face when Carlisle spoke, while Ivy clenched her fists tightly. They had not expected Carlisle to stand against them on this matter.

Ivy, in particular, was so furious that her eyes reddened with anger. She had spent four long years driving Clara out of that room, inching closer to Wren. Now, just because of one word from Martha, she had lost the room that rightfully belonged to her. How could she possibly accept this?noveldrama

Shirley, fully understanding Ivy, feared she might cause a scene. She quickly grabbed Ivy's arm, silently signaling her to calm down.

But Ivy angrily shook her off and stormed away in frustration.

Though displeased, Shirley chose not to say anything.

After spending a bit more time with her, Carlisle instructed the household staff to properly tidy up the rooms before answering a call from his secretary and leaving in a hurry.

...

Katrina had no idea there had been

drama at home. She left the house after finishing her meal. Instead of heading straight to the office, she drove to a law firm to inquire about divorce proceedings.

Since the thought of divorce had first crossed her mind, it had never left. She had wavered and weighed her options, but Carlisle's actions had completely broken her heart.

Yesterday's events finally made

Katrina realize that if a toxic wound wasn't fully removed, it would slowly poison everything around it, leading to complete decay. It was better to cut her losses now. So, she could no longer involve herself in the Zachman family's affairs

This morning's act by Martha wasn't a favor to her-it was just a warning to Shirley, born out of contempt for her.

If Martha had truly wanted to help, she would have stepped in four years ago when Carlisle brought Shirley back. Why wait until now?

It was clear she didn't want to play the villain herself, fearing it would create a rift with her son. Instead, she intended to use Katrina as a pawn to get things done. Realizing this, the coldness in Katrina's heart deepened. All the suppressed anger and emotions she had buried over the years began to surge uncontrollably. After consulting with the lawyer for a while, she went home to prepare documents, planning to have the lawyer draft the divorce agreement for Carlisle to sign.

As she left the law firm, she debated

whether to call Clara to inform her about the divorce. Her finger hovered over Clara's contact for a long time, but she didn't make the call

"Forget it. I'll wait until it's finalized before saying anything."

She took a deep breath and put her phone away, abandoning the idea of calling Clara.