Sean immediately gave a cold smirk.

"Make peace?" he repeated softly. "You think after all this chaos I’d still want to live peacefully with you?"

Moana lifted her chin slightly.

"No," she replied casually. "But I know you don’t have any easy options left."

Those words made the atmosphere tense up again.

Mr. Freddy began to smile slyly now. His confidence slowly returned after seeing Sean lose control of his emotions.

"We have plenty of evidence," he said, crossing his arms. "Transactions. Travel photos. Hotel bills. Everything."

Mrs. Freddy gave a small smirk as well.

"If the Weasley family falls because of this scandal..." the woman laughed softly, "the town will surely relish it."

Sean’s gaze immediately darkened.

But this time he didn’t explode.

That was precisely what made Moana slowly stop smiling.

Because Sean was too calm.

Too calm to the point of being dangerous.

The man walked slowly toward the living room table and picked up one of the empty glasses there. His fingers turned the glass slowly as he looked down.

"You know what’s the funniest part?" he said softly.

No one answered.

Sean slowly raised his gaze.

"I once completely destroyed my marriage for this woman." His gaze was fixed on Moana. "I even went against my own family to defend you."

Moana returned his gaze without blinking.

And Sean continued in a much lower voice.

"But now I realize something."

"What?" Moana asked softly.

Sean gave a small smile.

"You never loved me."

The room suddenly fell silent.

Mr. Freddy immediately clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Nonsense."

But Sean ignored him.

His gaze remained fixed on Moana.

"You loved the life I could give you." His smile grew even more hollow. "Cars. Money. Plastic surgery. Vacations. Jewelry."

Moana’s eyes began to grow cold.

"And I," Sean continued softly, full of irony, "was foolish enough to think that was love."

Moana gave a small laugh.

But this time, her laugh sounded much thinner.

"Then what about Clara?" she asked in return. "Do you think you truly loved Clara?"

Sean fell silent immediately.

That question struck right at the rotten core of his being.

Because the answer was no.

He hadn’t truly loved Clara back then.

He had Clara.

He relied on Clara.

Assuming Clara would always be there.

Until finally, she was truly gone.

And now it was too late.

Moana watched Sean’s expression change, then chuckled softly again.

"Well," she whispered softly. "That’s the face of a man who’s finally realized he’s a monster."

Sean’s jaw tightened.

"Shut up."

"Why?" Moana stepped closer again. "Because I’m right?"

Their gazes locked sharply.

And for a moment...

The room felt like two people both standing atop the ruins of their own lives.

Moana smiled a thin, wounded smile.

"We are demons, Sean." Her voice was barely a whisper now. "But the difference is..."

The woman pointed to her own chest.

"I’ve accepted myself from the very beginning."

Then her fingers slowly pointed to Sean’s chest.

"While you only realized it after Clara stopped loving you."

Those words instantly wiped the smile from Sean’s face.

Because, unfortunately...

It was true.

So very true.

And Moana could clearly see that wound on Sean’s face now.

The wound of a man who had finally realized that the woman who was most sincere with him was gone... perhaps forever.

Sean let out a small, angry laugh at himself.

"Yes," he whispered softly. "I am a bastard."

Then he slowly lifted his head again.

But this time his gaze was utterly cold.

"But listen to me carefully."

Mr. Freddy and Mrs. Freddy immediately tensed up.

"I may have ruined my own life," Sean continued softly. "But if you try to drag my family down with you..."

His gaze swept one by one across every member of the Freddy family.

"...I’ll make sure you regret ever starting this game."

Mr. Freddy snorted defiantly, though his face was slightly pale.

"Another threat?"

Sean smiled faintly.

"No." His gaze was sharp as a knife now. "A warning."

Silence.

Moana stared at Sean for a long time.

And for the first time that night...

The woman began to realize that the man in front of her wasn’t the Sean she once knew.

The man who used to spoil her was dead.

All that remained now was someone who was losing everything... and people like that are usually the most dangerous.

***********

The following afternoon, the upscale supermarket in the city center was quite busy.

Clara was pushing a shopping cart slowly down the produce aisle with Mrs. Diana. The woman was dressed simply, her hair tied back casually. There was no heavy makeup. There was none of the glamour she’d had back when she was still married to Sean.

But now, Clara actually looked much more at ease.

More alive.

Mrs. Diana picked up a few tomatoes and glanced at her daughter discreetly.

"I like seeing you like this," she said softly.

Clara raised an eyebrow. "Like this how?"

"Calm."

Clara’s pace slowed slightly.

Mrs. Diana smiled faintly as she placed the vegetables in the cart.

"Your eyes used to always look tired," she continued softly. "They don’t anymore."

Clara was silent for a few seconds before finally giving a small smile.

"Maybe because I can finally sleep soundly."

Mrs. Diana immediately held her daughter’s hand for a moment.

And just then...

Another woman’s voice came from behind them.

"Clara?"

They both turned at the same time.

Mrs. Weasley stood a few steps away, holding a small shopping bag. The elegant woman looked slightly surprised, but the next moment her expression softened.

"My goodness..." she whispered softly. "You look so much healthier."

Clara stiffened slightly.

Because honestly, even though Mrs. Weasley had been quite kind to her in the past, she was still Sean’s mother.

And their relationship felt awkward now.

Mrs. Diana also looked wary for a moment.

But unlike usual, Mrs. Weasley actually approached slowly with a look of regret.

"I mean it," she said softly to Clara. "You look so much happier."

Clara gave a polite, faint smile. "I’m fine now."

That simple sentence only made Mrs. Weasley look even sadder.

Because back then...

Clara had always answered that way when she was actually falling apart.

Mrs. Weasley let out a long sigh.

"Sean ruined so many things," she said softly.

The atmosphere immediately grew a bit awkward.

Mrs. Diana immediately crossed her arms gently.

"If you’re here to defend your son—"

"No." Mrs. Weasley shook her head quickly. "I actually want to apologize."

Clara fell silent for a moment.

Mrs. Weasley stared at her for a long time before finally saying softly,

"I knew back then that Sean treated you badly." The woman’s smile was bitter. "But I kept hoping he’d come to his senses on his own."

Clara’s gaze softened slightly.

"And now?" Mrs. Diana asked coldly.

Mrs. Weasley gave a small, hollow laugh.

"Now he’s like a man who’s lost his way."

Clara fell silent immediately.

For some reason, even though she’d tried to distance herself emotionally... hearing about Sean’s situation still made her chest feel a little uneasy.

Mrs. Weasley continued with a weary sigh.

"He can barely focus on his work." The woman shook her head slightly. "Meetings are a mess. His sleep is erratic. And now the Moana family keeps terrorizing our company."

Mrs. Diana snorted derisively. "Karma."

Mrs. Weasley didn’t argue.

"Yes," she said softly. "Maybe it is karma."

Clara looked down briefly, gripping the shopping cart handle tighter.

And Mrs. Weasley noticed that.

The older woman had known Clara long enough to realize that her daughter Diana was still too soft-hearted to truly not care.

"Clara..." Mrs. Weasley’s voice softened again. "I didn’t come here to ask you to get back together with Sean."

Clara slowly raised her gaze.

"Because even I’m not sure he deserves you again."

Those words made the atmosphere suddenly fall silent.

Mrs. Diana even looked a little surprised.

Mrs. Weasley gave a small, guilty smile.

"You know?" she whispered to Clara. "Our house feels so empty since you left."

Clara’s gaze wavered slightly.

Back then...

She had been very close to the Weasley family. Even closer than to Sean himself.

Mrs. Weasley continued, her eyes slightly red.

"You always remembered my husband’s medication." The woman gave a small, hollow laugh. "You even still remember the housekeepers’ birthdays."

Clara looked down again.

Because all of that was true.

She had once loved that family with all her heart.

But now it all felt like someone else’s old life.

Mrs. Diana finally spoke more gently than before.

"Sean has been following Clara around these past few days."

Mrs. Weasley’s expression immediately shifted to one of both embarrassment and anger.

"I know."

Clara was a little surprised. "You know?"

Mrs. Weasley massaged her temples wearily.

"My husband almost fired Sean from his position as CEO last night." The woman laughed bitterly. "And one of the reasons is because he’s starting to lose his mind over you."

The room fell silent again.

Clara really didn’t know how to respond.

Because the strangest part of all this was...

She used to be the one fighting tooth and nail to keep Sean.

And now it was Sean who was slowly falling apart because he couldn’t let her go.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Clara with regret.

"If only Sean had realized sooner..." she whispered softly. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

But Clara slowly shook her head.

"No," she said calmly.

Mrs. Weasley fell silent.

Clara gave a small smile. A gentle smile... but it felt distant.

"If he had realized sooner," she continued softly, "maybe I would never have learned to love myself."