Chapter 42

A heavy pall seemed to descend over the once-grand Song villa as the trio of Huang Jiang, Wu Haoyu, and the newly-emancipated Yanyan made their exit. The weight of exposure and truth hung thick in the air, cloying and oppressive in the aftermath of brutal honesty laid bare. 

For a long, fraught moment, nobody dared disturb the silence left crackling in Yanyan's wake. It was Chen Xinyi who finally moved first, shoulders slumping as she turned a devastated look upon her husband.

"Bo...my husband..." She began in a tremulous voice. "I know my sins here are...unforgivable. That the path ahead will be one of judgment and penance most harsh."

A spark of what may have been desperation kindled in her reddened eyes as she took a faltering step towards the man she had so profoundly betrayed.