Late Night 3

Outside the police station, Effie wiped away the last of her tears. 

Even though his uncle was the criminal, the blame kept falling on both him and Effie. 

He would reconcile if they apologized. Otherwise, he would stop wasting his breath.

"Let's go home . You need to rest." He reached out to her.

"Mm" she nodded.

After he set the coordinates, the car began to drive on its own.

Outside, the city lights blurred into streaks as the car moved forward.

She traced the passing shadows without focus, her lips pressed tight. 

"Did we—did we actually do the right thing?" she asked. 

It took him a moment to answer. "What's done is done. Even if you drop the charges, they'll still come for him." 

She still looked unsure. "Then what's going to happen to us?" 

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow. "You're still his wife, so you'll probably inherit all his assets." 

She didn't look relieved. If anything, her eyes grew heavier. 

"Terrence… I have to tell you something." Her voice faltered. "We're not actually married." 

"What?" He blinked, words lost somewhere between shock and confusion. "Did he lie to you, and you just found out?"

She shook her head and looked back at the road, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

"It's not like that. He told me from the start. He said he didn't fully trust me… thought I might just be after his money."

Terrence was speechless. He always knew she was kind and a little too submissive, but this was too much. No wonder her last name stayed the same. 

He pressed his palms against his forehead, holding back a rising headache. 

After everything that happened, he wanted to stay away from his family to avoid the drama. 

"Alright," he finally decided, "tomorrow I'll find us a new place to stay. With how things are going, my aunts and uncles—and probably even my grandparents—will throw us out of the house."

She was taken aback by his sudden decision. "Where are we even going to get the money?" 

"Don't worry. Didn't I tell you? I'm rich now." 

"No… I can't do this. I don't want to be a burden or take advantage of you." 

Terrence sighed. He understood where she was coming from. 

Right now, she probably felt like a girl who just gone from one man to leeching off another. 

But he couldn't just leave her. She was a victim too.

Even if his feelings weren't as strong as before, that didn't mean he stopped caring. 

"You're not a burden. From now on, you'll be my personal assistant, and I'll pay you a salary. I need to focus on investing, so having you around will actually help."

"Besides, it's better if we let them take uncle's assets. That way, they can't accuse us of backstabbing him for money. Don't worry, I'll make sure to become rich enough so no one can bully us again." 

She felt a small hope inside, and it made her want to cry again. 

"As my new assistant, you don't have to cry over everything, okay? Things will get better from now on." 

"Um." She nodded slowly and stole a glance at him. 

The image of that quiet kid who spent his days playing games faded.

Now, he looked like a strong adult she could count on.