*CRASH!*

The breakfast container fell to the floor. Caelen rushed forward, his body trembling.

“Officers, there must be some mistake! My dad is a good man, he didn’t embezzle any wages! The final payment for the steel shipment just hasn’t arrived yet—”

He was cut off by a cold voice. “Sir, please step aside. If you obstruct our investigation, we will have to arrest you as well!”

“No! Officers, please!”

Caelen’s father walked over, his own body trembling, and tried to calm him down. “Caelen, son, I’m fine. I’m just going to cooperate with the investigation. You need to leave, take care of yourself, and don’t worry about me.”

“Dad…”

Before he could say more, he was pushed aside, forced to watch as they led his father away.

Staring at the old man’s stooped back, he was filled with panic and heartbreak. He could only chase after them, shouting, “Dad, you have to be okay! I’ll find the evidence to clear your name…”

But his words were drowned out by the jeers of onlookers.

“Clear his name? If he was a good man, would the police be taking him away? It must be something serious!”

“Yeah! I heard Arthur Rhodes stole the workers’ money! That’s why he got his head bashed in yesterday!”

“If that’s true, he got what he deserved!”

No…

His dad was a good man. He didn’t steal anything.

His dad had worked himself to the bone for that mill, made countless calls begging for money just to pay his workers…

And after all that, this is the slander he had to endure.

Caelen’s heart felt like it was being torn apart.

This couldn't be happening—

He had to save his father.

A short time later, Caelen stumbled into the government building where Liana worked, heading for the Disciplinary Inspection department. As he reached her office, he saw her walking out with a stack of files.

Their eyes met, but she brushed past him as if he were a stranger.

Though it wasn’t the first time he’d faced her coldness, the sting was just as sharp.

But thinking of his father…

Caelen swallowed his pride, bit his lip, and chased after her, grabbing her arm. “…Liana, my dad was reported for embezzlement and taken to the police station. But he’s been framed. Your department handles these kinds of investigations, can you please help my dad…”

He was cut off before he could finish. “The innocent have nothing to fear. The police don’t arrest people without reason. Instead of begging me, you should tell Director Rhodes to confess and ask for leniency.”

A sudden chill shot through him.

Confess and ask for leniency?

She already believed his father was guilty?

He fought back his anger, bowing his head in a humble plea. “I’m not asking you to get him out directly. I’m just asking you to investigate, to find the truth, so an innocent man isn’t wrongly accused—”

“I’m sorry.”

Two simple words shattered all of Caelen’s hopes.

Liana turned and hurried away.

He stared at her merciless back, his eyes trembling. He couldn’t believe this was the same woman who had once promised to love him, to cherish him, to never let him suffer.

He left in a daze, but he couldn't just sit and wait. He reached out to every acquaintance he could think of, hoping they would testify, but after a full day of running around, not a single person was willing to see him.

Night fell, and the snow began to swirl again.

Exhausted, Caelen returned home, only to run into Julian in the yard.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the great Caelen Rhodes. You look a little rough around the edges. Where’s your dad? In the slammer, is he? You know, you remind me of… that’s right, a stray dog with its tail between its legs!”

“I spent the whole day with Grandma Verray today. She’s quite fond of me, you know. And what do you know, my illness seems to have magically disappeared. It won’t be long before I take your place.”

Caelen had no energy to deal with him. He’d known all along Julian was faking it.

He went straight inside, only to find Liana’s grandmother sitting on the sofa.

His heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread creeping in. “Grandma? Were you waiting for me?”

“Caelen, I won’t beat around the bush. I was quite happy with you as a grandson-in-law, but now your father is a convicted embezzler.”

With that, she coldly tossed a divorce agreement onto the table. “You and Liana need to get a divorce.”

Caelen’s heart went cold.

He stared at the papers on the sofa, taking a long moment to suppress his emotions before asking in a shaky voice, “Does Liana know about this?”

“Of course.”

Grandma Verray’s tone was matter-of-fact. “Liana is up for a promotion to deputy chief. This is a critical time. How can we let you drag her down?”

The more Caelen listened, the more pathetic he felt.

He had suggested divorce, and Liana had berated him. But the moment his father was arrested, she agreed?

No wonder she had refused to help, so decisively.

Swallowing the bitter cold in his heart, the love in his eyes slowly faded. If they wanted to negotiate, then they would negotiate.

He didn't reach for the divorce papers. Instead, he said coldly, “A divorce is fine, but I want Liana to conduct a thorough investigation into my father’s case. We both know that for her, it’s not favoritism, and it’s not difficult.”

“If you can’t even grant me that small courtesy, I will never sign this.”

Without waiting for the grandmother’s ugly reaction, he hurried upstairs.

He closed the bedroom door, shut his eyes, and let out a long, shuddering breath.

Overnight, the world had turned cold.

So this is what it felt like…

The wind howled outside. He sat on the edge of the bed, hugging a blanket, and stayed there all night.

The next day.

Before the sun was up, Caelen rushed to the police station, hoping to get more details from his father. To his surprise, he ran into Liana at the entrance.

Just like last time, she walked past him without a glance, as if he were a complete stranger.

Caelen clenched his fists, the pinprick pain in his left wrist a dull ache. But he didn’t call out to her.

He walked inside, taking deep breaths to force back the heat in his eyes, not wanting his father to see him upset. Just then, a police officer ran past in a hurry.

“This is bad! That prisoner Chief Verray was just interrogating, Arthur Rhodes, he killed himself!”