"If Miss Donaldson rushed to present a painting, then Miss Shen's gift must be even more valuable, right?"

I took a deep breath and slowly rose from my corner, walking step by step toward the front of the hall.

Better to take this chance to cut all ties.

I took the microphone from the host and said, word by word:

"Thank you to all the guests for taking the time to attend the chairman's birthday banquet."

"Today, besides offering birthday wishes, I also have one thing to announce—Ethan Gilbert and I are getting divo—"

Before I could finish, the floor beneath me began to shake violently.

"Earthquake!"

Someone screamed it first, and then the banquet hall erupted into chaos.

Guests fled in all directions, screaming, tables and chairs knocked crooked or overturned entirely.

In the chaos, I looked up instinctively—and saw Ethan shoving through the crowd, running like crazy toward me, shouting my name:

"Alex Simmons!"

For a moment, my mind went blank.

The way he ran, the panic on his face—it overlapped, slowly, with that boy from seven years ago who had thrown himself in front of a knife for me.

My heart clenched.

But right then, Victoria's shrill voice cut through:

"Ethan, I'm so scared! Don't leave me!"

I watched his steps halt abruptly. He turned toward her.

Not even a second of hesitation.

He ran back to Victoria, leaving me standing there alone, completely frozen.

The chaos intensified. The crystal chandelier overhead groaned with the shaking ground. The next second, it tore loose and came crashing down—straight toward me.

My pupils shrank. My mind went white.

At that critical moment, a dark figure rushed forward and shoved me hard.

With a deafening crash, the chandelier smashed into the spot where I'd just been standing. Fragments exploded everywhere.

I staggered, caught myself, and finally saw who had saved me—Marcus, Richard's personal bodyguard.

He stood up and turned to me. "Miss Ye, it's dangerous here. The chairman asked me to escort you out—and to give you this."

He handed me a document.

I took it. A divorce agreement. The one Richard had prepared in advance.

Following his gaze, I looked toward the main seat. Richard was being escorted out by several bodyguards.

I bowed deeply in his direction. "Chairman, thank you for looking after me these seven years—and for saving my life today."

Then I followed the bodyguards out of Gilbert Mansion.