Chapter 166

Vivian froze.

She never expected Ethan to betray his own family. If she recalled correctly, he had always been fiercely protective of Cassandra. Despite her obvious deceit, he treated her like delicate porcelain—handling her with exaggerated care instead of confronting her lies.

Had he grown tired of her so quickly?

Tch. Men’s attention spans are worse than toddlers’. Good thing I divorced him.

Vivian mentally applauded her own brilliance.

Seeing Ethan’s stance, the officers stopped hesitating and snapped the cuffs around Cassandra’s wrists.

"Let me go! Don’t touch me!" Cassandra shrieked, desperation lacing her voice. "Ethan, I’m innocent! Believe me! Tell them to release me! The baby—think of the baby!"

Ethan’s expression remained icy. "Take her away."

"Don’t worry, Mr. Blackwood," one officer assured. "This is just routine questioning. We won’t mistreat Ms. Delacroix."

With that, they led Cassandra to the police car.

Even as the vehicle disappeared down the driveway, her wails lingered in the air like a ghostly echo.

Vivian exhaled sharply. She hadn’t meant for things to escalate like this. All she wanted was her damn quilt—not to send a pregnant woman to jail.

If anything happened to Cassandra, wouldn’t the blame fall on her?

"What’s wrong with you?" Vivian groaned, rubbing her temples. "Couldn’t you tell I was bluffing? Why’d you actually let them arrest her?"

She shot him a glare. "Even if you do have some weird obsession with me, you don’t have to go this far. She’s carrying your child. If she miscarries, don’t come crying to me!"

Ethan stared at her, speechless. Since when had she become this shameless and delusional?

The Vivian he remembered had been a timid flower—blushing at his mere glance, speaking in soft murmurs.

Now? She carried herself like a queen, radiating confidence he couldn’t reconcile with his memories.

A thought struck him: The first sign of love is insecurity.

Did that mean… she truly didn’t love him anymore?

Was that why she dared to be so boldly herself?

The realization twisted something inside him.

Vivian scanned the room, frustration mounting. "Great. I couldn’t find my stuff earlier, and now you’ve sent away the only person who knew where it was. This’ll be so much easier."

Ethan snapped out of his thoughts. "What are you looking for?"

"My suitcase. There’s something important inside." She sighed. "Guess I’m doing this myself."

The villa spanned thousands of square feet. Finding one small box would be like locating a needle in a haystack.

Ethan crossed his arms, watching her rummage like a frantic squirrel. He shook his head.

Stubborn woman. What could possibly be worth this much trouble?

Unable to bear her chaotic search any longer, he summoned every staff member to assist.

They scoured every floor, the gardens, even beneath rugs—but found nothing.

"Did Cassandra dump it outside?" Vivian muttered, tapping her chin.

Just then, a maid rushed in, breathless. "I—I found it! But… it’s a bit… unsettling."