Late at night, Yancy Shaw received a call from Lu Chaoran.

Lu Chaoran chuckled with layered meaning. "You were right. Eva Snow’s death was definitely no accident."

"How are things looking?" Yancy Shaw’s side was silent, his tone cool and unreadable.

"Xue Qiang just left the station, and he looked murderous."

He couldn’t be sure what Yvonne Sung had said to Xue Qiang, but judging from that expression, Xue Qiang was definitely furious.

"Watch out for Mo Fan. We intercepted his goods this time—I can't guess what he'll try next."

"Don’t worry about that. Ancheng isn’t Huadong—if he thinks he can set up a smuggling ring here, let’s see if he’s got the guts for it."

Lu Chaoran might seem unreliable at times, but when it mattered most, he always came through.

"I mean be careful of Mo Fan coming after you." Yancy Shaw knew just how scheming Mo Fan could be.

"Relax. I’m a police officer. He can't touch me."

He'd seen worse criminals than Mo Fan—nothing to be afraid of.

Yancy Shaw ended the call, only to feel a soft pair of arms wrap suddenly around his waist. The familiar gentle scent at his nose put him instantly at ease.

"Why are you still up?" His voice was soft and gentle, carrying in the darkness.

She hadn’t been sleeping soundly tonight.

Lauren Shaw hugged his waist, rubbing her face against his shirt. "I can’t sleep without you here."

Yancy Shaw smiled a little and turned around, lowering his gaze to her. "Did I wake you up?"

She shook her head and asked softly, "You don’t seem like yourself tonight. Did something happen?"

After spending so much time together, even the smallest change in one would be noticed by the other. Her sleep had been light too, and when she realized Yancy Shaw had left the bedroom, she couldn’t stay put either.

Yancy Shaw sighed. There really was nothing he could hide from her.

After a pause, he finally said, "I met Mo Qinglin today."

Lauren Shaw lifted her face from his arms, blinking up at him. "What did he say to you?"

Yancy Shaw didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gently stroked her hands, noticing the slight chill, and frowned. "Let’s go back to the bedroom and talk."

He stooped down and lifted her into his arms. Lauren Shaw looped her arms around his neck, nestling in close as he carried her back.

Once they were back in the bedroom, Yancy Shaw explained Mo Qinglin’s motive. Lauren Shaw was startled.

"So Mo Qinglin got close to me just to provoke you? To make Mo Fan think there’s bad blood between you two so he’ll drop his guard around Mo Qinglin?"

"Exactly." Yancy Shaw confirmed.

So that was it. No wonder she’d always found Mo Qinglin a little off.

That heavy gloom around him—it all came from what he’d suffered. It was pitiful, really; anyone would have trouble coping with such upheaval.

"Mo Fan is despicable—even willing to sacrifice his own family."

She’d met Mo Fan a few times—outwardly polite and courteous, but underneath, utterly unscrupulous.

Just thinking about his relationship with Mandy Snow made her feel sick.

Yancy Shaw was unbothered. "Who's truly selfless in the face of profit?"

Scheming and in-fighting among relatives—he’d seen it all before.

Honestly, compared to most rich families, the three Shen brothers were practically a shining example.

Lauren Shaw couldn’t help teasing quietly, "You mean you and your elder brothers?"

Though the three brothers bickered on the surface, their relationship was actually very close in private.

Yancy Shaw pulled her gently closer, his eyes darkening. "Babe, let’s leave that topic for another time. Right now, getting some sleep is more urgent."

With that, Yancy Shaw took her hand and slowly let it drift lower...

---

After returning from the police station, Xue Qiang headed straight for Mandy Snow’s room.

Before Mandy Snow could react, he grabbed her by the throat, his eyes blazing with hatred.

"I never thought you could be this cruel! You knew Eva Snow was my only daughter—why did you have to kill her?"

Mandy Snow was suffocating, her face reddening as she struggled to breathe, unable to get a word out.

Shen Siyi rushed in, beating at his hands. "Second Uncle, what are you doing? What did my mom do wrong? You’re going to kill her!"

No matter how Siyi cried out, Xue Qiang remained unmoved.

Yvonne Sung’s words echoed in his mind:

"You really think Mandy Snow is a good person? She and Mo Fan set up the company just to push you into taking the fall. I just ended up taking the blame first!"

Looking back, anyone with sense could see something was off.

Yvonne Sung had told him that on the day Eva Snow fell, he’d seen Eva Snow follow Mandy Snow upstairs. Half an hour later, Eva Snow fell.

No one knew what had happened in those thirty minutes.

He’d intended to keep that secret up his sleeve to use as leverage against Mandy Snow. But before he could, he ended up behind bars.

"Tell me—was it you who killed Eva Snow?" Xue Qiang’s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging in his arms as if he would strangle her on the spot.

Mandy Snow bit down hard, her body limp from lack of oxygen. Somehow, she forced out two words: "No... it..."

Hearing her denial, Xue Qiang loosened his grip just a little. Mandy Snow gasped for air for a moment before she could speak. "Eva Snow’s my niece. I watched her grow up—why would I ever hurt her? Second Brother, who’s been messing with your head?"

But Xue Qiang was still gripping her neck, eyes flaming. "Then tell me why Yueyue followed you upstairs!"

A cold jolt ran through Mandy Snow. At this point, she needed to calm Xue Qiang down—her own safety depended on it.

"Who told you that?"

"Don’t worry about that. Just explain why Eva Snow went up there with you and then fell!"

Mandy Snow patted his hand, signaling, "Release me first—I can’t breathe. Calm down and I’ll tell you everything you want to know."

The fire in Xue Qiang’s eyes slowly died—perhaps remembering Mandy Snow was still useful for now. He couldn’t afford to lose control.

After a few deep breaths, Mandy Snow steadied herself and finally answered.

"What if I told you Eva Snow never actually followed me upstairs—would you believe it?"

At the banquet that day, Mo Fan had tampered with the surveillance footage—there was no proof that Eva Snow had followed her, unless someone had seen it personally.

Xue Qiang exploded. "You’re lying! Someone saw it happen—how can you still deny it?"

"Second Brother, don’t you see? Someone is trying to turn us siblings against one another."