Florine’s shoulders slumped as the last glimmer of hope faded from her eyes. For the first time, she realized that no amount of pleading would make Xander compromise the principles he refused to abandon.

Her tears continued to fall as she looked desperately between Xander and Ivy.

"Mr. Emerson... please. Nora has learned her lesson. She’ll never do it again."

Xander regarded her silently for several seconds before speaking.

"Mrs. Ford, there is something you’ve failed to understand."

His voice remained even, yet every word carried undeniable weight.

"I refused to help Nora not only because this is a criminal investigation."

Florine’s hopeful expression faltered.

"There is another reason."

She looked at him expectantly.

"What... what reason?"

Xander took a slow step forward.

"The Emerson family has spent generations building its reputation and we do not allow our name to be used for personal gain."

Florine’s heartbeat quickened.

"I’ve received multiple reports over the past month. Nora repeatedly introduced herself as someone closely connected to the Emerson family. She implied she had our backing.She flaunted that supposed relationship in front of others to elevate her own status."

He paused, his gaze growing sharper.

"Tell me, Mrs. Ford. Did my family ever authorize her to do that?"

Florine’s lips parted, but no words came out. She knew exactly what he was referring to.

Nora had indeed boasted everywhere she went that the Emerson family would soon become her family as well. Whenever someone questioned her, she would confidently mention Aaron’s name, making it sound as though their marriage was only a matter of time.

Seeing her silence, Xander already had his answer.

"I’ll take that as a no." His expression remained unreadable.

"My cousin, Aaron, made his position clear from the beginning. He never acknowledged a relationship with Nora. And yet she continued using the Emerson name as though it belonged to her."

Florine swallowed nervously.

"She... she was only young and impulsive..."

"Impulsive?"

Xander repeated calmly.

"Mrs. Ford, do you know how many business partners questioned my legal department after hearing those rumors? Do you know how many invitations, introductions, and favors she received because people believed she represented the Emerson family?"

Florine’s face gradually lost its color. She hadn’t realized things had gone that far.

Xander continued,

"Do you also know that falsely presenting yourself as being affiliated with someone for personal or financial benefit can have legal consequences depending on how that representation is used?"

The words struck Florine like lightning. Her eyes widened. "You... you wouldn’t..."

"I haven’t." His tone remained composed. "But that doesn’t mean I can’t."

The living room became eerily quiet. Even Ivy looked at Xander in surprise.

He had known all along. He simply hadn’t considered it worth addressing—until today.

Xander looked directly into Florine’s frightened eyes.

"The only reason the Emerson family chose to ignore those rumors was because we considered them beneath our attention. But today..."

His voice turned noticeably colder.

"You stood in my home asking me to misuse my authority to protect someone who has repeatedly exploited my family’s name."

He shook his head once. "That is not something I will tolerate.Not for you nor for your daughter"

Florine’s knees weakened.

"I... I didn’t know..."

"No. You chose not to know. If Nora had corrected those rumors even once, none of this would’ve become an issue. But she encouraged them. She benefited from them. And from what I’ve learned..."

His eyes narrowed. "So did you."

Florine lowered her head in shame. She couldn’t deny it.

Whenever people treated the Ford family with greater respect because they believed they were connected to the Emersons, she had never corrected them.

She had enjoyed the attention. The privilege. The admiration.

Xander clasped his hands behind his back. "So here’s what is going to happen. If you truly don’t want the Emerson legal team to examine every instance in which Nora falsely used our family’s name..."

He let the sentence hang deliberately.

"...then I suggest you cooperate fully with the police investigation. No more lies. No more threats. And no more dragging the Emerson family into matters that have nothing to do with us."

Ivy looked at Xander in disbelief. ’Is he saying that I am an Emerson family member too’

Florine’s body trembled.

"I... understand."

"I sincerely hope you do. Because this is the last time I will overlook the misuse of my family’s name."

With those words, Xander turned away, signaling that the discussion was over.

Florine stood frozen in place. She had come hoping to leave with Nora’s freedom.

Instead, she walked away with a chilling realization.

Xander wasn’t merely refusing to help. They had every legal right to pursue a separate case against Nora for falsely leveraging their name—and they were choosing not to. For now.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

Once Florine had left the mansion, the living room finally fell silent.

Ivy turned to Xander, still replaying his earlier words in her mind.

After a brief hesitation, she looked up at him.

"Did you just say... I’m an Emerson family member too?"

She wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly.

When their eyes met, her heartbeat inexplicably skipped.

Xander answered without the slightest hesitation.

"You’re Leo’s mother."

He spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That alone makes you family."

Ivy was momentarily speechless.

Before she could say anything, Xander continued,

"And besides..."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"I’m planning to marry you."

"So sooner or later, you’ll officially become a member of the Emerson family anyway."

"..."

The room fell into complete silence.

Even the staff standing nearby froze in place.

A maid blinked repeatedly before leaning toward the colleague beside her.

"Did... did Master just propose to Madam?"

"I think he did..."

Another maid covered her mouth, barely containing her excitement.

Not far away, Butler Rupert adjusted his glasses to hide the smile spreading across his face.

His young master truly had no intention of taking things slowly.

Clearing his throat, Rupert clapped his hands once.

"Everyone, back to work."

The servants immediately snapped out of their daze.

"Yes, Butler Rupert."

Within seconds, the living room returned to normal as everyone hurried back to their respective duties, though more than one maid was still smiling to herself.

Meanwhile, Ivy remained rooted to the spot.

She stared at Xander as if seeing him for the first time.

It took her several long seconds before she finally found her voice.

"...You’re impossible."

A faint blush had already crept onto her cheeks.

"You didn’t have to announce something like that in front of everyone."

Xander looked genuinely puzzled.

"I wasn’t announcing anything. I was stating a fact." He stepped closer. "I don’t want anyone thinking you’re alone."

His voice softened. "Whether it’s the staff, outsiders, or anyone else... I want them to know exactly where you stand."

His gaze remained unwavering. "You have Leo. You have me. And you have this family. You’ll never have to face anything by yourself again."

The sincerity in his voice left Ivy unable to argue. She could tell he wasn’t trying to embarrass her. He simply wanted everyone to know that she belonged here.

A warmth spread through her chest. Unable to meet his eyes any longer, she quietly looked away.

"...You’re too straightforward."

A chuckle escaped Xander. "I’ll take that as a compliment." Before she could recover, he reached for her hand. "Come on."

She looked down at their joined hands. "Where are we going?"

"I have something to show you."

Without waiting for her answer, he gently intertwined their fingers and led her toward the study.

Ivy sighed helplessly, but the small smile on her lips betrayed her true feelings.

***

Meanwhile, Florine drove home in complete silence. Xander’s warning echoed repeatedly in her ears.

If you don’t want the Emerson family to pursue the misuse of our name... cooperate.

She had never felt so powerless.

By the time she reached the Ford residence, her mind was still in turmoil.

She parked the car absentmindedly before stepping out.

The front door opened, and the moment she entered the living room, she found France sitting on the sofa.

He looked as though he had been waiting for her.

When Florine saw him, exhaustion immediately washed over her face. The last person she wanted to deal with right now was her son.

Ever since growing up, France had contributed nothing but trouble. Unable to bear another conversation, she turned and headed toward the staircase.

Just as she placed her foot on the first step, France spoke.

"Xander refused to help, didn’t he?"

Florine stopped. Her shoulders stiffened. Slowly, she turned around.

France leaned back against the sofa, his expression unusually calm.

"I knew he would."

Florine frowned. "And how exactly did you know that?"

France let out a bitter laugh.

"Because unlike you and Nora...I never believed the Emerson family would cover up a crime simply because someone mentioned their name."

His words struck Florine like a slap. She glared at him.

"So now you’re here to lecture me?"

France shook his head.

"No. I’m here because someone in this family has to start facing reality."

Florine’s face darkened.

"The reality is that Nora is sitting in a detention cell because both of you kept believing the Emerson name was your shield."

He slowly rose to his feet. "But you forgot one thing. The Emerson family protects its reputation. They don’t lend it to people who abuse it."

For the first time in a long while, Florine found herself unable to refute a single word her son had said.