Dio Powell also kept a mistress, so Mrs. Powell naturally despised unfaithful men to the core.

Nicholas Coldwell was discovered with a beautiful woman at the Emperor Hotel just yesterday, an incident exposed by the media. That woman even delivered a recording pen to Diana Powell. It contained recordings of Nicholas Coldwell's lingering feelings for Julia Bluen and his true purpose in marrying Diana. Although Diana knew Nicholas hadn't forgotten Julia Bluen, she was still heartbroken to hear his words firsthand from the recording.

Since it was a conspiracy orchestrated by Edo Hanley, the recording pen naturally did not end up in the hands of the media. The main purpose of the plot was to bring about Nicholas's public disgrace, destroy his marriage, ensure his expulsion from the Powell Family, and leave him with nothing. If the recording pen had fallen into the media's hands, Julia Bluen would have inevitably been dragged into it, which Glades Horne did not want to see.

"Mom, I was drugged! It was Edo Hanley—no, Glades Horne! They drugged me, they deliberately framed me… Diana, Diana, you have to believe me!" Nicholas Coldwell yelled desperately at Diana Powell, who was crying incessantly in the main hall. He hoped she would speak on his behalf, plead for him, so he wouldn't be thrown out of the Powell Family.

He had climbed for so long, even sacrificed love, to achieve his current status. He didn't want to be knocked back to square one—no, to a state worse than square one—before achieving his goals.

Once he left the Powell Family, he knew what awaited him.

Glades Horne surely had other schemes waiting for him.

The Powell Family wouldn't forgive him either.

The affair with that beautiful woman at the hotel had already made front-page headlines. The title screamed, "Powell Family's Son-in-Law, Hotel Tryst," complete with pictures. He was utterly disgraced, and by extension, so was the entire Powell Family. Before anyone had even stepped outside, a flood of sarcastic and mocking calls had poured into the Powell home.

Dio Powell and his wife were so furious they felt their lungs would explode. They deemed him a jinx.

Ever since his marriage to Diana, the Powell Family had been constantly targeted by Glades Horne, suffering endless troubles, attacks, and acts of revenge. The Cosmos Group had lost half its customers and couldn't even secure trucks to ship their goods. Their clients were furious, demanding compensation even if goods were eventually delivered. If deliveries failed, the Powells faced double compensation. These penalties were substantial sums, practically skinning Dio Powell alive.

All these issues, compounded by this latest incident, made it impossible for the Powell Family to tolerate Nicholas Coldwell any longer.

"You still dare to say someone else harmed you? I personally reviewed the hotel's surveillance footage! I only saw you and that hussy going in and out. There was no sign of young master Han or young master Horne. It was clearly just you and that hussy…" Dio Powell also rushed to the door, helping his wife push Nicholas Coldwell out. Even though he himself was an unfaithful man, he was, after all, a father, and Diana was his only child.

He had been married for decades, but for some reason, Diana was his only child. Even his mistresses never conceived, making him suspect he had a problem. Yet, medical check-ups revealed nothing wrong. He never understood why he couldn't have a second child. Now, with Diana as his sole heir, he naturally cherished her as the apple of his eye.

His precious daughter, the apple of his eye, had been bullied. How could he, as her father, not take a stand?

In fact, he was the one who wanted to drive Nicholas Coldwell away.

He believed that if Nicholas Coldwell left, the Cosmos Group might be able to weather this crisis.

Comparing his career to his son-in-law, he chose his career.

"I... Dad, please, consider how dedicated and hardworking I've been for the company…" Nicholas Coldwell wouldn't give up. He clung desperately to the Main House's door, refusing to leave.

"You still dare to mention that? If it weren't for you, would our company be in this state? Nicholas Coldwell, I truly misjudged you! Get lost! Get as far away as possible! From this day forward, you, Nicholas Coldwell, are no longer the Powell Family's son-in-law, nor an employee of Cosmos! We can't afford this humiliation!" Dio Powell and Mrs. Powell finally managed to push Nicholas Coldwell outside. Then, they slammed the Main House door shut with a BANG, leaving him isolated outside.

Diana remained on the sofa, weeping, her eyes swollen.

Her heart ached terribly. She loved Nicholas Coldwell, truly and deeply, but what had her love earned her in return? Nicholas had repeatedly said that the person he loved was Julia Bluen, that he had married her only to gain control of the Cosmos Group, that he had never loved her. He even said that during their intimate moments, he always pretended she was Julia Bluen. So, in his eyes, she was just a substitute for Julia Bluen.

A substitute!

Even though she had used her body, money, and status to snatch Nicholas Coldwell away from Julia Bluen, his heart had never truly been hers.

Ending up like this today... this was her retribution, she supposed.

Retribution for callously stealing another's love!

Now, Julia Bluen, the woman she had once defeated, was the young madam of T City's most prominent family, while she herself was just a woman betrayed by her husband.

How could he be so cruel?

How could he be so shameless!

"Diana, stop crying. It's not worth shedding tears or being heartbroken over a man like that," Mrs. Powell said, returning to the sofa. She sat beside Diana and consoled her tenderly.

"Mom!" Diana cried, throwing herself into Mrs. Powell's arms and sobbing even louder.

Mrs. Powell hugged her beloved daughter, crying as well, reminded that her own husband was the same kind of man. Mother and daughter both shared a bitter fate, neither having married a man who truly cherished them.

Dio Powell sat down beside his wife and daughter, unsure how to comfort them.

His gaze fell on the divorce agreement still on the coffee table, impulsively signed by Diana in her anguish; Nicholas Coldwell had yet to sign it. Beside the agreement lay that day's T City newspaper. Its front page detailed Nicholas Coldwell's hotel affair and speculated that, given his impoverished background, he had likely married Diana Powell for her money.

Dio Powell's rage flared anew. He abruptly snatched up the newspapers and the divorce agreement, strode to the door, cracked it open slightly, peered out, and hurled them at Nicholas Coldwell, who still stubbornly refused to leave.