Chapter 4

MADDISON'S POV

I lifted my head slowly, my lashes clumped with tears and my cheeks burning from humiliation.

It was indeed Aldric Hwathorne. He was looking down at me with a composed and unreadable expression.

I could hear the crowd murmuring in shock;

A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the café the moment people recognized him.

"That's Aldric Hawthorne..."

"What is he doing here?"

"Why is he getting involved?"

The questions spread quickly through the crowd, but no one seemed brave enough to say them too loudly.

"What exactly is going on here?"

Aldric's voice wasn't raised, yet the tension in his jaw and the quiet authority behind his words immediately silenced the room. It was the kind of presence that demanded attention without ever having to ask for it.

I instinctively shrank back at the sound of his voice before moving behind him, clutching his coat more tightly around my shoulders. My hands were still trembling as I wiped away the tears on my face, and although I hated how shaken I must have looked, standing behind him created an unexpected sense of security that I hadn't felt all day.

The café manager swallowed nervously before stepping forward.

"Sir," he began cautiously, glancing between Aldric and me, "this woman was caught stealing a customer's wallet."

"No!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "That's not true. I didn't steal anything!"

Clarisse folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin triumphantly.

"Her wallet was in that bag. Everyone here saw it."

A fresh wave of whispers spread through the café as people exchanged uncertain looks, clearly eager to see how the situation would unfold.

"She's lying," I said before anyone else could speak. Although my voice shook from humiliation and anger, I forced myself to hold my ground. "Clarisse planted the wallet in my bag. This was never about theft—she wanted to humiliate me."

Clarisse let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Wow. Listen to yourself. Do you seriously expect anyone to believe that?"

"Enough."

Aldric's voice cut cleanly through the argument, and the effect was immediate. The room fell silent so quickly that even Clarisse seemed startled.

For a brief moment, his gaze shifted toward me.

I met his eyes, searching for some indication of what he was thinking, and despite everything that had happened, a fragile spark of hope stirred inside me. I didn't need sympathy. I just needed one person willing to listen before passing judgment.

Then Aldric turned back to the crowd, his expression unreadable as his gaze moved slowly from Clarisse to Belle, then to the café manager and everyone else standing nearby.

"Did you confirm this accusation before publicly humiliating her?" he asked the manager.

The manager swallowed hard.

"S-Sir, we saw the wallet in her bag..."

"That was not my question," Aldric cut in. "Did you confirm with the security cameras?"

The manager stuttered. "I... we... no, sir."

Aldric's jaw tightened. "Then you acted on someone's claims and harassed a lady without proper investigations."

Clarisse laughed nervously and stepped forward, "Sir, there's no point in that; she was caught red handed."

Aldric ignored her and turned to the manager, "I would like to see your security footage."

The manager nodded hesitantly.

"Mr. Hwathorne," Clarisse purred, "this really isn't worth your time. She's just a former employee trying to cause trouble..."

Aldric turned his head slowly toward her.

"I will decide what I do with my time," he said coldly.

Clarisse's smile faltered.

"Show me the security footage," Aldric said, already walking past the crowd.

The manager nodded frantically. "Of course, sir. Right away."

I followed silently behind Aldric, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.

When we got back to the café, the manager took us to the counter.

Clarisse leaned closer to him.

"Sir, honestly, you shouldn't interfere with stuff like this, we can handle..."

Aldric walked past her without sparing her a glance.

We stopped in front of the monitor. The manager fumbled with the controls, as he searched for the time when I was still seated in the Cafe.

The footage showed Clarisse and Belle entering the café. Then me, sitting at a corner table.

They approached me. I could still remember the mockery and insults.

My breath caught when I saw Clarisse's hand move towards my bag, while I was ignoring them; she slipped her wallet inside and pulled her hand back like nothing happened.

"No... no, that's not what it..." Clarisse stammered. "I can explain.

Belle stepped back from Clarisse, obviously trying to save herself.

Aldric's eyes turned glacial as he looked at Clarisse who was already trembling,

"So," he said quietly, "you framed her."

Clarisse dropped to her knees instantly.

"I didn't mean any harm! I swear! I was doing it for you." She lifted her head with hope.

Aldric's brow furrowed slightly.

"For me?"

Clarisse immediately nodded, as though she had finally found a way to earn his approval.

"I was only trying to help," she said hurriedly. "She tried to seduce your sister's fiancé. I just wanted to teach her a lesson and make sure she understood her place. Someone like her shouldn't be allowed to get away with that."

My stomach dropped.

"That's not what happened—"

I barely managed to get the words out before Aldric cut across me.

"Are you related to me?"

The question seemed to catch Clarisse completely off guard.

She blinked at him, her confidence faltering for the first time.

"What? No, sir, I just—"

"Then you had no right to involve yourself in my family's affairs."

His voice remained calm, but something about the way he said it made the entire café feel colder.

Clarisse visibly paled.

"I... I was only trying to help your sister."

"No."

Aldric's gaze hardened.

"You were abusing your position to settle a personal grudge."

A tense silence settled over the room.

Clarisse opened her mouth as if to argue, but whatever she saw in his expression made the words die in her throat.

"You're fired."

The statement landed like a bomb.

A collective gasp swept through the café, and even I turned to stare at Aldric in disbelief. His expression remained unreadable, as though he had merely commented on the weather instead of ending someone's career.

Clarisse looked as if the ground had disappeared beneath her feet.

"W-What?"

"Effective immediately."

The finality in his voice left no room for negotiation.

Panic flooded her face.

Without caring about her dignity anymore, she stumbled forward and nearly dropped to her knees.

"Please, sir. Please don't do this. I made a mistake. I swear it won't happen again."

Aldric didn't so much as glance at her.

Instead, he turned his attention to the café manager, who was already sweating through his shirt.

"If anything like this happens again without proper verification," Aldric said evenly, "you'll have a much bigger problem than a missing wallet."

The manager swallowed hard before bowing repeatedly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hawthorne. Deeply sorry."

Only then did Aldric gesture in my direction.

"Don't apologize to me."

His eyes shifted toward the manager.

"Apologize to her."

Clarisse hesitated for several seconds before finally lowering herself in front of me, her composure completely shattered.

"I'm sorry, Maddison," she said, her voice trembling so badly that she could barely get the words out. "I swear I'll never do anything like this again. Please... please forgive me."

For a moment, I simply stared at her.

Only an hour ago, this same woman had been standing over me while strangers threw accusations and drinks in my face, convinced that she could destroy what little dignity I had left. Now she could barely meet my eyes.

The vindication should have felt satisfying, and part of me couldn't deny the rush of relief that came with finally being believed, but mostly I felt exhausted.

Sensing my hesitation, Aldric glanced in my direction.

One dark eyebrow lifted slightly.

Understanding the unspoken question, I gave a small nod.

That seemed to be all the answer he needed.

"Good."

The single word immediately reignited hope on Clarisse's face, and she looked up at him as though she had just been handed a lifeline.

The hope didn't last long.

"Pack your things and leave immediately," Aldric said coolly. "I don't want to see you anywhere near my company after today."

The color drained from her face.

"Sir..."

She sounded as though she wanted to argue, beg, or cry, but Aldric had already turned away, making it clear that the conversation was over.

Without sparing her another glance, he started toward the exit before speaking over his shoulder.

"Miss Huston, collect your belongings and come with me."