Inside the security control room on the 50th floor, Aris sat backed into his leather chair, his eyes fixed on a large monitor displaying live CCTV footage of the lobby entrance. On one of the screens, he watched Bella standing alone on the sidewalk, frozen in a hollow daze.

Aris felt a sharp, aching throbbing in his chest. He saw how her fingers clutched her handbag so tightly that her knuckles turned white. He saw how the woman he had loved with all his heart kept her head bowed, fighting to choke back tears amidst the roaring city traffic.

"Sir, would you like me to bring Miss Bella upstairs?" asked Andi, standing beside him, his voice low and cautious.

Aris squeezed his eyes shut. Memories flooded back—of the day he came home with a small gift for Bella, only to be greeted by a barrage of insults from his in-laws while Bella cowered silently in the corner. The agony in his heart back then was infinitely worse than the pain Bella was feeling right now.

"No," Aris answered firmly, his voice raspy yet cold as steel. "Let her see reality. Let her understand that in this world, sympathy won't buy you a meal."

Aris opened his eyes, his gaze hardening once more as he stared at the screen. He had to stand ground. If he wavered now, every effort he had made to expose the true nature of those surrounding Bella would be in vain.

Down below, Bella had not moved an inch. However, the scene that unfolded next behind the lobby's grand glass walls shattered her remaining composure into pieces.

A luxury sedan pulled up directly at the lobby entrance. A middle-aged man whom Bella instantly recognized as Mr. Surya—the Wijaya family's fiercest business rival who had spent years trying to ruin their empire—stepped out of the vehicle.

Mr. Surya hadn't arrived alone. He walked in with an arrogant swagger, but the moment he entered the lobby and was greeted by security, he was warmly embraced by someone stepping off the VIP elevator.

It was Aris.

Bella wasn't misseeing things. Aris—the man who had acted so icily toward her just yesterday—stood there with a warm, seemingly genuine smile. Aris shook Mr. Surya’s hand cordially, and the two even shared a laugh like long-lost friends reuniting.

Thump.

Bella felt her entire world crumble into dust. Mr. Surya was the very man who had pushed the Wijayas to the brink of bankruptcy. He was the one who had sabotaged her father’s crucial contracts, causing their debts to spiral out of control.

And now, Aris? The man who was supposed to be her husband, the man who now held total authority over their company, was standing right there, conversing intimately with their worst enemy?

"So... this is why?" Bella whispered to herself.

The scattered pieces of the puzzle began clicking together in her head. Aris hadn't just stepped in as a neutral investor. He was actively colluding with their arch-enemy to ensure the absolute destruction of the Wijaya family. The sting of being brushed off in the lobby instantly ignited into a scorching fire of rage in her chest.

Driven by desperation, Bella darted through the lobby doors. She no longer cared about security. She barged straight in, ignoring the warning shouts from the guards.

"Aris!" Bella cried out, her voice raspy and strained.

Aris froze mid-stride. He turned around to find Bella standing there, her face drenched in tears, catching her breath. Mr. Surya, standing beside Aris, let out a condescending laugh at the sight of her.

"Oh, look who’s here! The precious princess of the bankrupt Wijaya family?" Mr. Surya mocked.

Aris stared at Bella without a trace of emotion. He showed no surprise, nor an ounce of pity. He simply looked at her as if she were an unwelcome stranger interrupting his business schedule.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Aris asked in a piercing, flat tone.

"You... you're in league with him?" Bella pointed a trembling finger at Mr. Surya. "Tell me, Aris! Was this your plan all along? Ruining my father’s company, driving us into bankruptcy, just to celebrate with our biggest enemy?"

Aris remained silent, offering no denial. Instead, he stepped forward, placing himself between Bella and Mr. Surya, blocking her view of his business associate.

"This is the business world, Bella," Aris stated coldly. "There are no permanent friends or enemies here—only interests. If the Wijaya family went bankrupt, it’s because you were incompetent at running a business, not because of who is friends with whom."

"You monster," Bella hissed, her voice dripping with newfound hatred.

A faint smirk touched Aris's lips. He pulled a crisp silk handkerchief from his suit pocket and held it out to her. "Save your tears. They won't change a thing. If you came here to beg, you're wasting my time. And if you came to throw a tantrum, you're only embarrassing yourself further."

"I’m not begging for anything from you," Bella snatched the handkerchief and hurled it onto the floor, right at the tips of Aris's expensive leather shoes. "I came here to see for myself just how low the man I once married could sink. Now I know. You're far worse than the Wijayas ever were."

Aris didn't react. He merely stared down at the crumpled handkerchief on the floor with a blank expression. In truth, every sharp word Bella uttered cut through his heart like a blade. But he had no choice; he had to remain The Shadow Emperor—ruthless and unyielding.

"Andi," Aris called out without turning. "Escort this lady out. Don't let her cause a scene in the main lobby."

"Right away, Sir," Andi replied, approaching Bella with polite yet firm authority.

Bella locked eyes with Aris one last time—a look filled with profound disappointment, betrayal, and deep-seated resentment. Aris met her gaze with an expression as cold as ice, even as a voice deep inside his soul screamed to pull her into his arms and explain everything.

As security led Bella away, Aris stood tall and motionless. Mr. Surya patted him on the shoulder. "An emotional woman, isn't she, Mr. Aris? Are you sure you want to let her wander around like this?"

Aris didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the lobby doors Bella had just been taken through. "Our business isn't finished yet, Mr. Surya. Ensure that by tomorrow morning, the final assets of the Wijaya family are completely transferred."

Aris turned and walked toward the VIP elevator, leaving behind a lobby that felt hollow and freezing cold. He knew that this single move had destroyed any remaining chance of mending their bond, but he had already crossed the point of no return.