"Yes, it is."

Jace went silent on the other end.

Claudia hesitated before apologizing, "Dad, I'm sorry."

Jace, who'd been around for over fifty years, had heard enough tales like this. But when it was his daughter and son-in-law involved, he was at a loss.

Should he blame Claudia for not taking marriage seriously?

Back then, Anthony had disrespected Claudia so much. As her father, Jace couldn't stand by.

But comforting his daughter would also make him a bit mad.

He never thought Bennett, with his busy life, would join Claudia in this scheme.

Jace felt a mix of emotions as Claudia took on such a big role secretly.

He also felt sorry for Claudia, thinking about how she'd handle the fallout now.

With all this swirling in his mind, Jace found himself silent for a moment.

Once he heard Claudia's apology, his compassion took over.

"I should have looked after you better."

Claudia expected a scolding but Jace surprised her with his response after a long silence.

Her eyes welled up instantly, her throat tight as she spoke.

"No, Dad, it's on me for being reckless."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Before she could say more, a familiar warmth enveloped her. Suddenly, the phone was plucked from her hand from behind.

"Hey, Dad, it's me."

Bennett had just finished his call with Jackson when he returned to find Claudia gone. Hearing her sobs, he rushed to the balcony.

There she stood, tears streaming down her face.

Unable to bear her distress, Bennett assumed Jace was giving her a hard time. Without hesitation, he took the blame.

"It was my idea. Cece's blameless."

Jace couldn't bring himself to scold his daughter, but Bennett, his son-in-law, wasn't getting off easy.

“Bennett, what's the meaning of this? Do you think the Marshalls are pushovers?"

Jace was genuinely furious and Claudia heard every word loud and clear, even without the speakerphone.

Feeling the urgency to explain, Claudia tried to speak, but the phone was in Bennett's grip.

“It's my fault, but the agreement isn't what you think."

“What? Not what I think? Then enlighten me. It's right there in black and white. You're saying I'm mistaken?"

Facing Jace's anger, Bennett stayed calm. Holding Claudia close, he defended, "The agreement's real, but it's meaningless. I never planned to divorce Cece. If you doubt me, I'll send the original. There's no time Limit mentioned."