A few sheets of paper slammed onto the table, sending a cold breeze swirling through the room.

Jerald’s eyes fell on the documents, his ears ringing with anxiety. He didn’t know what the report contained, but Caden’s implications were unmistakable.

Once, Jerald had suffered a sudden, severe illness and had wondered if it was the result of sabotage. He had suspected business rivals or conniving senior directors. But never—not even in his darkest moments—had he considered Joshua might be behind it all.

He had always been Joshua’s father, indulging him since childhood, granting his every wish, and grooming him as the rightful heir. Why would Joshua betray him like this?

The accusation felt like a blow to the chest. Jerald struggled to accept it.

“If Joshua was behind it,” Jerald began, his voice trembling, “then why did he go to such lengths to care for me during my hospitalization?”

Caden’s response was sharp and cutting. “Because he felt guilty. Unlike you, he still has a conscience.”

Caden’s gaze shifted to the report lying on the table—a silent testament to the weight of his words. Then, a faint smile crept across his face, tightening the air with unspoken tension.

Lᴀτєѕτ cнαρτєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovєl𝑠.𝒸oм

Jerald stood motionless, trapped between disbelief and denial.

Shelia, who had been quietly observing the scene, turned ghostly pale as her eyes landed on the report. Joshua wasn’t the only one burdened by guilt—she carried her own share of it too.

If Jerald believed Caden’s words and uncovered the truth, it would shatter Joshua’s last pillar of support. Shelia couldn’t bear the thought of that outcome.

Her gaze darted toward a glass of water nearby. If she could spill it on the report—accidentally, of course—the evidence might be ruined. But as she reached for the glass, her hands trembled so violently that there was no need for pretense.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Jerald lunged for the report.

“Jerald!” Shelia called out, her voice trembling.

He turned to her, his eyes dark and filled with intensity. “What?”

“Here, have some water!” she urged, stepping closer with a shaking hand. “Drink some water and try to calm down. Don’t take anything Caden says at face value. Remember, he holds a grudge against Joshua and would go to any lengths to frame him!”

Jerald shoved her aside in frustration, the seed of doubt already planted in his mind.

Once the thought of betrayal crept in, it became impossible to shake. He was consumed by the need to uncover the truth.

No one could deter him.

As he reached for the document, Shelia’s fear evaporated, replaced by a surge of desperation. Ignoring her own safety, she lunged forward and snatched it from his grasp.

Her face flushed with rage, she tore the report into shreds, soaked the pieces in water, and swiftly tossed them into the trash.

Jerald stood there, breathing heavily, his gaze filled with disdain.

He didn’t need proof anymore. Her actions had spoken volumes.

A bitter laugh escaped him, one filled with rage and disbelief. “You deceitful witch! You and Joshua conspired against me?”

Shelia visibly quaked, her composure faltering.

She stepped forward, reaching out to steady him. “Jerald, Caden is trying to hurt us. He fabricated this evidence. None of it—”

Jerald’s fury erupted, cutting her off mid-sentence.

He struck her across the face, his voice booming with rage. “You witch! You and Joshua—”

Before he could finish, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. His body trembled uncontrollably as his strength gave out.

Shelia, still reeling from the sting of his slap, instinctively reached into a nearby drawer. Pulling out a pill, she quickly pressed it into his mouth, forcing him to swallow.

Caden watched the scene unfold, his expression cold and detached.

He understood Shelia’s motives all too well. Her actions weren’t driven by love for Jerald.

It was about keeping Jerald alive—ensuring Joshua would still have a future.

Adults measured everything by their own calculations. Yet, despite their schemes, they often found themselves empty-handed.

Caden cast a glance at the pill package Jerald had just swallowed, a sarcastic smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he rose to his feet. “Use it wisely. Even fake drugs of that brand are hard to come by.”

Jerald remained oblivious to the comment, but Shelia heard every word. Her eyes narrowed in fury, and she shot him a fierce look. “Caden, even a worm will turn!”

Caden’s expression stayed cold, unyielding. “I can’t wait to see what you’re capable of.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Shelia frozen in place, supporting Jerald and wrestling with the dread Caden had planted in her heart.

How did Caden seem to know everything? What had he been plotting all these years? And what consequences awaited them when the truth finally came to light?

Everything seemed to be happening in the blink of an eye.

Caden’s strategy was relentless, a calculated and devastating assault. Shelia felt as though she were standing on the edge of a precipice. If she didn’t retaliate, she would be obliterated.

She couldn’t allow that to happen. She couldn’t afford to lose.

Once she steadied her nerves, she grabbed her phone and stepped outside. With determination in her voice, she dialed a number.

“Deliver what I need immediately.”

Alicia’s celebration party was a grand affair. The event drew numerous prominent figures from the industry, each adding to the night’s opulence.

Gerry arrived in his prized sports car, turning heads and earning admiring glances from the young women nearby. With a casual whistle, he stepped out, confidence radiating from his every move.

Sauntering into the party, he raised an eyebrow at Alicia and grinned. “How do I look? Handsome, right?”

Alicia smiled warmly. “You look fantastic.”

But her attention soon drifted past him, her expression changing as something—or someone—else caught her eye.

Gerry paused, suddenly realizing who she was looking for. “Caden didn’t show up?”