*****The silence that followed Grace’s barrage of questions was so thick that it felt like the air itself had forgotten how to move.Even breathing… something so basic and so automatic had abandoned them.Every single person in the room appeared frozen right now, looking like statues… as if the very concept of sound had been outlawed.That’s right.Whether it was the ever-arrogant, vicious, and ruthless Mason, the infamously spoiled Honey, who never ran out of sarcastic things to say, their mother, Nico, the elderly patriarch, Williams, or Susan… none of them could find their voice.It was as though Grace’s words had struck them all with an invisible hammer, shattering every ounce of composure they had ever had.They just stared at her, blank-eyed and stiff, unable to comprehend what they had just heard.Grace… yes, the ever-composed, icy, elegant, and untouchable Grace who always seemed incapable of anything as messy as emotion, had just exploded in a way none of them would

*****“Have you seen the true colors of the ones you call your parents now?”The old patriarch’s voice came so suddenly and unexpectedly that every heart in the room seemed to skip a beat.For a brief moment after, even the air itself felt as if it had flinched. Then all at once, everyone jerked, their spines straightening and heads snapping toward him in startled unison.Every brow lifted, all eyes widened, and then… pin-drop silence descended.It took several seconds for their minds to grasp what they had just heard, and when the meaning finally sank in, the impact was shattering. Every jaw dropped to the ground, and every face froze in disbelief.‘What did he just say?’‘What’s he planning to do again?’Different questions popped up in their minds, but before they could even think of asking…The elderly man continued, his voice unsettlingly calm, measured, dignified, and tinged with an almost smug air.“My plan all along,” he began again, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on

*****At this moment, Grace's silence was heavier than thunder.And in that unbearable quiet, a flicker of pain flashed through her eyes.It was so faint that it could have been imagined… but it was there. And then, as quickly as it came, it vanished, completely swallowed up by the storm she was hiding behind her calm exterior.Without another word, she turned her back to the room, turning toward the entrance.“Like I said earlier,” she murmured, her voice now so cold, measured, and precise that it carried the heavy chill of winter itself, “I’ve had a very long night.”Finished saying that as calmly as she could make herself do, she took a slow, deliberate step toward the door. “I would like to go home and rest now.”And… that was all. That was it.Just like that, she walked away… leaving her parents standing in a silence that screamed louder than any accusation ever could.Across the room, the old man’s lips curved into a wide, terrible grin… a grin dripping with triumph, cr

*****Xavier hadn’t known the elderly patriarch that long. However, he had already realized that he was a selfish relic of power… a man drunk on his own authority, blind to compassion, and addicted to manipulation.He had seen it in his eyes the very first time they had met… the sheer arrogance, unfiltered favoritism, and quiet contempt for anything that didn’t serve him and he couldn't control.He had watched how he had wanted to ruthlessly sacrifice his own granddaughter for the so-called greater good of the family, not giving a single damn about her and her happiness.But this?This was a new low… a line even Xavier had never imagined the old man would cross.The manipulation was executed with such terrifying precision that it almost demanded applause.Every word, every pause, and every carefully measured sigh had been executed so flawlessly... his performance so seamless that even Xavier, if only that he had caught the fleeting glint of cunning in the man’s eyes just before

*****The elderly patriarch couldn’t take the risk of talking, and so… he forced himself to pretend to be calm, though his pulse thundered so loud that it nearly drowned out his own thoughts.He could only cling to one desperate hope… that Xavier hadn’t actually seen through anything, and that the young man was just bluffing, a blind bat swinging wildly in the dark.But… as life always loves to prove, the universe rarely grants desperate men their wishes.Grace, who had forced herself to mid-step after Xavier’s earlier words, now stared at him intently, her expression already wavering.The firmness and cold composure that once kept her steady now wavered under uncertainty, her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed in confusion.It was as if she was trying to peer straight through him... to read what lay behind that calm, unreadable face.Finally, her lips trembled. “You…” she stammered, her voice softer than she intended. “What are you talking about?”With this, Xavier slowly