181Allvar tilted his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. “Insufferable? My, my, Victoria, such harsh words. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were starting to lose your cool.” Derek scoffed, his voice cutting through the thick silence. “Lose her cool? She’s being polite compared to what I’d say. You’re nothing but a charlatan in a fancy suit, spewing nonsense to rile us up. Who the hell do you think you are?” Victor’s expression hardened instantly. “Derek.” His voice carried a sharp edge, and the room seemed to hold its breath. “That is enough.” But Derek wasn’t deterred. He turned to his father, gesturing toward Allvar with a look of disbelief. “You’re seriously telling me to stop? To defend this—this pauper who humiliated our family? Have you forgotten what he did to the Hawthorne name? Or has age finally dulled your memory?” The guests gasped audibly, exchanging wide-eyed glances. The whispers began almost immediately, rippling across the room like a wave: “What d

183The tension in the room was palpable. Derek’s breath came in ragged gasps as he touched his face, his hand trembling. The sharp sting of his father’s slap still burned against his skin. “You…” he started, his voice wavering, “You hit me.”Victor stood tall, his eyes blazing with fury, the veins in his neck pulsing as his anger swelled. His chest rose and fell with each breath, but his expression remained cold and calculating. “And I’ll do it again if you don’t stop this insolence.” His voice was low and dangerous. “You may be my son, but that does not give you the right to disrespect me or the decisions I make.”Derek’s eyes widened, his mouth working as if trying to form words but failing. His pride, his ego, had taken a blow he hadn’t expected. He had always believed himself untouchable, above reproach. To be slapped by his father, in front of so many people—it was unbearable.“You’re defending him over your own flesh and blood!” Derek’s voice broke, full of pain and frustration

185The silence in the grand hall was suffocating, a heavy blanket draped over the gathered crowd. Every eye was glued to the strange, almost surreal sight of Victor Hawthorne on one knee before Allvar. The powerful patriarch, once a symbol of unyielding strength, was now humbled, his pride cast aside for reasons none could yet comprehend.Victor raised his head, his expression imploring as he addressed Allvar. “I’m asking for forgiveness, Allvar. Not just for Derek, but for the way this family has treated you. You’ve been wronged in ways that shame us all. I can’t undo the past, but I can ensure it doesn’t define our future.”Allvar looked down at him, his lined face unreadable, save for the flicker of disdain that flashed in his eyes. Slowly, he stepped back, his arms folding across his chest. The movement was deliberate, his stance one of quiet defiance. “Forgiveness?” he repeated, his voice steady, though edged with a cold bitterness. “Forgiveness is not something you can simply a

187Victor nodded grimly. “It’s true. And that’s why I had no choice but to apologize. Do you think I want to? Do you think it doesn’t make me sick to my stomach? But I can’t afford to fight him—not now.”Derek pressed a hand to his forehead, his stomach churning. “This… this is insane. I can’t believe you’re telling me this. That bastard Allvar… he’s backed by someone even bigger.”“Yes,” Victor said simply. “And unless we deal with him carefully, he’ll destroy everything we’ve built.”Derek’s hands curled into fists. “So what’s the plan? Grovel until he decides to leave us alone? Because I’m telling you now, Dad, he won’t. He’ll bleed us dry.”Victor stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “We discredit him before he has the chance to do anything. We make sure that whatever he says to Falck—or anyone else—sounds like the ramblings of a liar.”Derek frowned, his skepticism clear. “And how do you plan to do that? Allvar has nothing to lose. He won’t go down without

189Allvar sat by the flickering light of the fire late into the night, lost in thought. The soft crackling of burning logs was the only sound accompanying his contemplations. Despite Lorentz’s warnings, he was resolute—Victor Hawthorne would not win, but confronting him would take careful planning. The storm brewing in Allvar’s life was anything but ordinary, and he needed a clear head for the battles ahead.Finally, exhaustion won over. Allvar rose from his chair, extinguished the fire, and ascended the grand staircase to his suite. Tomorrow was going to be a long day; he had already missed a few days of work, and he needed to reassert his presence at the office. His rivals at Waterfall Corporation, especially Mrs. Abbott, Jake, and Edgar, wouldn’t waste a moment in exploiting his absence. Those scheming opportunists, fueled by jealousy and ambition, were always looking for an opening. As his head hit the pillow, Allvar’s last thought was one of determination. “They’ll regret it if