Jefferson's mother stood by the bedside, her hands trembling with barely restrained fury, her face flushed with anger and indignation.She turned sharply to her husband, her eyes blazing with righteous rage, and when she spoke, her voice was cold, sharp, and venomous."That good-for-nothing bastard," she spat, her words cutting through the air like a blade. "He and his family are going to be punished for this. They are going to be punished completely. They will not go unpunished at all. What they did is punishable by death, by the way. And we are not going to have it easy on them. We are going to crush them. We are going to utterly destroy them completely. That is what we are going to do."Her chest heaved with emotion, her breath coming fast and shallow, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.Jefferson's father nodded slowly, his expression hard and resolute, his jaw set with grim determination."If you do not trust me on anything else," he said, his voice l

Lydia and Dr. Kai sat across from each other at a small table in a modest restaurant.It was not an expensive establishment, not one of those high-end places with crystal chandeliers and white-gloved waiters.It was mid-range, clean, but simple.The kind of place where people went to have quiet, private conversations without drawing attention.The low hum of other diners' conversations filled the air, punctuated by the occasional clink of silverware against plates and the soft murmur of background music.But Lydia and Dr. Kai were not paying attention to any of that.They were focused entirely on each other.From the look on their faces, it was clear that they had been discussing something.Something serious, something significant.Lydia's expression was tight, her jaw clenched, her eyes sharp and calculating.Dr. Kai, on the other hand, looked calm, composed, almost relaxed, though there was a quiet intensity in his gaze that suggested he was just as invested in the conversation as s

Lydia took a breath, steadying herself, and then she began to speak.Her voice was sharp, accusatory, filled with bitterness and barely restrained fury."I need a certain percentage in the new company which you have recently developed," she said, her words tumbling out quickly. "William, you are heartless. After actually sending the tax information, the tax manipulation to City Hall so that City Hall can fine them—after you had already done so—then you are actually now trying to have your way, right? You want to enjoy everything by running your new company and all of that. And you think I am just going to sit back and let that happen? That I am not going to allow that? I demand something. I demand at least a percentage. Ten percent. Or if I want to even be kind, five percent of this new company. That is what I demand, and nothing more."There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.And then William's voice came through, cold, sharp, and utterly devoid of patience."Listen," he

Lydia lay on the floor, her body trembling, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.Blood stained her lips, dripping down her chin and pooling on the cold tile beneath her.Her eyes, wide and filled with fear and confusion, stared up at Dr. Kai, who stood calmly above her, his expression cold and detached.She tried to speak, her voice barely a whisper, weak and trembling."You poisoned me, right?" she gasped, her words broken and strained. "You poisoned me, you crazy bastard."She coughed again, more blood spilling from her mouth, and then she continued, her voice growing more desperate, more frantic."It is William that sent you to do this, right? William sent you to do this, and you decided to do it. How dare you poison me?"Dr. Kai's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile.He looked down at her, his eyes devoid of sympathy, devoid of warmth, devoid of anything resembling human compassion.And then he spoke, his voice calm and measured, almost conversational."William sent me

Lydia's voice trembled, weak and broken, as she struggled to speak.Her body was failing her now, the poison coursing through her veins, draining the life from her with every passing second.But still, she fought.She fought to speak, to understand, to make sense of the betrayal that had unfolded before her."Are you sure that he is not going to betray you as well?" she gasped, her words barely audible, her breath shallow and labored. "Like, just like he did to me. Are you sure when he gets what he wants, he is not going to betray you? So you trust him more than you trust—you trusted him more than you trust me? Is that what you are trying to say?"Benjamin stood above her, his expression calm, his eyes cold and distant, and he nodded slowly."Yes," he said simply, his voice steady and deliberate. "I trust him more than I actually trusted you."He paused, letting the words sink in, letting the weight of them settle over her like a heavy shroud."And do you know what?" he continued, his