The sky had bruised into a deep purple by the time Derek and Megan reached the family home. As they stepped through the front door, Derek’s mother was there in an instant, her face etched with exhaustion and relief. She rushed forward and pulled her son into a frantic embrace.“Where have you been?” she whispered, clutching the back of his jacket. “You came home earlier only to vanish again. I haven't been able to stop worrying.”Derek felt a pang of guilt but smiled, patting her back gently. “I’m sorry, Mom. It was a chaotic day, but I promise everything is under control now.”She pulled back, looking him over as if checking for wounds. “You could have at least called me.”“I know,” he admitted. “I’ll do better.”Before she could press him further, a sharp, cold voice sliced through the room. “Wait a minute.”Derek and Megan turned. Emily was sitting in her wheelchair near the fireplace, her gaze locked onto Megan’s face with intense, disbelieving scrutiny. “What happened to you?” E

“That must be a big joke.”Angelina stepped out from the corner, staring at her father like he had just said something crazy.“Marry who?” she demanded. “You want me to marry an ex-convict?”Sean's face hardened.“Angelina,” he warned.“No, Dad. Come on!” she snapped. “You should know very well that this is impossible. I have never agreed with Derek. Not once. Not even when we were children. We have never gotten along, and now you suddenly want me to marry him?”She shook her head.“It can never happen.”Her mother, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward.“I swear you must be joking,” she said, staring at Sean. “You cannot be serious. How is this even possible? Are you trying to sell your daughter's heart like she is some kind of property?”Sean's expression remained calm.“Enough,” he ordered.“Enough?” his wife repeated. “You want to hand your daughter over to an ex-convict because of a promise you made years ago?”Sean looked at both women.“Everything we have today, everyth

The sting of Emily’s words hit Derek harder than a physical blow. He stood anchored to the spot, his chest tightening as he studied the woman before him. The raw, jagged hatred in her eyes was a language he barely recognized. Was this really the same Emily he had left behind five years ago? He remembered a girl who was his shadow, a sister who would follow him to the ends of the earth just to hear him laugh or catch a glimpse of the life she so desperately wanted to share. They had been inseparable. Now, she looked at him with the kind of cold detachment usually reserved for a stranger who had committed a grave crime.What had she endured while he was gone? What kind of agony had she been forced to swallow to transform his gentle, sweet sister into a person who radiated such sharp, defensive anger? He burned with the need to ask, to apologize, to drag the truth out of her, but he knew any attempt to explain would only pour gasoline on the fire. Emily swiped her hand across her lap, s

Emily stared at Derek.The anger in his voice had shocked her.She had never seen him this angry before.Not even when they were children.Derek had always been the one who tried to control his emotions. Even when things went wrong, he rarely allowed his anger to take over.But now, his eyes were different.His voice was different.For the first time, Emily wondered if she had pushed him too far.Maybe she had said things she should not have said.Maybe she had gone too far with her words.But her anger toward Derek was still strong.The pain she had carried for five years was still there.She was not ready to let it go.“I don't need you,” Emily muttered as she tried to move her wheelchair. “I don't need you here.”Derek looked at her.He remained quiet.Before he could respond, Timothy looked at him with surprise.“Wow,” Timothy remarked as he adjusted his suit. “So you are her elder brother?”Rebecca looked at Emily with disgust.“So you are her elder brother?” she asked Derek. “Di

Timothy stood motionless, the phone pressed against his ear, his face draining of all color as his father’s voice roared from the speaker. The booming anger on the other end was a sound Timothy hadn't heard in years, and it cracked his entire world wide open.“Father, I…” Timothy started, his voice barely a thin, pathetic squeak. “What on earth is happening?”“What is happening?” his father screamed, the sound distorting the phone’s speaker. “I’m the one asking you that! What kind of mess have you dragged us into this time?”Timothy gripped the phone with white knuckles. “I didn't—I don't know what you mean.”“I don't care who you’ve crossed,” his father bellowed, his voice laced with pure panic. “Whatever you’ve done, you need to fix it, and you need to apologize on your knees right now. My career is finished, Timothy. I’ve just been kicked out of office.”The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Timothy’s mouth fell open, his jaw slack and trembling. “What are you talking about?”“The