The kitchen knife clattered to the floor as Pervis stared in shock at Noah's bleeding hand. The young man's face was contorted in mock pain, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cradled his injured palm against his chest.
"I'm sorry!" Noah sobbed, his voice carrying through the house like a wounded animal's cry. "I was wrong! I won't try to destroy your relationship anymore!"
Pervis stood frozen, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. The shamelessness of it, the calculated cruelty—he hadn't expected Noah to go this far.
"What happened? What's wrong?" Anna's voice echoed from the hallway, panic evident in her tone.
Her heels clicked rapidly against the hardwood floor as she rushed toward the kitchen. She burst through the doorway, her eyes immediately finding Noah hunched over his bleeding hand.
"Noah! Your arm is bleeding!" Anna rushed to his side, her face pale with concern. "What happened here?"
Noah looked up at her with watery eyes, his lower lip trembling. "I... I just wanted to help in the kitchen," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought if I showed some goodwill, maybe Pervis wouldn't hate me so much."
"Help? What do you mean help?" Anna demanded, gently taking his injured hand to examine the cut.
"I saw him preparing dinner and thought I could assist with something simple," Noah continued, wincing as Anna touched his palm. "But when I approached, Pervis became angry. He said I had no right to be in his kitchen."
Anna's eyes snapped to Pervis, who remained standing by the counter, his face a mask of disbelief.
"You got angry at him for trying to help?" Anna's voice was low and dangerous.
"Anna, that's not—" Pervis began.
"I think it was an accident," Noah interrupted quickly, his voice taking on a considerate tone despite his obvious pain. "Pervis was cutting vegetables when I startled him. He probably didn't mean to... Please don't blame him for this. It's my fault for getting too close."
Anna's expression grew even darker as she processed Noah's words. Her eyes fixed on Pervis with an icy stare that could have frozen fire.
"An accident?" she repeated, her voice suppressed with barely controlled anger. "You're telling me this was an accident?"
"Anna, listen to me—" Pervis started, his own anger beginning to rise.
"You jealous, pathetic man," Anna cut him off, her voice trembling with fury. "You wanted to hurt Noah over something so trivial? Over him trying to help in the kitchen?"
Pervis's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I didn't do anything! This is all Noah's self-directed performance!"
"A performance?" Anna's laugh was cold and bitter. "Are you saying Noah cut himself deliberately?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Pervis replied, his voice rising. "He grabbed my hand and—"
"No, no," Noah whispered quickly, shaking his head. "Pervis is right. It was my own carelessness. I shouldn't have gotten so close while he was working with a knife. This is all my fault."
The apparent humility in Noah's voice only served to fuel Anna's rage further. Her face flushed red as she turned back to Pervis.
"Even when you've hurt him, he's still defending you! How can you stand there and lie to my face?"
"I'm not lying!" Pervis shouted, his composure finally cracking. "There's surveillance in this kitchen, Anna. Check the cameras if you don't believe me. You'll see exactly what happened!"
Noah's face went pale, and for just a moment, genuine fear flickered in his eyes. He hadn't known about any security cameras.
"Surveillance?" he stammered, glancing nervously around the kitchen.
But Anna's cold voice cut through the air before Noah could process his mistake fully.
"Check what surveillance?" she said icily, not taking her eyes off Pervis. "I don't need to check anything. I saw everything with my own eyes when I walked in here."
"You saw nothing!" Pervis protested. "You arrived after he had already cut himself!"
"I saw you standing over him with a knife while he was bleeding and crying," Anna replied, her voice deadly calm. "I saw enough."
Pervis felt his heart sink as he realized the futility of his position. "Anna, please. You know me. You know I wouldn't—"
"I thought I knew you," Anna interrupted, her voice filled with disgust. "But I was wrong. I never imagined you were capable of being so vile, so cruel to someone who's already suffered so much."
She turned her attention back to Noah, her voice immediately softening. "Come on, let me get you to the hospital. That cut needs proper attention."
"I'm fine, really," Noah said weakly, though he made no move to resist as Anna helped him to his feet. "I don't want to cause any more trouble."
"You're not causing trouble," Anna assured him, shooting another venomous look at Pervis. "The only trouble here is standing right there, denying what he's done."
Anna guided Noah toward the kitchen door, then paused and called out loudly.
"Marcus! David! Come here immediately!"
Heavy footsteps echoed through the house as two large men appeared in the doorway—Anna's personal security team.
"Yes, Mrs. Morrison?" the taller one asked, his eyes taking in the scene.
"Lock him in the basement," Anna ordered, pointing at Pervis. "Make sure he can't leave."
"Anna, you can't be serious," Pervis said, his voice filled with disbelief.
"I'm taking Noah to the hospital now," she continued, ignoring her husband completely. "When I return, I'll decide how to deal with this... situation."
Marcus stepped forward, his expression apologetic but determined. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tyler. We have to follow Mrs. Morrison’s orders."
"This is insane," Pervis muttered, backing away from the approaching men. "Anna, at least let me explain—"
"Explain what?" Anna snapped. "How do you deliberately hurt an innocent man out of petty jealousy? How did you lie to my face about it afterward?"
"I didn't hurt anyone!" Pervis shouted one final time.
But Anna was already leading Noah out of the kitchen, her arm protectively around his shoulders. Noah glanced back once, and for just a split second, Pervis caught a glimpse of the satisfied smirk that flickered across his face before it was replaced by his mask of pain and innocence.
"Come on, sir," Marcus said, reaching for Pervis's arm. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 47
Pervis was halfway through organizing the inventory records when his phone buzzed. It was Linda."Roden wants everyone at the café across the street. Team coffee break. You should come."He stared at the message for a moment, then set his phone down and continued working.Ten minutes later, it buzzed again."He specifically asked for you. Said it's mandatory."Pervis sighed and saved his work. He knew what this was—another setup, another chance for Roden to humiliate him in front of others. But refusing would only make things worse.He grabbed his jacket and headed upstairs.Alicia was waiting by the elevator when he emerged from the stairwell. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw him."You're actually going?" she asked."Apparently it's mandatory," Pervis said calmly."It's a trap," Alicia said, lowering her voice. "Roden's been laughing all morning. He's planning something.""I know.""Then why go?"Pervis pressed the elevator button. "Because if I don't, he'll use that against me
CHAPTER 46 PART 2
Pervis kept his eyes on his food, chewing slowly. He didn't react, didn't look up, didn't give them the satisfaction.Alicia entered the cafeteria a few minutes later. She grabbed a tray and walked straight to Pervis's table, sitting down across from him without asking."You don't have to sit here," Pervis said quietly."I know," Alicia replied, opening her yogurt. "But I'm going to."Pervis glanced at her. "You'll make yourself a target.""Let them talk." Alicia's voice was firm. "What Roden did this morning was wrong. Everyone knows it.""Knowing and doing something about it are different things," Pervis said.Alicia looked at him for a long moment. "Why don't you ever fight back?"Pervis set down his fork. "Because people like Roden want a reaction. If I give them one, they win.""But you're just letting them humiliate you.""For now," Pervis said simply.Alicia didn't know how to respond to that, so she stayed quiet and finished her lunch beside him.That afternoon, Pervis made hi
CHAPTER 46 PART 1
The morning air in the office felt different. Pervis noticed it the moment he stepped through the glass doors—the way conversations stopped when he passed, the sidelong glances, the barely concealed smirks.Word had spread fast. His report had exposed financial discrepancies that embarrassed three senior managers. Now, everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.Roden stood near the coffee machine, surrounded by his usual group of followers. When he spotted Pervis, his eyes lit up with malicious glee."There he is," Roden announced loudly. "Our company hero."Several people turned to look. Pervis kept walking, but Roden wasn't finished."Meeting room. Now," Roden said, his voice carrying across the floor. "We have a special assignment for our rising star."The meeting room was already full when Pervis entered. Roden sat at the head of the table, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. Linda sat to his right, wearing a bright smile. Alicia was near the window, her expr
Chapter 45
The image haunted Anna for three straight days. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Pervis standing tall while others bowed their heads in regret. She told herself it meant nothing—that he was still the same man who had once depended on her for everything.But the doubt gnawed at her.On Thursday morning, she made a decision. She would visit his grandmother at the hospital. Not because she cared, she told herself, but because she needed to understand what was real and what wasn't.She stopped at an upscale florist and selected a tasteful arrangement of white lilies and roses. Then she picked up a fruit basket from the premium grocer across the street. As she paid, the cashier smiled. "Beautiful flowers. Someone special?"Anna's expression didn't change. "Just a courtesy visit."The hospital lobby was busy when she arrived. She straightened her blazer and walked to the reception desk with practiced confidence."I'm here to visit Mrs. Coleman," Anna said smoothly. "Room 407."The nu
CHAPTER 44
The revelation hung in the air like smoke after an explosion. For several long seconds, nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The weight of their collective misjudgment pressed down on the room with suffocating force.Then, slowly, people began to shift in their seats. Whispered conversations started, voices tinged with panic and regret."Oh my God," someone muttered. "What have we done?""The Coleman heir? We accused the Coleman heir of theft?""I called him a parasite. Right to his face.""We're all finished. Every single one of us."The board members conferred quietly with Aria and Grace while Brian Walsh sat slumped in his chair, looking like a man watching his entire life collapse in real time. Roden kept trying to speak, to defend himself, but each attempt was met with cold silence from those around him.After what felt like an eternity, the ballroom doors opened again. Pervis walked back in, escorted by one of the hotel staff who had clearly been sent to retrieve him. His expression was
CHAPTER 43
Alexander approached the tow truck driver, hoping to negotiate the return of his vehicle, but the man's attitude was immediately hostile."Look, buddy, I don't have time to deal with parasites like you," the driver said without even looking up from his clipboard. "Your piece of junk is going to the impound lot, and that's final.""I just need to explain that this was a mistake—""The only mistake here is you thinking you belong in this neighborhood," the driver interrupted with a sneer. "People like you are like cockroaches – you infest nice areas and bring down the property values.""If you could just listen for a moment—""Listen to what? Some sob story about how you can't afford the fees? Save it for someone who cares, loser."Alexander realized that arguing with this man was pointless. Every second he wasted here was time he could be spending on finding the third ring."You know what? Keep the car," Alexander said, turning away from the tow truck."Smart choice," the driver called
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