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
THE END
Five days later, the grand ballroom of the Riverside Hotel was transformed into something magnificent. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead. Tables draped in white linen held elaborate centerpieces. A string quartet played elegant music as guests began arriving.This was the Coleman family's official welcome banquet for Pervis—the formal introduction of William Coleman's son and heir to society.The guest list read like a who's who of American power: business leaders, politicians, celebrities, old money families, and new tech billionaires. Everyone who mattered had been invited, and everyone had come.At Whitewater Corporation, the news had exploded like a bomb.Linda Mercier, still working as a custodian after her demotion, had collapsed when she heard. The man she'd sexually harassed, the "bottom-feeder" she'd tried to have attacked by a mob—was the Coleman heir. The son of the family that could destroy her with a phone call.She spent the rest of the day vomiting in the bathroom s
CHAPTER 177 PART 2
PRESENT"So you were never really in danger," Cristina said after Pervis finished explaining. "Father's security had you covered the whole time.""I was definitely in danger," Pervis corrected. "Those were professional killers. If I hadn't escaped when I did, or if Frederick hadn't shown up—" He looked at Frederick. "Thank you, by the way.""I was glad to help," Frederick replied. "It was the least I could do after... well, everything."William turned to his son with pride in his eyes. "You handled yourself well. Your training paid off.""But the real question is what happens now," Pervis said. "Ralph, Tony, and Samuel are still out there. They still think I'm captive, that their plan is working.""Not for much longer," Vanessa said with cold satisfaction. She pressed a button on her phone. "Detective Stone? You can move in now. We have everything you need."Ralph Grayson arrived home to find police cars in his driveway. Detectives met him at the door with handcuffs and a warrant."Ra
CHAPTER 177 PART 1
The tension in the Coleman sitting room was suffocating. William and Vanessa stood by the window, watching the three conspirators' cars disappear down the long driveway. Ralph, Tony, and Samuel had just left, rattled and suspicious, not knowing they'd walked directly into the trap."How much longer?" Vanessa asked quietly."He should be here any moment," William replied, checking his watch.As if on cue, they heard voices in the entrance hall. The door to the sitting room opened, and Aria stepped inside with a smile that could only be described as triumphant."Mother, Father," she said. "We have visitors."She stepped aside, and Pervis walked in.Alive. Unharmed. Free.Behind him stood Frederick Ashford, looking somewhat worse for wear but equally present.Vanessa's hand flew to her mouth. "Pervis!"She rushed forward and embraced her son, tears streaming down her face. William followed, his own eyes suspiciously bright as he pulled both of them into a fierce hug."You're safe," Vanes
CHAPTER 176
"Of course," Ralph said. "And when you do, I hope they face the full weight of justice.""Oh, they will," William promised. "They absolutely will."Tony pulled out his phone, checking it with increasing frequency. "If you'll excuse me," he said, standing. "I need to make a call. Business matter that can't wait.""Of course," William said, gesturing to the terrace. "Please, use the terrace for privacy."Tony stepped outside, and the moment the glass door closed behind him, he was dialing frantically. The kidnapping team's contact number. The one they'd been told to use only in emergencies.It rang. And rang. And rang.No answer.Tony tried again. Same result.His hands started to shake. Why weren't they answering? They were supposed to check in every six hours. The last check-in had been at 6 AM. It was now nearly 11 AM.He tried a different number—the backup contact.Nothing."Damn it," he muttered, trying to keep the panic from his voice. Something was wrong. Very wrong.He composed
CHAPTER 175 PART 2
At the city's international airport, Clara Mitchell stood in the first-class boarding line, her heart pounding with excitement and relief. She'd done it. Gotten the money, resigned from her job, and now she was leaving. Free.Noah stood beside her, his own boarding pass in hand. "Nervous?" he asked with a grin."Terrified," Clara admitted. "But excited too.""Three hundred thousand dollars excited?" Noah teased."Very excited," Clara confirmed.They boarded the plane, finding their seats in the luxurious first-class cabin. As they settled in, Clara looked out the window at the city below—the city where Anna Morrison was probably just now discovering what had happened.Across the terminal, watching from a distance, Elizabeth Patterson stood with tears streaming down her face. She'd tried to stop this. Tried to warn Anna. Tried to make Noah see reason.But it was too late now.The plane carrying her brother and Clara began to taxi toward the runway. Within minutes, they'd be airborne an
CHAPTER 175 PART 1
The news of Pervis Tyler's kidnapping spread through the city's business circles like wildfire. By midnight, everyone who mattered knew that the Coleman heir had been taken, that a taxi driver had been killed, and that the powerful Coleman family was mobilizing every resource to find him.In the city jail, Gerald Roden, Chris Devoe, and Collin Hayes sat in their respective cells, and despite their circumstances, they were smiling."Did you hear?" Gerald said to the guard who brought their evening meal. "Pervis Tyler was kidnapped. That bottom-feeder finally got what was coming to him.""Shut up, Roden," the guard replied tiredly. "You're in here for embezzlement. Worry about yourself."But Gerald couldn't stop smiling. Pervis had destroyed them, exposed their schemes, sent them to prison. And now he was suffering too. There was justice in that, however twisted.Chris Devoe, in a cell three doors down, heard the news from his lawyer during their consultation."They took him right off t
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