?Chapter 557:


    A slow, humorless chuckle escaped Terrance. “Didn’t you once im there was no need to panic? That whatever storm came, we’d weather it? And now? One push from Noah, and you’re already shaking?”


    Elbert swallowed hard, his fingers gripping the table’s edge. “But—”


    “No buts.” Terrance’s voice was final, sharp as steel.


    Elbert hesitated, then let out a slow breath, his gaze flickering toward Alex.


    For a long time, he had considered the young man an outsider, someone who would never truly stand with them. Yet now, in the moment of crisis, Alex was here—silent, steady, unwavering.


    “Fine,” Elbert said through clenched teeth, “Then let’s figure out our next move.”


    The four leaned in, voices low, urgency sharpening their every word. The discussion turned ruthless, dissecting every possible path, every calcted risk.


    The room pulsed with tension as time slipped away. Then—Bang!


    The door burst open with a violent kick, mming against the wall. The sound jolted everyone in the room. All four turned sharply toward the entrance.


    Noah stood in the doorway, a storm incarnate. He was d in a sleek ck suit, his presence radiating cold authority, his sharp eyes scanning the room like a predator locking onto its prey.


    Behind him, a squad of men loomed, each gripping a baseball bat.


    The air inside the private room shifted—thickening with tension. A sharp cry broke the silence. Aliza shrieked, clutching onto Elbert, her whole body trembling.


    Elbert’s face drained of color, but he pushed down his fear, forcing himself to stand. His voice, though shaken, still carried weight. “Noah, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”


    Terrance was on his feet in an instant, eyes locking onto Noah, his expression a blend of fury and disbelief.


    Why did Noah show up here?


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    Could it be…?


    A terrifying possibility shed through Terrance’s mind, but before he could voice it, a voice cut through the suffocating tension.


    “Noah, you are finally here…”


    All eyes turned as Alex stepped forward, emerging from behind his father.


    His face was unreadable, his gaze steady—too steady, as if he had seen this momenting long before it arrived.


    A smirk ghosted across Noah’s lips, amusement flickering in his dark eyes as he met Alex’s gaze.


    “Mr. Howe, you should focus on handling Howe family matters. Leave this one to me.”


    Alex didn’t say a word at first. Instead, he turned, casting a long, weighted nce at Terrance, a silent storm brewing in his eyes. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he murmured, “Take care, Dad.” And just like that, he walked away. Not once did he look back.


    Behind him, Terrance, Eliza, and Elbert stood frozen in stunned silence.


    “You… what…” Terrance staggered, his hand trembling as he pointed after his son, his lips parting—but no words came.


    The betrayal cut so deep, it left him speechless. His own son. His own flesh and blood.


    Alex had sided with Noah.


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