In the intervening hours, he had taken care of two things. First, he had arranged for


    a top-tier legal team to secure Alexia''s release on bail as quickly as possible. Second, he had tried to contact Hans, but for the first time ever, Hans was unreachable.


    The man''s expression was as dark and turbulent as a gathering storm.


    As he entered the mansion, Dennis greeted him with a formal bow. "Young Master, what took you so long? Mr. Frederic has been waiting for quite some time."


    "I was busy." Chad paused, a faint smile on his lips. "Is Thaddeus back at his vi?" Dennis''s expression wasplicated. "After what happened between you two, I doubt Mr. Thaddeus will want to see you or set foot in this house for a long time."


    "Is that so? How disappointing." Chad''s smile widened, though it didn''t reach his eyes. "It seems he''d rather believe appearances and rumors than his own brother, the one who saved his life."


    Dennis felt a strange sense of unease at those words, but he knew it wasn''t his ce toment. He simply led Chad to the study to see Frederic and then quietly closed the door behind him.


    "Chad! How could you let things get to this point?" For the first time, Frederic unleashed his fury on his eldest son, throwing an iPad onto the desk in front of him. The screen was filled with scathing articles and negativements. "Did you really bribe a doctor to falsify evidence and frame Thaddeus as a drug addict just to get him out of the CEO position? Do you have any idea how much damage this has done to Thaddeus''s reputation, and to the Abernathy Group? How could you betray your own brother for power? You were never like this!"


    "Dad, calm down." Chad nced at the screen, dismissing the bacsh with a casual smile. "These are just rumors. You shouldn''t let them bother you."


    "My son has beenbeled a drug addict! If I can just sit back and do nothing, what kind of father would I be?" Frederic was incensed by his son''s indifference, his jaw twitching with rage.


    It wasn''t just the scandal; it was Chad''s reaction. It reminded him of a younger version of himself. When the news of his own brother''s death in prison had reached Windermere Estate, he had worn the same detached, cold expression


    "Dad, you''ve misunderstood me. I didn''t frame Thaddeus," Chad insisted, hisposure unshakeable as he calmly poured himself a cup of tea.


    "Misunderstood you? At the press conference, the Ashbourne girl, the doctor you bribed, and that boy from the Bright family threw the evidence right in your face, and you still call it a misunderstanding?" Frederic was furious. In his heart, he had always valued Thaddeus''s abilities more. Appointing Chad had been a move of desperation. He might be old-fashioned at times, but he wasn''t a fool. Thaddeus was the one who had made him the richest man in Elmsworth, the one who had single-handedly elevated the Abernathy Group to unprecedented heights. If not for the circumstances, he would never have taken the CEO position from his younger son, not even for Chad.


    "So, what are you going to do?" Chad asked, taking a leisurely sip of his tea, a hint of impatience in his voice.


    "This whole situation has spiraled out of control!" Frederic took a deep, shuddering breath. "To appease thepany, the public, and Thaddeus, you will be temporarily suspended. I will take over as interim CEO!"


    An icy chill swept through the room.


    "Dad, you asked me how I could betray my own brother for power," Chad said, his eyes lowered as he gently blew on the surface of his tea. "It''s because I am your son. I take after you."


    Frederic froze, the color draining from his face. "What... what did you say?"


    Chad smiled, a cold, sinister expression that seemed to belong to a bloodthirsty demon. "Did you really think that no one in this world besides you knew how your brother, my dear uncle, really died?"