"Melody murdered my mother. Because of her, my mom died carrying my baby sibling. She never once felt guilty. Then she tried the same disgusting tricks again and almost killed my grandmother. Grandma barely survived after fighting for her life in the hospital for over twenty hours. And now Melody''s hiring people to kill the witnesses."


    Anneliese''s voice shook with fury. "For someone who treats human life like garbage, how did your abusive father not beat her to death back then? She deserves every single thinging her way. And you-what the hell makes you think you have the right to call me and say something that twisted?"


    Her rage exploded, every word like a p.


    If she could, she''d have hit Zacharias across the face through the phone.


    Outside the police station, Zacharias looked nothing like the powerful CEO he once was. His suit was wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and his face pale with exhaustion.


    He hadn''t been home the night before. For half a year, hispany''s numbers had been plummeting, and multiple partners had already pulled out.


    The shareholders were livid. To save a contract, he''d spent the night drinking and ttering two clients.


    But those men had been impossible to please. They''d pushed prices lower, mocked him openly, and even brought up Jonathan''s name more than once.


    It was obvious they knew Jonathan had married his ex-wife, and they enjoyed rubbing salt into that wound.


    By morning, he had achieved nothing. He was about to go home, clean up, and rest before heading to work when the police called.


    That was how he learned the truth about Melody. The moment he heard it, his world went ck.


    He stumbled out of the station, too shaken to think. Acting on impulse, he borrowed a phone and called Anneliese.


    But her voice was cold, sharp, and merciless, cutting him open with every word. His anger vanished, leaving only despair.


    His voice cracked. "Anne, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said that. No matter what she did, she''s still my mother, I just—"


    Before he could finish, another voice interrupted, low and smooth, from the other end.


    "Babe, who''s bothering you this early? Come back to bed."


    Then the call cut off.


    Right before it did, Zacharias heard a soft, startled sound from a woman. It was faint but intimate.


    He froze, gripping the phone so tight it hurt. It took him a while before he tried calling again, only to find his number blocked.


    His body trembled with rage. The phone creaked in his hand, seconds away from shattering.


    The woman who had lent him the phone had only done it because he was attractive, hoping for his numberter.


    But when she saw his face twist with fury, she panicked, snatched her phone back, and bolted as if her life depended on it.


    Zacharias stared at her retreating back. Anneliese''s disgusted tone echoed in his head. A bitterugh escaped him.


    Heughed harder and harder until tears streaked his face. People passing by stared, whispering, but he didn''t care.


    When Jackie arrived, he saw his boss standing thereughing like a man who''d finally broken.


    Jackie''s expression turned pale. "Mr. Shaw, what happened? Are you alright?"


    Zacharias stoppedughing, his shoulders shaking. He staggered, and Jackie grabbed his arm.


    Zacharias shoved him away, then clutched Jackie by the shoulders, his voice raw.


    "You think I''m pathetic too, don''t you? You think I had thising? You''reughing at me just like everyone else, right? You''re d*mn right I''m a joke. My life''s fallen apart. Tell me how the hell did get to this?"


    Sweat ran down Jackie''s forehead.


    He was terrified, but he knew Zacharias couldn''t afford to fall apart now.


    "Mr. Shaw, listen! Your mother''s crimes are all over the inte. It''s everywhere: uderias Tech''s stock is tanking, and thepany''s in chaos. You have to go back right now and take control before everything copses!"


    "What did you just say?"


    Zacharias'' face hardened, his pupils tightening like pinpoints.


    Jackie shoved his phone toward him, his hands shaking. "You need to see this."


    On the screen, Melody appeared pale and terrified as two officers shoved her into a


    police car, handcuffs glinting under the shing lights.


    Below the footage were videos of Melody and Lenora dressed in morous.evening gowns, strutting through high-profile events with smug expressions. In one clip, Melody proudly introduced herself as the mother of uderias Tech''s CEO, Zacharias, and called Lenora his sister.


    The video quality was sharp, every frame clear. The resemnce left no room for


    denial.