Mrs. Thompson Sr. was a stepmother and had never been close with Tobias and his wife.


    Back then, the entire Thompson family had been sent down to Megna Hamlet, where Mrs. Thompson Sr. lived. Her father was the vige chief then-an honest, kind man who took good care of the disced Thompsons.


    It was under the Monroe family''s protection that the Thompsons survived without being torn apart.


    Later, Mr. Thompson Sr.''s wife-Tobias''s biological mother-passed away from illness. After the family''s name was cleared, Mr. Thompson Sr., out of gratitude, married the vige chief''s daughter, Mrs. Thompson Sr.


    Before the marriage, Mrs. Thompson Sr. had seemed just like her father: hardworking, simple, and kind. But after they were married and he got to know her, he discovered she was not only uneducated but also cruel and malicious.


    In the beginning, she at least kept up appearances.


    But after giving birth to Frank, she felt her position in the family was secure and began to act without restraint.


    At the time, Mr. Thompson Sr. was busy with work, leaving both Tobias and Frank in her care. When he wasn''t home, she became the archetypal wicked stepmother, abusing Tobias. He was beaten, scolded, and starved. One winter, she even locked him out of the house, intending to let him freeze to death.


    A neighbor found Tobias unconscious in the snow and rushed him to the hospital, saving his life.


    When Mr. Thompson Sr. learned of this, he was enraged and insisted on a divorce.


    Having wed her way up from a vige girl to an officer''s wife, Mrs. Thompson Sr. naturally refused.


    She threw tantrums, made scenes, threatened suicide, and even held Frank, threatening to die with him.


    Fearing for his son''s safety, Mr. Thompson Sr. had no choice but to back down. Though they didn''t divorce, they lived separately from then on.


    Mr. Thompson Sr. was too busy with work to care for Tobias himself, so he sent him to live with his maternal grandmother. Later, at sixteen, he was sent to join the army. Frank, however, grew up with Mrs. Thompson Sr. Fortunately, he wasn''t corrupted by her.


    With her husband estranged, Mrs. Thompson Sr. poured all her attention onto her son, wanting to control every aspect of his life.


    Later, when Frank fell in love with and married Emma, Mrs. Thompson Sr., disliking her, made her life difficult in every way possible.


    But Frank always sided with Emma, protecting his beloved wife.


    Furious, Mrs. Thompson Sr. resorted to a despicable trick: she drugged Frank and sent her distant niece, Carol to his bed. Later, she concealed from Frank that carol had given birth to twins. ''


    Frank had been raised


    single-handedly by Mrs. Thompson Sr., and they had once been close. But her scheming had destroyed any maternal affection he had left. When her health began to fail in recent years, Frank simply put her in a nursing home, paying the bills but


    never once visiting.


    Now, even Mrs. Thompson Sr. was cautious around Frank. But for the sake of her


    precious granddaughter, Vanessa, she forced herself to speak.


    "Frank," she began, "Vanessa and Omar are back for good this time and n to settle here. Omar works in, what is it, investment banking? Does the Thompson family have


    an investment firm Why not let hing manage it? We should keep the wealth within the family, after all."


    Frank was in the middle of serving himself some food. His hand paused for a moment before he looked up.


    His gaze was deep and cold, almost terrifying.


    Vanessa and Omar were so intimidated by his stare they hardly dared to breathe.