"You can''t just go back on your word!"


    "That was before you and the Ramos family pulled all that crap!"


    Zach stepped away from her, dodging her hand like it burned, his eyes full of open disgust.


    "So now everything''s my fault, is that it?" Tara felt the sting of his re but forced herself to meet it, her own eyes turning sharp. "Don''t twist this, Zach. You started all of it.


    "You were the one who gave up on Reese and went abroad, just so you couldtch onto the Wiles family''s power.


    "If you''d stayed with her, if you hadn''t left, she never would''ve gotten tangled up in our mess. She wouldn''t have broken up with you, she wouldn''t have ended up marrying Sebastian!"


    She was breathing hard now, voice shaking with anger. "All these years you''ve been obsessed with Reese, loving her, hating her, torturing yourself over her. Meanwhile, you kept me around, taking everything I gave, but always holding me at arm''s length. And after you came back, you just got colder.


    "Then when you found out the truth about the past, you were happy like you finally had a way to win her back. You never even thought about me, that I was still pregnant with your baby. You were ready to get revenge for her, no matter what it cost anyone else!""If I hadn''t been desperate to keep you, do you really think I would''ve done any of this?


    "Yes, the baby had problems-but now I can never have children again!


    "This is all because of you, Zach. Every bit of it!


    "And you honestly think you and Reese still have a shot?


    "You never trusted her. Not back then, not now. When did you ever actually stand


    by her side? Name one time!


    "You can''t-because it''s never happened!


    "You never deserved her love!"


    Zach took a shaky step back, face pale,pletely floored by her words.


    It was a long time before he found his voice again. When he did, it was ice-cold. "Believe what you want, Tara. But I''m telling you now the Ramos family is finished."


    Sweat trickled down Tara''s face as she watched him head for the door. Her eyes went hard and she gritted her teeth. "Zach, have they even found your uncle''s body yet?"


    He whipped around, staring at her like he''d just been hit. For a second, something like panic flickered in his eyes. "What did you say?"


    Tara just looked at him and startedughing, loud and bitter.


    She never thought things would end up like this between her and Zach.


    "I''ve been beside you for years. Did you really think I didn''t know about everything you''ve done?


    "If you go after the Ramos family, if you call off our engagement, I''ll make sure everyone knows exactly what you did to take control of the Wiles Group."


    Zach''s face went dark as thunder. He stared her down for a long, heavy moment, then pointed at her, voice hard as steel. "Fine, Tara. Good for you."


    He turned and walked out without looking back.


    Tara slumped onto the bed, watching his back disappear through the door. For a second, managed a twisted smile, but it crumpled as she broke down,


    Covering her face and sobbing so


    hard she could barely breathe.


    If she''d ever known things would end like this with Zach, she never would''ve tried


    to use the baby to manipte Reese.


    At least then, she''d still have the chance to be a mother.


    Zach left the hospital and drove straight to Iron Financial.


    The whole drive, Tara''s words kept reying in his head. He had no clue how


    much she''d figured out about what he''d done over the years.


    But one thing was clear; he couldn''t afford to take any more risks.


    He straightened his tie, stepped out of the car, and didn''t let the freezing look on his face slip for a second.


    ?


    Inside the conference room, the executives sat stiff and silent. A big screen on the table red with fron Financial''s plunging stock chart-a jagged green line that looked like a warning.


    "Mr. Wiles, the board called again," the risk director said, voice tense. "They want you to make a public apology and exin why you blocked Ramos Corporation.


    "They also want you to end all business with the Ramos family, and break off your engagement to Tara."


    Zach''s eyes shed with cold anger.


    Vultures, every single one of them.


    He walked straight to the head of the table and sat down, tapping his fingers against the polished wood. His gaze swept across the room.


    "First, issue a statement immediately cancel the embargo on Ramos Corporation. Second, have PR set up a press conference and nakera public apology as


    as possible. Third, reach out to all our partners, admit the mistake, and


    promise we''ll put stricter checks in


    ce from now on."


    It was the only way to fix the damage without dragging the Ramos family down


    with him. As for the Ramos family themselves.....