"You can't fool me, okay? I've already given you a son and a daughter. I really don't want any more kids.

"If you truly love me, you need to go through with this. And you need the doctor to provide proof that you'll never be able to have children again!" Iris demanded.

I didn't need to listen closely to know what was happening on the other end.

The fire in my chest surged upward, and I opened my mouth to confront her. But the words caught in my throat, and I forced them back down.

Now wasn't the time to show my hand. They'd planned this too carefully, and confronting them directly would only hurt me.

I clenched my jaw and forced down the rage burning inside me. "It's done. You don't need to worry."

Iris' voice immediately brightened with excitement, her tone dripping with joy. "I knew you loved me the most, honey! When you get home, I'll make it worth your while."

With that, she hurriedly hung up. I swallowed the fire in my chest and drove home.

The moment I pushed open the door, I heard my two children's cheerful chatter echoing from the living room. They seemed to be discussing something, their laughter filling the space.

They heard the sound and instinctively turned around, calling out "Daddy" in unison. But when they saw it was me standing in the doorway, the smiles on their faces instantly collapsed.

They pressed their lips together, disappointment clouding their eyes. They didn't even take a step toward me. Instead, they turned back to each other and continued whispering as if I were just some irrelevant stranger.

A sharp pain pierced my chest as I watched them. It had always been this way. No matter how hard I tried with the kids, I never got anything back from them.

But whenever Mason was around, even if he did nothing at all, the children would flock to him.

I'd felt hurt by this before—jealous, even. But Iris always reassured me, saying that young children were often like this with their fathers and that things would get better when they grew up and understood more.

Now, thinking back, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at myself.

I'd been too stupid. All these little details had revealed everything long ago, but I'd kept lying to myself, refusing to look closer.

In the past, even when the kids were cold to me, I would still walk over with a smile and pull out gifts I'd prepared in advance to cheer them up. Even when they threw tantrums, I never had the heart to scold them.

But now, I didn't even glance their way. I ignored them completely, changed my shoes, walked into the living room, and sat down on the couch.

Not long after, the bedroom door opened, and Iris walked out. Her hair was still damp, clinging to her neck, and she carried a complex mix of scents.

I didn't need to think hard to know what had happened here while I was at the hospital waiting for my surgery. When she saw me, she smiled at once and turned to the nanny nearby.

"Jane, take the kids down to the garden to play for a bit. Keep them safe."

Jane Elsher nodded and led the two reluctant children out the door. The living room fell silent.

Iris walked over to me, leaning in slightly. Her warm breath brushed against my ear.

"Honey, I prepared a surprise for you. Come to the bedroom with me, okay?"

I glanced up at her, stayed silent for a few seconds, then stood and followed her into the bedroom. The moment we stepped inside, Iris reached up and untied the sash of her bathrobe.

The robe slipped off, revealing the bunny costume underneath. The tight outfit traced every curve of her body. The flower-shaped birthmark on her shoulder, once so delicate to me, now felt blindingly offensive.

In the past, seeing her like this would have stirred something in me. But today, my stomach churned. A wave of nausea hit me, and I instinctively furrowed my brow.

"I just had surgery. I'm not up for it," I said in a flat tone.

The smile on Iris' face froze for a moment. A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes before she plastered on a concerned expression and stepped closer.

When I didn't move, she didn't get angry. Instead, she spoke softly, trying to comfort me.

"It's okay. I know you might feel uncomfortable right after the surgery. Just bear with it for a little while.

"The doctor said it wouldn't affect anything, right? I just really want you right now..."

Sensing my coldness, Iris paused. She turned and pulled a box from the drawer, holding it out to me.

"Honey, I had someone specially bring you supplements from overseas. They're perfect for your condition right now. They'll help you recover faster," Iris explained.

I glanced down at the box. The packaging looked expensive, covered in foreign text I couldn't read.

The seal showed obvious signs of tampering. Someone had clearly opened it before. I remained indifferent, neither taking it nor saying a word.

Iris' patience gradually wore thin. The smile faded from her face, and her tone took on an edge of irritation. "Honey, I know you had the surgery for me, but you can't treat me like this.

"I went through all this trouble getting you supplements and preparing a surprise, and this is how you act? If you don't want to see me, fine. I'll just leave."

With that, she put on a show of being hurt, pulled on her bathrobe, and hurried out of the bedroom toward the guest room.

I pulled out my phone, opened the browser, and typed in the foreign text from the box. But no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find any relevant information.

Almost on impulse, I opened that online post again. Mason had updated it.

"Just finished with her in that bunny costume. Didn't even wash it before I had her wear it to greet my idiot buddy. The thought alone cracks me up."

Someone immediately commented below.

"OP, didn't that guy just get a vasectomy? You're making his wife wear that? Can he even perform?"

Mason replied quickly. "Don't worry, I already prepared some medicine for him. Check out the photo."

He attached a picture. It was the same supplement box Iris had just given me.

"This is good stuff from Middlepon. It's for breeding stallions, getting them all worked up. I guarantee he'll be able to get it up tonight.

"I just wonder if he'll lose his mind when he finds out what he's taking."

Someone cautioned him. "OP, don't go too crazy. You'll be in real trouble if someone actually dies."

Mason brushed it off. "If he dies, whatever. He's just a waste of space anyway. Living or dead makes no difference. But don't worry, I've got another surprise for him. Can't let him die just yet."

People in the comments went wild asking what the surprise was, but Mason kept it vague.

"Patience. You'll find out soon enough. I promise it'll be good."

I stared at the screen, a strange curiosity stirring inside me. What exactly was Mason's so-called surprise?

He'd already pushed me this far. What else could he possibly do?

I took screenshots of the post, saved them, and sent the link to a hacker I knew, asking him to trace the IP address and identify the account owner.

Half an hour later, the results came back. It was Mason, just as I'd expected. The address matched his residence in the city.

After backing up all the evidence, my phone suddenly rang. It was my father.

I accepted the call. Dad's voice was sharp on the other end as he said, "Remi Emerson! What the hell are you doing? Why did you upset Iris again?

"Tomorrow is my 60th birthday. You're causing chaos in this house before such an important day. It's unacceptable!"

I frowned but stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I don't care what your reasons are. Go to the guest room right now and apologize to Iris. I won't have her suffering any more because of you!"

With that, he hung up. I knew exactly what had happened—Iris had been working behind the scenes again.

I opened the family group chat and scrolled through the recent messages. It didn't take long to find what I was looking for.

The chat had been lively just moments ago. Someone asked if Iris was upset, mentioning she'd posted a crying voice message and deleted it seconds later.

Iris' message followed immediately.

"I'm fine, everyone. It's my fault. I accidentally made Remi unhappy."

"It's not his fault. I'll talk to him and clear up the misunderstanding."

Messages flooded in below as the others sympathized with how understanding she was and told me not to go too far.

Iris replied again, "Don't worry, everyone."

"I've already had someone order that sports car he likes. As long as he calms down, I'll do anything."

I stared at the words on the screen, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

I'd never liked sports cars. That was Mason's obsession.

Iris said this on purpose to make herself look like a virtuous, devoted wife who bent over backward for me. At the same time, she painted me as an ungrateful bastard who didn't know what was good for him.

Too tired to deal with the fake flattery in the group chat, I exited and shut off my phone, tossing it aside.

I didn't sleep all night. The next day, I attended Dad's birthday banquet.

The celebration was grand. Plenty of friends and family showed up, along with many of the company's business partners.

The moment I walked into the hall, I spotted Mason. He wore a tailored suit and stood beside Dad, deep in conversation. Dad sang his praises, gripping his hand with the kind of affection you'd reserve for your own son.

When Mason saw me come in, he smiled and waved. I ignored him and walked straight past.

Iris was there too, chatting with guests while keeping an eye on the two kids. The moment the children spotted Mason, they yanked free from Iris and ran to him, flanking him on both sides as they called out sweetly.

"Mason, what took you so long? We missed you!"

Mason bent down and ruffled their hair, his voice warm. "I'm here now, aren't I? And I brought presents."

I stood off to the side, watching the scene coldly. I didn't feel much of anything anymore.

When Dad noticed me, his smile vanished instantly. He let out a cold snort, turned away, and went back to chatting enthusiastically with Mason over drinks.

Everyone at the party could see how coldly he treated me. He'd rather dote on some employee than give his own son the time of day.

All of this was thanks to Mason's years of poisoning the well.

"Remi, don't take it the wrong way. Dad's just busy greeting friends. He hasn't had a chance to talk to you yet."

Iris approached with a fake smile, reaching for my arm. "Let's go sit at the main table. Everyone's waiting for you."

I dodged her outstretched hand and walked over to a seat far from the main table. To maintain her image as the dutiful wife, Iris had no choice but to follow, sitting beside me at the side table with a stiff smile.

As I watched her sour expression and the eager glances she kept throwing toward Mason at the main table, I found it almost funny. Halfway through the banquet, Mason set down his fork and raised his wine glass with a smile.

"Everyone, friends, family, today is Mr. Emerson Senior's 60th birthday, and there's something I'd like to bring up."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. Mason's smile grew brighter.

"I remember you once said that when you turned 60, you'd transfer half your shares to your two grandchildren. Part of the family legacy, a blessing for the kids, so to speak. Do you remember saying that, sir?"

The room fell silent for a moment before people began nodding in agreement.

"Oh yes, I remember that too. Mr. Emerson Senior really does dote on his grandchildren."

"Once those shares are handed over, those two kids will be little tycoons. How enviable."

Half the shares to the kids, plus what Mason and Iris already controlled, would give them more than me. It would also put them ahead of my father.

They'd become the company's largest shareholders and gain complete control of the Emerson family business. It hit me then that this was the surprise Mason had mentioned in his post.

Dad beamed, nodding eagerly.

"Of course I remember. Would've slipped my mind if you hadn't mentioned it, Mason.

"They should absolutely have it. They're Emersons by blood. They deserve it."

Mason and Iris exchanged a glance, excitement flickering in their eyes.

Iris smiled at me sweetly. "Honey, look how much Dad loves the kids."

I picked up the glass in front of me and took a slow sip. Once the murmurs in the room died down, I finally spoke.

"The Emerson family fortune goes to Emerson blood. Bastards don't qualify."