It was Gerald.

His slap landed with full force, knocking me to the ground. My ears rang, my mouth filled with the taste of blood, and my vision went black for several seconds.

"Lorraine! Do you have a death wish?"

He glared down at me, voice cold and venomous, pointing at me as though I were filth.

"How dare you lay a hand on Tiffany? You must be tired of living!"

Tiffany immediately burst into tears, looking fragile and pitiful as she threw herself into his arms.

"Gerald, my face hurts so much... has she gone crazy?"

Gerald held her protectively, whispering comfort into her ear. But when his gaze shifted back to me, his eyes brimmed with murderous hatred.

"Kneel down and kowtow to Tiffany! Apologize! Or don't blame me if I beat you to death today."

Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth as I struggled to breathe. My left cheek burned, already swelling.

But the pain on my face was nothing compared to the agony tearing through my heart.

I looked at the two of them—and then at Miles' cold little body lying on the ground.

My mind flashed back to when his company had just begun to take shape. Gerald had once embraced me with excitement, promising, "Lory, when I succeed, I'll give you the very best in the world."

All lies.

Every word had been a lie.

He had never loved me.

What he loved was my money, my influence, the Olson family's power that could clear the road for him.

Now the Olson family had cast me aside. His company was thriving. His first had returned.

And my son and I had become nothing but obstacles.

So Miles' death meant nothing to him.

Perhaps it even freed him.

"Gerald..." I tried to stand, but my knees buckled, and I crashed heavily back to the ground.

"You'll regret this... You will regret it one day..." I growled through gritted teeth.

He let out a sharp, mocking laugh, as if I had told the funniest joke in the world.

"Regret? Lorraine, look at yourself! Without me, you're nothing. A discarded daughter, abandoned by your own family. You had nothing but a burden—a little bastard dragging you down. And now, even the burden is gone."

His words were laced with venom, each syllable like ice.

"Let's end this cleanly. Since Tiffany is back, let's get a divorce."

The contempt and cruelty in his tone chilled me to the bone.

Tiffany, nestled sweetly against him, played her part with false compassion.

"Gerald, don't be so harsh with Lorraine. She just lost her child—she must be in so much pain. The boy was mischievous, yes, but..."

"But what?" Gerald cut her off, gazing at her with such tenderness it could melt water.

"Tiffany, you're too kind. That little brat was ill-mannered and uneducated. His death was deserved! It's better that he died now than grow up and harm society."

Scoffing, he continued, "I did the world a favor by getting rid of him."

I snapped my head up, staring at him in horror.

He had just called his own son a burden.

Tiffany's lips curved in the faintest trace of triumph as she darted me a smug look, though she quickly hid it, feigning worry again.

"Gerald... stop talking. Lorraine doesn't look right... What if she does something foolish?"

"Her?" Gerald sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

"She's too vain and greedy to die. The only reason she married me was for money. Now that she's seen the company thriving, she's clinging even harder to life. Tsk. Die? She wouldn't dare."

His shameless lies made me shake with rage.

Back then, he had knelt before me, swearing he loved me for who I was, not for my family name.

Tiffany tilted her head and suddenly gasped, pointing at my pocket in a mock alarm.

"Gerald! Look—her phone lit up! Is she recording us?"

Gerald's expression changed instantly. He lunged forward, shoving me aside as he yanked the phone out of my pocket.

"Give it back!"

My heart lurched. I scrambled up, desperately trying to snatch it from him.

Gerald dodged easily. As he glanced at the screen, his face immediately darkened.

"So you really were recording me! Planning to use this against me in court? Lorraine, you're vicious!"

My heart sank.

It's over. They've found out.

With a snarl, Gerald raised the phone high and smashed it to the ground.

Crash!

The screen shattered instantly, fragments scattered across the floor.

"No!" I cried, panic seizing me. If the phone was destroyed, I would lose my only evidence.

But Gerald wasn't finished. He ground his heel into the remains, again and again, until the device was nothing but useless shards.

"Let's see how you record anything now."

Breathing heavily, he looked down on me with scorn.

Beside him, Tiffany pretended to intervene with her soft, fake kindness.

"Gerald, forget it. Lorraine must have acted on impulse... after all, she just lost Miles. She's not herself right now."

Her words sounded gentle, but every line poured salt into my wounds.

Sure enough, Gerald's fury only deepened.

"Impulse? That gives her the right to hurt others? Don't defend her, Tiffany. A poisonous woman like this deserves punishment!"

He swept his gaze around the pool. The staff had long since hidden in fear, and the few guests watching from afar didn't dare interfere.

Seeing this, he grew even more brazen.

"Lorraine, I'll say it one last time—kneel and apologize to Tiffany."

He jabbed a finger at my face, his voice cold and commanding.

"Or don't even dream of walking out of here alive."

I lay on the ground, staring at the smashed phone, then at Miles' lifeless body not far away.

Something inside me broke. My heart... completely died.

And perhaps that was a blessing.

Because now, when it was time to strike back, I wouldn't hesitate.

Slowly, I lifted my head. My lips curved into a chilling smile.

"Gerald... do you know what the Olson Group's ‘Level One Contingency Plan' is?"

He froze for a second, then sneered.

"What kind of bullshit trick is that? Don't play games with me, Lorraine. The Olson family already disowned you!"

Tiffany quickly chimed in, feigning pity.

"Lorraine, are you hallucinating? The Olson Group is a giant. It has nothing to do with you anymore."

Yes. That's what everyone believed.

That after my fallout with the Olson family, I had nothing left.

Even Gerald thought so.

But he forgot one thing—my father was Luciano Olson.

He might have declared he no longer had a daughter, but I am still his only child. His blood runs in my veins.

He had even forgotten that those seemingly generous cooperation projects he signed in the beginning were bound by the harshest gambling agreements and the strictest risk-control clauses.

Once triggered, there was no escape.

The "Level One Contingency Plan" I mentioned, was the highest order of liquidation—Olson family's deadliest weapon, left behind as my final shield.

Once activated, the Olson Group would stop at nothing to annihilate its target.

And with my phone forcibly destroyed, the Olson family's alert system would have already been triggered.

It wouldn't take long before they traced the signal here.

The thought made me laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Gerald demanded, his eyes narrowing. Then he gave a short, derisive chuckle.

"Trying to act crazy to win my pity? Lorraine, your schemes never really end."

I shook my head, blood dripping from my lips, and whispered, "You're both fools."

"Gerald, by now your company's liquid funds should already be frozen."

His face twitched, though he quickly forced composure. "Bullshit! Who do you think you are? You think the banks belong to you?"

"And your properties, stocks, your investment funds..." I went on slowly, deliberately, "they should all be sealed off by now."

Tiffany giggled behind her hand and tugged at his sleeve.

"Gerald, she... she really has gone mad, hasn't she?"

But in Gerald's eyes, I caught a flicker of doubt.

Still, he scoffed, trying to sound steady.

"Do you believe what a lunatic says? My company is running perfectly—"

His words cut off abruptly when his phone rang.

He frowned, pulled it out, and glanced at the caller ID. His expression shifted.

It was his Chief Financial Officer.

Gerald answered the call, his tone was impatient.

"Hello? What is it? Didn't I say not to bother me unless it's urgent—"

On the other end, the voice of his CFO was so loud I could hear it clearly from where I stood.

"Mr. Hamilton! Something terrible happened! The bank suddenly froze all our accounts! They said we're suspected of illegal operations. Every single project's funding chain has collapsed!"