Vanessa didn’t answer right away. She just extended her hand toward my mother’s oxygen tube with a cold, detached look on her face.

"Stop with the nonsense, Gabriel," she said flatly. "Just tell me, are you going to do it or not?"

A wave of despair washed over me, like I was floating outside my own body, watching everything happen from a distance.

I met her cold gaze and nodded, barely able to speak.

"I’ll do it..."

Vanessa gave a small, almost cruel smile as she took Keith’s hand, pulling him away from me. Before leaving, she glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes like ice.

"Get it together. The reporters will be here soon."

As the door clicked shut behind them, I caught a glimpse of the smug satisfaction in Keith’s eyes. The sight made my stomach churn.

Once they were gone, I collapsed to my knees beside my mother’s hospital bed. Tears streamed down my face as I finally let everything go.

When Vanessa and I first got married, she was just a poor girl from a modest background.

My father, seeing her potential, took her under his wing, teaching her everything she needed to know about running a business.

After his passing, he entrusted her with the family company, confident that she was capable of managing it.

But that was before ambition turned her into something else.

Six months ago, Vanessa's ambition led her to make some dangerous enemies. Her rivals kidnapped her, and it was my mother—putting herself in great personal danger—who rescued her.

However, during the rescue, my mother was seriously injured and ended up in the ICU. Even when she was awake, my mother held my hand and continued to defend Vanessa.

"Gabriel, don’t blame her," my mother’s fragile voice said. "She’s under immense pressure trying to live up to your father’s legacy. She just wants to succeed in the business and has made some enemies along the way, but that’s understandable. Don’t blame her. As long as she treats you and Lara well, even if I die, it will be worth it…"

But this woman—this monster who had once been my partner—had not only harmed my mother, she had played a direct role in the death of our daughter.

I bit down on my lower lip, the sting of blood pulling me back to the present. Then, I took out my phone, my hands trembling as I dialed the number I knew by heart.

"Gabriel, what are you mumbling about in there?!" Vanessa’s voice rang out just as I ended the call.

She stormed into the room, her eyes narrowing when she saw the phone I had quickly tucked behind me.

"Can’t I say a few words to my mom?" I snapped back.

Vanessa glanced at my phone, suspicion in her eyes, but before she could approach, Keith called out from the hallway.

"Vanessa, the reporters are getting impatient. Is Gabriel not ready yet?"

Vanessa sighed, irritation clear in her posture. "Alright, alright, Keith, don’t rush."

She quickly crossed the room, nestled herself into Keith’s arms, and tried to soothe him, her voice soft. Then, without warning, she turned and grabbed me by the collar, yanking me out of the room.

"Gabriel, don’t even think about it. Your mother’s life is in my hands!"

Two minutes later, I was surrounded by a sea of reporters. The bright flashes of cameras and the noise all felt overwhelming.

The questions hit me like a tidal wave.

"Mr. Crawford, a few days ago, you identified Keith Turner as the murderer of your daughter in court. Do you have new evidence today?"

"Mr. Crawford, we’re all parents here. If you have proof, we’ll stand by you and fight for justice!"

Vanessa, standing to the side, pointed toward my mother’s room with eyes full of triumph.

"Honey, the reporters are asking you..." she said, her voice soaked in sweet sarcasm.

I felt my blood boil, but I forced myself to stay calm. I turned toward Keith, and without thinking, I dropped to my knees. My heart was pounding in my chest as I looked up at him, my voice hoarse and broken.

"Keith Turner, that day in court, I wrongly accused you. My daughter’s death had nothing to do with you..."

Hearing that, Keith smirked, his eyes cold with contempt.

"You wrongly accused me? Then you’d better apologize properly," he sneered. "You’re not just going to let this go, are you? You think our reputation means nothing?"

My lip was already raw, blood dripping down my chin, but I felt nothing.

I was numb.

Seeing that I hadn’t moved, Vanessa leaned in, her voice a low whisper in my ear.

"Gabriel, I’m starting to miss our mom. Maybe I should go see her..."

Her words cut deep, but I couldn’t find the words to respond. How much lower could this woman go?

I shook with rage, my entire body trembling as I grabbed onto Vanessa’s ankle, desperation overtaking me.

Without thinking, I slammed my head hard in Keith's direction

"I’m sorry, Mr. Turner, it’s my fault," I choked out, my voice strained with emotion. "I sincerely apologize to you. I ruined your reputation. I’m not even human..."

I kept banging my head against the cold, hard floor, the impact growing weaker with each hit. Blood pooled underneath me, staining the ground.

Only then did Keith let out a cold, satisfied hum.

"Enough. This place reeks of blood now. Disgusting!" he sneered. "Don’t blame me if you end up killing yourself with all that banging!"

Before I could understand what was happening, a male reporter hurried toward me, eyes blazing with fury. Without hesitation, he punched me directly in the face, unleashing his raw and unrestrained anger.

Furious, he jabbed a finger at me and shouted, "You’re shameless! You couldn’t even take care of your own daughter, and now you’re blaming her death on the coach? You think the teacher failed to educate your child?! Do you have no conscience?!"

As soon as his words cut through the air, the room exploded with outrage.

"We thought this guy had been wronged, that he wanted justice for his daughter. But turns out, he’s just an idiot who spoiled his own kid! He killed her and now wants to drag everyone down with him. A guy like this doesn’t deserve to be a father!"

"I’ve heard of men like him. All they do is whine and ruin everything. I see it now. Not only is he a fool, but he killed his own flesh and blood! A person like that deserves to die!"

The crowd grew more heated, their voices louder and angrier.

Some of them threw their cameras aside and lunged at me. Fists and feet swung from all directions, and the pain became overwhelming.

Through the chaos, I caught a glimpse of Keith.

He looked at me with a twisted, malicious smile, his lips barely moving as he whispered to me, "Keith, this isn’t over. I’ve got a little surprise for you..."

A wave of unease washed over me, and I started scanning the crowd for Vanessa, panic rising in my chest.

When I finally spotted her, I pushed myself toward her, using every last bit of strength I had left.

I reached out and weakly grabbed her wrist.

"Vanessa, please…go check on my mom! Hurry, I’m begging you! Do it for the sake of our marriage..."

Before I could finish, Vanessa’s assistant rushed in, panic clear on his face.

He looked down at me, his eyes expressing a mix of pity and uncertainty.

"Ms. James, Mrs. Crawford…she’s gone..."

The hand I had clenched around Vanessa’s wrist went limp. I stumbled to my feet, gathering the last of my strength, and charged straight at Keith.

Filled with fury, I threw a punch at his face.

"Keith, I’ve already apologized! Why won’t you let me go? What did my mom do wrong?! I know it’s you! You killed her!"

Keith’s eyes gleamed with a twisted sense of pride, his voice cracking, though it was forced.

"Vanessa, why does Gabriel blame me for everything? How could I kill his mother? I’ve been with you the whole time..."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

I gagged, disgust choking me. I wiped my mouth, my hands trembling, and focused on Keith with every ounce of strength I had. I raised my arm to strike again, but before I could move, Vanessa grabbed my collar from behind.

Then, with deliberate malice, she kicked me hard in the lower back.

Six months ago, I had just undergone spinal surgery. Vanessa knew that and targeted that area on purpose.

I collapsed to the floor as a sharp pain shot through my back like fire.

Vanessa stepped closer, pressing her foot down on my head. Her eyes, colder than anything I’d ever seen, looked down at me as if I were nothing.

"Gabriel, when are you gonna quit?" she sneered, her voice sharp. "Your mom was in the ICU for three months, hanging on by a thread the whole time. And now you're still trying to pin this on Keith?"

Vanessa added, her voice dripping with disdain, "Keith was with us the whole time. Not just me, but everyone here can vouch for that. Why can't you just let it go? Gabriel, you're seriously disgusting."

The blows kept coming, each one chipping away at whatever was left of me.

Every hit felt like it was breaking me down piece by piece. I ignored the pain, gritting my teeth as I pulled my head away from Vanessa’s foot.

Then, I shot her a glare, my eyes burning with fury.

"Go ahead, Vanessa," I ground out, barely able to get the words out. "Have your assistant pull up the security footage. Keith just admitted it himself. He’s not going to let me go..."

Vanessa didn’t say anything, but I saw a flash of some unreadable emotion in her eyes. She was about to signal for her subordinates when a deep sigh came from behind her.

"Forget it, Vanessa," Keith’s voice cut through the tension, thick with sarcasm. "Don’t bother checking. Looks like Gabriel just wants to blame everything on me. Fine, I’ll accept it. I'm poor and worthless anyway. If I die, at least he will finally get some peace."

Right then, he pulled a small knife from his bag, slashing it across his forearm in some kind of dramatic gesture.

The room grew heavy with the tension his theatrics created.

Vanessa’s eyes went wide with panic. She slapped the knife out of his hand and, without thinking, kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Enough!" she snapped, her voice cutting. "Gabriel, I was right next to Keith earlier, and I didn’t hear a thing! If you keep making a scene like this, you’re out of the family. I don’t need a husband like you—someone so disgusting. A good guy like Keith is way more suited to be my husband."

Her words were sharp and icy.

At that moment, everything Vanessa had ever promised me played out in my mind like an old film. I let out a bitter laugh, cold and devoid of warmth, and stared up at her, my voice heavy with disdain.

"Vanessa, that bastard killed our daughter. He caused my mother’s death. And now, you still want to be with him? Do you really think you can bully me just because my family doesn’t matter to you anymore?"

Vanessa froze, her eyes narrowing.

Then, after a brief pause, she let out a cruel, mocking laugh.

"Your mom just died, right? So, there’s no one left to defend you, is there?" she said, her voice full of vicious amusement.

Keith joined in, his laugh sharp and mocking. He wrapped his arm around Vanessa’s waist, leaning down to kiss her cheek, smugness radiating off of him.

"What, Crawford," he sneered, "are you hoping your dead parents will come and support you? Keep dreaming!"

I spat a mouthful of bloody foam at them, my vision blurry with rage, before turning toward the slowly opening doors.

Finally, he was here.

"Gabriel..." Uncle Jack's voice was a lifeline, grounding me in the chaos.

"Uncle Jack," I rasped, barely able to speak through the pain. "What do we do with a rebellious mutt like this in the family?"

"Kill it!" Uncle Jack’s voice rang out, booming and cold, echoing through the room.

I saw Vanessa’s face drain of color, her legs nearly buckling beneath her.