"Where's your real father?"

Archie curled his lips into a knowing smile.

"Uncle Zach, my dad's overseas. He's not coming back for now. He doesn't want to upset you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. The kid was dressed from head to toe in designer brands. After twenty years in business, I could easily see the mockery in his eyes. It was obvious: if his father showed up, I'd get jealous, throw a fit, and make a scene.

He tilted his chin slightly, looking at me with disdain.

"Uncle Zach, at your age, you really shouldn't be throwing tantrums over love and relationships. It's embarrassing."

This little brat thought he had me cornered. No wonder he was so arrogant.

I let out a cold laugh.

"So, your real dad couldn't give you the wealth and status you wanted, and now you want to call me your father? Don't you think that's a little embarrassing?"

Melanie's face twisted with anger. But before she could snap, Archie slammed his palm on the table.

"Zachary!" Melanie shouted.

Without warning, Archie splashed the soup right into my face.

I didn't flinch. I just stared back at them, calm and steady.

Melanie's eyes blazed with pure disapproval, her voice sharp as a whip.

"Zach, how can you talk about Hector like that? He gave up his career to raise these kids. Do you even understand the sacrifices he made? How can you humiliate him like this in front of them?"

Noelle, wearing a complete Chanel set, shot up from the table.

Her expression was proud, defiant. "What's the point of arguing? Our dad may not be rich, but he has Mom's love, and he has us. Once we take over the company, he'll have everything."

She folded her arms and glared at me.

Noelle added, "If anyone dares to disrespect our dad, my brother and I won't hesitate to break their legs and feed them to the fish."

I locked eyes with their smug, self-righteous faces.

So this is how illegitimate kids act these days?

Melanie never stopped surprising me.

She quickly tried to calm them down, speaking in a soft, patient tone before turning to face me.

"Zach, now you've seen it firsthand. The kids are truly respectful and well-behaved. If you treat them like your own, they’ll treat you like their father."

Her voice grew more serious as she added, "Hector didn't have it easy. That night, we were both drunk. The kids were an accident. I wanted to terminate the pregnancy, but Hector talked me out of it. He promised it wouldn't affect our marriage, that he'd raise them himself."

She paused, looking at me with pleading eyes. "Zach, please understand. Hector couldn't bring himself to harm two innocent lives. Without him, Archie and Noelle wouldn't even exist…"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened and her voice caught.

Listening to her twisted justifications, I was about to explode.

Still unwilling to let go, I asked her one final question, "What do you want, exactly?"

Melanie hesitated, her eyes searching the room, before finally muttering, barely above a whisper, "Hector's been living overseas for over twenty years. The kids are used to staying with him. I'd like to give him the villa in the suburbs. I'll spend Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with them... Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with you. Sundays will be based on how I feel."

I clenched my fists, and the last shred of hope evaporated.

"So, you want one big happy family? Fine. Let's divorce."

Melanie's face shifted as she replied, "Zach, I told you that it was an accident. I still love you. We've been married for twenty years. Could you really bear to end it?"

I cut her off, my words sharp and cold, "Melanie, who do you think you are, Cleopatra? You've got some nerve!"

All these years, she used my money to support a boy toy and raise his illegitimate children. And now she wants to keep a second household while still having me bankroll everything?

Those two bastards looked at me with nothing but contempt. I'm not blind. God only knows how many years they've spent mocking me behind my back.

I was actually considering it. If it really were just a one-time mistake, maybe I'd throw some money at it and move on.

I was the first to fall in love with Melanie. I had loved her for twenty years. Even though it hurt, I was still willing to give her a chance.

But now, it was crystal clear that it had always been one-sided. Her heart and her eyes were filled with Hector and his kids.

Melanie didn't turn down the divorce because she couldn't stand to leave me. She declined because she couldn't bear giving up her golden goose.

Seeing that my words had taken a sharp turn, Melanie's face darkened.

Melanie gritted her teeth, and finally, she played her trump card.

"Zachary, if you go through with this divorce, I'll take half of everything. You can forget about taking the company public."

Melanie had figured everything out perfectly. She knew how much the company meant to me. It was like my own child, something I had poured my heart and soul into, and I had spent three long years preparing for its IPO. She was betting that I wouldn't be able to let it go, betting that I couldn't let her go. She thought I would give in.

But what she didn't know was that I had more than one child, and not just the company.

I had countless others.

Seeing the shift in my expression, Melanie softened her tone again, like she always did when she wanted something from me.

"Zach, you know I love you. Or else, why would I leave the kids behind and stay with you for twenty years? I just made a mistake. It doesn't mean I don't love you anymore."

She kept going, weaving her words like a silk thread, trying to make it all sound so reasonable.

"You always said that when we got older, we'd leave the company behind and travel together. We'd see the rivers and mountains of our homeland. Now we have heirs. They can help you manage the business. They carry my blood, and their character is strong. Better them than some outsider."

If I hadn't noticed the glances she kept throwing at the kids and the silent signals between them, I might have believed her for a moment. But I saw right through it.

The calculation in her eyes, how she was using her love to manipulate me, and now, how she was using her children to control the situation.

But that brief flash of calculation in all three of their eyes?

That wasn't something they could hide.

From the moment she proposed the child-free marriage all those years ago, she had been planning for this day, waiting for me to grow older and lose my ability to have children.

Then she'd pressure me, lure me in, bring in her boy toy, and those illegitimate kids to slowly take everything I'd built.

They had been mocking me behind my back for years, calling me a stupid, love-blind fool, doomed to die alone.

I didn't say anything as they left, all high spirits and smiles.

Her social media showcased a parade of happiness: the joyful 'family of three' on a shopping trip, Hector's victorious return at the airport, accompanied by 999 roses.

For three days straight, Melanie didn't come home.

I knew she was holed up at The Lakeside Mansion, completely lost in her bliss.

Every day, she messaged me to remind me to transfer the company shares—always ending with a kissy-face emoji.

[Honey, Hector just got back, everything's still new for him. Once I get things sorted, I'll come back to you. Love you! -xxx]

I watched coldly as she bought Hector a luxury car and an expensive watch. I saw him smugly post peace signs on social media.

The caption read:

[Twenty years of storms. Finally, we can embrace each other in the open.]

Scum like him aren't just manipulative. They're good at hiding it.

After twenty-two years, Hector didn't have to pretend anymore.

And so, I calmly liked his post.

That one small gesture was enough to convince them I'd given in.

The twins are taking over the company? That was a done deal in their minds.

After all, if I divorced her, I would lose my money, our marriage, and everything else. It might be better to stay and try to earn some affection.

Besides, I was already in my fifties. What good was more money if I had no one to inherit it?

Melanie had already begun reaching out to reporters, scouting locations, and organizing a press conference.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, my secretary, came to pick me up, carrying a thick stack of documents.

Then, Melanie smiled and gave me her final reminder.

"Be careful with the IPO process. Once it succeeds, the market value will jump by a billion. Then Archie and Noelle will have a much easier time taking over."

Charlotte replied with a smile, "Yes, having family to rely on definitely makes things easier, especially blood relatives."

Melanie didn't catch the edge in Charlotte's tone. She thought I'd already told her everything.

Charlotte Monroe had been with me since she graduated from college. She wasn't just my secretary; she was also my personal assistant.

Now in her late thirties, Charlotte had never been married. There were always rumors flying around the office about us, but we kept things professional—nothing more.

The moment I stepped out of the office, I looked at her calmly and asked, "How many so far?"

"Twenty-eight confirmed," she replied without missing a beat. "A few more just submitted their paperwork, and some came straight to us with their info. I'm handling it."

I gave a thoughtful nod.

"Hm, good. Please make sure they are all fed and housed. When the time's right, bring them all over."

...

In the following days, I remained at the office, reviewing the accounts to ensure everything was prepared for the company's future.

When I finally returned home, the first thing I noticed was the empty fish tank.

Laughter and chatter drifted from the kitchen. Wearing an apron, Hector stepped out with a big smile on his face, holding a dish of fish.

On the plate was my koi, Lilo, valued at twenty million dollars.

Our eyes met. I'd seen his face in photos before.

I knew it was Hector.

I glanced over at the two kids, lounging on the sofa with their legs up, glued to their phones.

And then, from the kitchen, Melanie's cheerful voice floated in, "Hector, come here to the kitchen!"

My rage hit me like a flood. "Who told you to cook my fish? You don't take what isn't yours. Don't you understand that basic principle?"

From the kitchen, Melanie called again, "Hector, come taste this soup. Does it need more salt?"

The two kids immediately jumped up, both defensive.

Noelle retorted, "What are you trying to say? What do you mean, stealing?"

"Exactly," Archie chimed in. "This is Mom's house, which makes it ours too. Everything here belongs to us now. What's the big deal about eating a fish?"

I let out a disdainful laugh.

"That koi, Lilo, was something I bought at an auction for $20 million. And you're asking me what the big deal is?"

The girl still didn't seem to get it.

She let out a gleeful "Wow! A $20 million fish? Quick, take a picture! I can show it off to my friends. Let's see them try to upstage me now."

Melanie peeked out from the kitchen.

When she saw me, a flicker of guilt flashed across her face.

"Zach, you're back! You hadn't been home for days, so I invited them over for a meal…"

I sneered. "So, Melanie, you ate my koi, Lilo? You knew what it was worth."

She faltered, mumbling, "Zach, Hector didn't do it on purpose. The kids wanted braised fish, and we didn't have any at home. By the time I realized, the fish was already cleaned. What were we supposed to do? Waste it? It's not like we were feeding strangers."

Staring at the empty tank, a sharp ache hit my chest. I had cared for that fish for five years, investing at least $200,000 each month.

Now, suddenly, it was gone, dismissed with a casual 'it was already cleaned.'

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. "He can pay for the fish or get out. Or else, I'm calling the police."

Archie sprang to his feet. "Old man, who are you telling to get out? Call the cops? Try it—I'll break your legs."

Then, Noelle stepped forward, glaring at me.

"You'd better show some respect to my dad. He's our birth father. If this is how you're going to act, don't expect any of us to care for you when you're old!"

I looked up at them, and sure enough, they were just as shameless as Hector.

Hector stood between them, raising an eyebrow with a smug grin, like an aging street thug.

I didn't want to waste any more time on them.

I turned to Melanie and said, "Melanie, you and I need to talk."

I walked over and sat on the sofa. Melanie glanced at Hector and her twins, and then hesitantly sat across from me.

The four of them looked like they were holding a tribunal. Archie and Noelle glared at me with malice. Meanwhile, Hector wore a smug, indifferent expression.

And so, I got straight to the point.