CHAPTER 1 — The Cars Outside
The sound of tires screeching outside shattered the silence in the kitchen.
Three black luxury SUVs stopped in front of the house.
The man froze.
His anger vanished instantly.
“What the hell…?” he muttered, walking toward the window.
The blonde woman beside him frowned. “Who is that?”
The front doors of the vehicles opened.
Six men in black suits stepped out first.
Then an older gentleman followed.
Gray hair. Sharp suit. Cold eyes.
The moment the man saw him, his face drained of color.
“No… that can’t be…”
He recognized him.
Everyone in the city knew him.
Victor Laurent.
CEO of Laurent Holdings.
One of the most powerful businessmen in the country.
The blonde woman gasped.
“Why is HE here?”
But Victor didn’t even glance at them.
He walked straight into the house like he owned it.
His bodyguards followed.
The man forced a nervous laugh.
“Mr. Laurent… this is unexpected—”
Victor ignored him.
Completely.
His eyes scanned the room…
Until they landed on the woman still kneeling on the floor.
Covered in flour.
Shaking.
Broken.
Victor’s expression changed.
For the first time in years…
He looked furious.
He rushed toward her.
“Katherine!”
The entire room froze.
The man blinked.
The blonde woman stared.
Victor—the ruthless billionaire feared by everyone—slowly knelt to the floor.
In front of the crying woman.
His hands trembled as he touched her hair.
“Who did this to you?”
Katherine slowly raised her head.
Tears still on her face.
Her voice came out weak.
“Him.”
She pointed.
At her husband.
Victor stood.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
The man swallowed.
“Sir… I can explain—”
Victor’s voice cut through him like ice.
“You have thirty seconds.”
“Explain why my daughter is on the floor.”
The husband stopped breathing.
Daughter?
The word exploded in his mind.
Daughter?
No.
Impossible.
He looked at Katherine.
Then at Victor.
Then back again.
“No… no… you said your parents were dead…”
Katherine slowly stood.
Her eyes no longer held fear.
Only disappointment.
She wiped the flour from her face.
Then she looked him dead in the eye.
And said the sentence that destroyed his world.
“I lied.”
“Because I wanted someone to love me for who I am.”
Not for my money.”
Not for my family name.”
“But now I know the truth.”
The husband staggered backward.
The blonde woman’s mouth dropped open.
They had made a terrible mistake.
A catastrophic mistake.
And things were only getting worse.
Because Victor’s phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then smiled.
May you like
A terrifying smile.
“It’s done.”
