William couldn't believe his ears.
Charles his best friend was responsible for the death of his first child with Kim… and he had tried to molest his daughter.
His jaw tightened, the muscles visibly twitching. A sharp pain spread through his chest as tears escaped his eyes, trailing silently down his cheeks.
"Kill him," he whispered hoarsely, sinking into his leather swivel chair. His eyes fell on the photo of Aurora on his phone screen. "Make him suffer." Mark stood frozen.
"Don't worry, Father," he said, his voice low and cold. "I'll make sure he dies a painful death." William looked up, his face blank but deadly calm. "If it makes you feel any better… he was also the one who killed Jake."
Mark's heart skipped. "W-What?" he stuttered. "You heard me, boy," William said bitterly. "Charles had an accomplice. I haven't found out who it is yet, but he was the last person seen with Jake before he died."
Mark's knees went weak.
"He injected poison into Jake's bloodstream."
Silence.
Mark could barely process what he was hearing. So… the bullet didn't kill Jake?
His hands trembled as he pulled a tissue from the box on the desk, dabbing the sweat forming rapidly on his forehead. The room suddenly felt suffocating. Though the air conditioning was set at a cool 16 degrees, Mark felt like he was standing in the heart of a furnace.
Does this mean… I was never the one who killed him? That I've been carrying guilt for nothing all this time? His head swam with a mix of shock and anger.
"One of my guards saw Lisa trying to speak with you," William said suddenly, interrupting Mark's thoughts. "What was that about?"
Mark cleared his throat. "We're… sort of related. She's a close friend of my Aunt Stacy."
William narrowed his eyes but leaned back. "I won't dig too deep into that conversation. I know exactly where it might lead."
"Thank you for understanding."
A heavy silence settled before William spoke again, his voice breaking slightly. "How did you find out about our baby?" Mark's expression softened. "He confessed to me."
William looked away, the pain etched deep in his face. "Please… don't tell me how it happened."
Mark nodded, understanding.
"I never got over what happened that day," William said slowly. "And Kim… she couldn't survive the pain. When it happened the second time, it broke her completely. She blamed herself for the first loss, but she believed she could try again. And when she finally got pregnant…"
He paused.
"That same monster snatched our child from us again." Mark said nothing, his chest heavy with emotion. "Kim slipped into a coma after that," William continued, tears in his voice. "God knows how much hatred I carry for Charles. That man destroyed my family."
William clenched his fist, then looked directly at Mark.
"Do not speak a word of this to Aurora or Kim. I don't want them reopening old wounds. Their place in this life is to be happy not haunted by demons from the past."
Mark nodded slowly. "Understood."
"When you're ready to end Charles," William said, his tone like steel, "call me. I want to be there. I want to see him beg. I want to see every moment of pain etched across his face. And as for that vile woman he married…."
"Rose?" Mark cut in.
"Yes. Make sure she ends up in an asylum. Let her rot in madness for standing beside that beast." Mark's voice was flat, dark. "Don't worry, Father. I'll get the job done."
"Good." William exhaled and checked his gold Rolex. "Now I need to take my leave. I'm running late for a board meeting."
"Of course," Mark said, stepping toward the door. But before he opened it, William spoke again. "Mark…"
He turned.
"Never hurt my princess."
Mark nodded with all the seriousness in the world. "She's in good hands, sir."
With that, he exited the office. His mind was a mess revelations crashing into each other, old guilt beginning to dissolve, replaced by new fury.
Where is she? he wondered. He reached into his pocket. "Damn," he muttered. "I left my phone in the car." He walked briskly down the corridor, scanning the area. He spotted a young female staff member arranging files on a nearby desk. "Care to show me where Miss Gianna's office is located?" he asked.
The girl froze, blinking rapidly. Her mouth opened slightly, obviously taken aback by his presence. Mark was used to attention women often stared but ever since falling for Aurora, any gaze that wasn't hers annoyed him.
He snapped his fingers impatiently, jolting the girl out of her trance.
"I—I'm so sorry, sir!" she gasped. "Miss Gianna's office is on the second floor, third door to your left."
"Thank you," Mark said sharply, already walking toward the elevator before she could speak