It was true.

Caelen staggered back a step, a searing pain ripping through his heart.

So Julian wasn't lying… His father really did take his own life because Liana mentioned divorce, wanting to secure his son's happiness…

The agony spread through his entire body, his stomach churning violently.

“*Retch!*”

Overwhelmed with pain, he dry-heaved as the image of his father’s final moments flashed before his eyes.

Liana's eyes softened with a flicker of concern. She reached out to steady him. “What’s wrong? Let me take you to the hospital…”

“Get away from me! I told you not to touch me!”

Caelen shoved her away, his eyes a terrifying shade of crimson.

She tried to grab his hand again, but this time he dug his nails into her flesh, hissing through clenched teeth, “Why did you have to say those things to my father?”

“Liana Verray! From this day on, you are my enemy! Between you and me, this isn’t over until one of us is dead!”

Liana’s brow furrowed. His unprecedented, violent reaction sent an unfamiliar wave of panic through her.

She let go of his arm. “I’ll come back when you’ve calmed down.”

With that, she opened the door and left.

Tears of blood streamed down Caelen’s face.

Calm down?

He couldn’t calm down.

Why did Liana say those things? Why did she drive his father to his death?

Before he could pull himself together, a sharp knocking rattled the door.

Caelen, his face a cold mask, went to open it. Liana’s grandmother stood there, her face contorted with disgust. “Your father is dead, a coward who took his own life. Our Verray family can’t help you even if we wanted to. Our previous agreement is off.”

She strode into the room and slammed the same divorce agreement from before onto the table. “Sign this and get out of the Verray house. Don’t cling to Liana like a leech and ruin her reputation.”

Caelen stared at the divorce papers, his eyes slowly darkening.

What a family, the Verrays.

Grandmother and granddaughter, playing good cop, bad cop. What a ‘flawless’ performance.

He walked slowly to the table and picked up the single sheet of paper. It felt as heavy as lead.

“What are you waiting for? Sign it!”

At her urging, Caelen’s composure finally broke.

He turned, his eyes filled with mockery. “When the Verray family was begging for this marriage, you didn’t treat me like this. You sent people to my house every day, afraid I’d marry someone else.”

“Any celebration at the mill, you were the first to arrive with gifts, standing right next to my father, terrified that someone might not know he was your family’s future in-law.”

“The moment the mill ran into trouble, you couldn’t wait to kick us while we were down. A family of goddamn vultures! And you think someone like Liana deserves to be a deputy chief in the Disciplinary Inspection department?”

“Insolence!”

The grandmother’s face flushed with anger. “Caelen Rhodes, don’t push your luck! You better understand something—your family is dead and gone. There’s no one left to back you up. The Verray family is the one with the power now!”

“As for your father, he got what he deserved. If you want him to have a proper grave, you’ll shut your mouth and sign these papers immediately!”

In that moment, Caelen’s hatred reached its peak.

So, this is how power was used.

“Fine, I’ll sign.”

He didn’t want anything to do with Liana Verray anymore. The thought of her made him sick.

He signed his name, each stroke deliberate. He heard her command again. “Now that you’ve signed, get out. You’re not part of this family anymore, you don’t deserve to live here.”

“Julian will be moving in soon. He and Liana are getting married.”

“Julian is a lucky charm. The moment he came back, his father got promoted, his brother’s business took off, and even his terminal illness was miraculously cured.”

“Marrying him will guarantee Liana a bright and prosperous future!”

Caelen sneered inwardly. No one had to kick him out; he was leaving on his own.

“Good. I wish them a long and happy life together.”

Caelen took nothing but his personal documents and left.

As he walked out of the development, he looked back at the Verray house one last time.

His once-bright eyes now churned with a terrifying darkness.

He wouldn’t let his father’s death go this easily.

Power, was it?

He would be back, one day.