Wendy Hart, the daughter of Sir Hart, quickly snapped, “No, we didn’t. The old man’s health has been poor for years now, and we’ve followed the doctor’s orders to the letter. Ever since Christian got married, Grandpa’s been living with him. Christian, what exactly did you feed him for his condition to deteriorate this badly?”

Georgia bristled, her voice sharp with indignation. “Aunt, what nonsense are you spouting? We would never—”

Wendy sneered coldly. “Never? Do you think we’re blind? You know exactly what you’ve done as his health declined!”

Georgia surged forward, ready to argue, her hands clenched into fists. “I—”

“Enough. Shut up. All of you!”

Christian’s roar slammed into them like a whip. A pulsing ache tore through his temples as both Wendy and Georgia instinctively stepped back, startled into silence. Georgia, more shaken than the rest, trembled so hard her knees nearly gave out beneath her.

Before Christian could press further, the doctor’s professional voice cut through the tension. “Let’s not misunderstand. No one’s placing blame. The old man’s health was fragile to begin with. Frankly, it’s a miracle he’s lasted this long. Someone used gold needles to block critical acupoints, suppressing the spread of toxins in his body, while traditional medicine kept him going. His overall condition was improving until incompatible medication and emotional upheaval caused him to collapse. It’s a case of cerebral hypoxia brought on by acute stress. If Laura isn’t located to intervene soon, I’m afraid...”

The doctor trailed off, but his meaning was clear. The prognosis was grim.

The room fell into a suffocating silence, until it shattered under heart-wrenching cries.

“Dad!”

“Grandpa!”

“Is it... is there no hope?”

The sobbing swelled, but Christian’s jaw tightened as he took in the faces surrounding him. They all wore the sheen of grief, yet their eyes betrayed concealed agendas. He clenched his fists to temper the urge to throw them all out. Forcing himself to keep his voice steady, he muttered, “Grandpa’s not gone yet.”

But his calmness only stoked resentment among the gathered relatives. Wendy was the first to lash out again. “Christian, have you lost your conscience? If it weren’t for you, do you think your grandfather’s health would have deteriorated to such an extent?”

“His collapse today—it’s because of that disgrace you call a wife. Ask her what she did to him!”

Christian silenced her with a murderous glare. Wendy’s rant died midsentence, her bluster shrinking in the face of his simmering rage.

Yet the sight of the tightly sealed ICU door forced Christian to acknowledge that gnawing helplessness rising within him. Three years ago, his grandfather had been poisoned while saving Christian’s life. Though the same incident had left him comatose, Christian had been lucky enough to awaken. His grandfather hadn’t been as fortunate. The delayed treatment had allowed the poison to ravage his body. And now, no amount of the Hart family’s considerable wealth could alleviate his decline—especially without Laura’s intervention.

A sudden thought struck him. His gaze snapped toward Georgia, sharp as a blade.

“You. Come here.”

Georgia froze. Her legs felt hollow again, her instinct for self-preservation driving her to timidly glance at Madam Hart for support. She shrank back, her voice trembling. “B-Brother...”

Madam Hart protectively pulled Georgia behind her, shielding her like a lioness with her cub. “Don’t you dare blame her! You know very well your grandfather’s health has been precarious for a long time. If you want someone to blame, go ask Raelynn! She’s the one who must’ve gone to your grandfather to stir the pot, which pushed him over the edge.”

The insinuation landed, reigniting Christian’s suspicions. The doctor had mentioned that gold needles and tailored herbal prescriptions had been aiding his grandfather’s recovery. Outside of the specialists given access to treat him, only Raelynn—trusted implicitly by the old man—would have had both the proximity and the unfettered access necessary.

Christian left the hospital, issuing curt instructions to the doctor on his way out. Behind him, the rest of the Hart family saw no reason to continue their performance of united sorrow. The gathered relatives dispersed without further pretense.

At last, Georgia exhaled the breath she’d been holding. But her anxiety quickly resurfaced as she clung to Madam Hart’s arm. “Mom, Grandpa must’ve collapsed after eating the meal you told me to bring him! If my brother finds out—”

“Watch your mouth!” Madam Hart snapped, the harshness of guilt and fear sharpening her tone. She shot her daughter a cutting look. “If anyone asks, you stick to the story: Raelynn refused to divorce your brother and came home to throw a tantrum, which upset your grandfather.”

“But... what if Grandpa wakes up and exposes us?”

At this, Madam Hart let out a chilling laugh, cruel and venomous. “If fate really wants to be that kind to him...”

Mother and daughter exchanged a conspiratorial look, and their matching grins were almost grotesque in their malice.

Christian hadn’t even reached his car when his phone buzzed. The caller ID flashed Cade Kirk’s name.

“Mr. Hart, we’ve got a situation—”

His deputy’s voice was tense, but that did nothing to prepare Christian for the chaos waiting on his phone. Plastered across the top slots of trending searches were posts of his censored marriage certificate and details of a supposed divorce agreement. Worse, gossip topics piled on in grotesque sequence:

“Hart Group Heir’s Blink-and-You-Miss-It Marriage and Divorce!”

“Sidepiece Selene Grabs Her Shot at the Throne!”

Theories claiming Raelynn had leaked the family scandals abounded, but Cade knew the quiet woman well enough to doubt it fit her character.

Christian’s tone turned glacial as he hissed, “Is this seriously out of your control? Why do I even keep you on payroll?”

Beside him in the car, the chill radiating from Christian had Cade unconsciously pulling his coat tighter. “Mr. Hart, our PR team acted at once, but new posts keep flooding in faster than we can manage. Even our IT team is hitting a wall...”

Christian scrolled through a few pages of the posts himself, his already dark mood souring further. He snapped his phone shut and redirected his inquiry. “Any trace of Raelynn?”

“Yes. After leaving the courthouse yesterday, Ms. Jones didn’t return to her hotel but went to a bar. While there, she ran into Selene Lark by chance.”

Christian frowned, unfamiliar with the name. “Who is Selene Lark?”

Cade resisted the urge to groan. For all the women throwing themselves at Christian, the man remained oblivious—a workaholic to the core. Cade took five minutes to explain who Selene was and her strategic claims to the spotlight involving Christian, even going so far as to add, “She’s the up-and-coming star from Morningstar Entertainment. At her film’s opening ceremony and her awards night, she was publicly introduced as your partner.”

In other words, your tolerance made this mess possible.

Christian’s voice was colder than frostbite. “I don’t remember. Handle it however you want.”

Cade silently lit a candle for the actress's career as he dialed out instructions to wipe Selene from their orbit. He knew better than to disobey Christian’s orders.

Sitting mutely, Christian’s mind churned. For a fleeting moment at the hospital, he’d absurdly believed Raelynn had been the one caring for his grandfather. But now, with each piece falling mockingly into place, realization struck. Raelynn, that deceitful, calculating woman, had betrayed his family’s affection. Not only had she driven his grandfather to collapse in a rage, but she'd also weaponized his illness to stir public scandal at his most vulnerable moment.

Within hours, Hart Group released an official statement. Christian acknowledged his marriage, apologized for the public distraction caused by his private life, and confirmed the pending divorce. At the same time, they cut ties with Selene Lark entirely, halting all her current projects.

As gossip over one scandal overlapped into another, the internet erupted. The public couldn’t keep up fast enough, each twist more sensational than the last.

Meanwhile, Lydia, who had stayed up all night meddling on Raelynn’s behalf, groggily stumbled to her computer. When Christian’s polished declaration flashed on her screen, she burst into uncontrollable laughter, her body shaking with mirth. Seizing her phone, she immediately called Raelynn.

“Boss! He’s panicking! He’s actually panicking!”