The loss of his wife and the destruction of his family—it all traced back to the treachery of this one household.

"Ah!!!!"

He dropped to his knees before the memorial portraits of his parents, a raw, guttural cry tearing from his throat. Only now did he truly grasp his grandfather's pain from all those years ago.

It wasn't just sorrow; it was the agony of betrayal, the gnawing regret of words left unspoken.

Listening to Dante's raw anguish, his grandfather closed his eyes, a shared ache resonating between them.

"It's time to grow up, Dante. This is your final lesson on the path to true manhood: betrayal.

Your life has been a cakewalk, save for the loss of your parents. I babied you too much, and that pampered arrogance blinded you to what real love is. Only by weathering this storm will you finally become a man."

With the truth laid bare, Dante's grandfather launched his counterattack against the Lopez family.

Though his years were many, his health was still ironclad. Taking down a mere family like the Lopezes was well within his capabilities.

He just had to watch out for their dirty tricks, so speed was of the essence. He had to hit them hard and fast before they could even blink.

In just one week, the grandfather took the reins personally. Through strategic pressure points and a brutal commercial tug-of-war, it came as no shock that the Lopez family's business tanked.

By the time they finally caught on that someone was systematically dismantling them, the largest chunk of their company had already changed hands.

It was at this critical juncture that Isabella, who’d been radio silent with Dante for days, suddenly resurfaced, desperately begging him for help. But Dante, in a twist of fate, had gone completely off the grid.

Facing the Lopez family's imminent bankruptcy and unable to reach the one person who could bail her out, Isabella had no choice but to swallow her pride and go groveling to Archer Reynolds once more.

What she absolutely didn't see coming was the scene that greeted her—a sight so utterly unexpected, it shattered her reality.

Dante Williams, the man she'd been desperately searching for, was chilling in Archer Reynolds's office.

In reality, Dante had only walked through the door about ten minutes prior.

He'd barely stepped inside when Isabella arrived, a whirlwind of panic.

Ten minutes before.

"Mr. Williams, Mr. Reynolds is genuinely out. He’s on a site inspection with his assistant, Ms. Evans."

Dante had come to confront Archer, to finally get answers about why Isabella had suddenly jetted off to find him all those years ago.

He hadn't anticipated coming up completely empty.

Not only was Archer MIA, but Celine was out too.

"How about this, sir? Please have a seat in the reception room until Mr. Reynolds returns?"

And so, Dante found himself cooling his heels, waiting for Archer.

He didn't end up waiting for Archer, but he certainly waited for Isabella.

Spotting him, Isabella's eyes widened. "What are you doing here? Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?"

Dante offered a dismissive smirk, his tone laced with a subtle, simmering resentment.

"Miss Lopez, my whereabouts are hardly your business. And speaking of looking for me, you find your way to Mr. Reynolds's office?"

A flush of embarrassment crept across Isabella's face. Remembering her desperate need for his help, she lowered her voice, adopting a pleading tone. "Dante, I just came to ask Archer for a small favor."

She reached for his arm, but he recoiled. "Don't touch me. It makes me sick. Still acting, Isabella? You really think I don't know about you and Archer?"

Isabella’s face went ashen, her panicked gaze betraying her guilt. "Who told you? Was it Celine, wasn't it?"

She tried to move closer, to embrace him, but the icy indifference and sheer disgust radiating from Dante held her back. She could only choke back a sob. "Dante, you’ve got it all wrong. Archer and I, it was just for show, just old classmates catching up. It was all fake..."

Before she could finish, Dante’s gaze flickered past her shoulder, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "Did you hear that, Archer?"

Isabella spun around in pure terror, finally realizing that Archer and Celine had been standing behind her for who knew how long. Every word she'd just uttered had been overheard.

Celine glanced at Archer, standing stoic beside her.

Sure enough, the man who usually wore a gentle smile now glared at Isabella, his expression dark, an icy aura radiating from him. Celine wisely took a step back.

"You. Say. That. Again?"

Each word was a shard of ice, ripped from his throat through gritted teeth.

The demand hung in the air, heavy and menacing, as if Archer had finally reached his breaking point.

"I..." Knowing Archer's darker impulses, Isabella dared not repeat herself. She faltered, wanting to explain but utterly clueless on how to even start, especially with Dante still present.

Dante, who wanted absolutely nothing to do with this melodrama, seemed to finally connect the dots. He was done playing games. There was only one thing he needed to confirm now. "Isabella, when did you find out your parents hired someone to orchestrate the car crash that killed my parents ten years ago?"

The question landed like a bombshell, shattering Isabella's carefully constructed facade. She finally crumbled, dissolving into sobs. "I'm sorry, Dante, I'm so sorry, I..."

Looking at her broken state, Dante understood.

It was clear she had known for a very long time.

He walked past them, exiting the room without a backward glance. The door slammed shut behind him, followed by the distinct sound of Archer's enraged voice and Isabella's escalating cries.

Dante closed his eyes, his fists clenching and unclenching, holding back a tidal wave of emotion. After a long, agonizing moment, he walked out, the dam finally breaking.

As he emerged, Celine was seated, her gaze fixed on the direction the other three had gone, her expression glacial.

He walked over to her, a bitter smile twisting his lips. "Look, Celine. I messed up with you, and in the end, my own karma's come back to bite me..."

But Celine remained seated, utterly unmoved, not even sparing him a flicker of recognition.

"It has nothing to do with me."