Max’s breath caught for a moment. The statement of the old man had deepened the furrow of his brows. “What do you mean, Dad?”
Casually, Herbert sat down on the sofa and placed a stack of documents on the table. Instead of giving an answer, the old man opened the topmost sheet of paper.
“As it turns out, today is her birthday. Oh, I’m so sorry,” he muttered, successfully stealing the youngest son’s attention.
“His father is Tomy and his mother is Brenda. Tsk, I still wonder why they don’t have last names.”
“Why do you have documents about my wife, Dad?” Max interrupted with clenched fists. Suspicion had returned to the surface.
With slightly raised eyebrows, Herbert met the CEO’s gaze. “Your wife? Do you still consider the woman who left you as a wife? Truly extraordinary.”
“What did you say? Gabriella never left me,” Max said without lowering his voice.
A second later, the old man laughed blandly. “You’re too confident. No wonder so many people hate you.”
Julian gasped at Herbert’s words. He had just sniffed the scent of discord between Max and his father. Shaking his head, he sighed, “What happened? Why are you two fighting again?”
“Your brother is angry because I have separated him from his love,” the old man said, confessing.
A second later, Julian blinked in disbelief. He still had a hard time digesting the situation.
Meanwhile, Max had closed his eyes, holding back the rumbling. Sadness, anger, and disappointment had clouded his mind.
“So, my guess is correct, isn’t it?” the CEO said in a low, barely audible tone. The turmoil in his chest had pressed against the throat.
Max had thought that his father was the mastermind, but did not think that the pain he had to endure would be that great.
“Aren’t you smart? You should have guessed it from the start,” Herbert replied without the slightest remorse.
After removing the document in his hand, the old man picked up another pile of thicker papers.
“Do you know how long it takes me to put this plan together? A dozen years.”
“What’s the plan, Dad?” Julian interrupted, frowning.
Suddenly, Herbert looked back at his eldest son and raised an eyebrow for a moment. “Plan to destroy your brother.”
“Why do you hate me so much?” Max sighed hopelessly.
After a glance, the old man slammed the documents on the table. His face was no longer relaxed. The frown he had concealed for years had surfaced.
“Can you stop calling me that? Dad, Dad, Dad! I get sick every time I hear it.”
Max spontaneously gulped. “Why?”
“Because you are not my son!”
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Herbert still kept his jaw clenched, Julian froze to digest his father’s statement, while Max tried to keep his breath even though his chest was very tight. Sadness began to form at the corners of his eyes.
“But …, I’m your son,” the CEO sighed softly.
Unexpectedly, Herbert threw a thick document at Max. “That is the evidence of your mother’s betrayal. You’ll find out that your real father is a chauffeur.”
With trembling hands, the CEO checked the contents of the document. The intimate photos of the mother with an unknown man immediately greeted his eyes. The air in Max’s lungs suddenly became very heavy.
“No way,” he sighed with drooping shoulders.
“Why not? On the day of her death, the woman admitted to having an affair and apologized,” Herbert said before chuckling in annoyance and continuing.
“It was that easy for her to say sorry. And shamelessly, she left a bastard that I always considered my own son.”
A second later, Herbert laughed sadly and clenched his fingers.
“Until this moment, I still can’t accept if he said my busy life was the cause of the failure of our marriage. Wasn’t her unfaithful behavior the problem? Why did she throw the blame on the company?”
After a moment of silence, the old man gave Max a sinister look. “That very day, I was determined to make her regret it. I promised to make you experience the pain I felt.”
With one swift movement, Herbert tossed over the next thick document. Photos of young women instantly scattered.
“I don’t need that anymore. Of all the girls, I’ve made a choice. Gabriella. Just by skimming through information about her, I believe that she can fulfill my grudge.”
After raising the corners of his lips, the old man let out a satisfied sigh.
“And as it turns out, my judgment is correct. In addition to having a supportive background, the woman is also blessed with extraordinary acting skills. She makes you fall in love and obsess over her that easy.”
“Gabriella is not like that. I know her feeling is genuine for me, and she can’t pretend at all,” Max said in a muffled voice. His teary eyes could shed sadness at any time.
“You’ve been tricked by her, Max. Do you think it makes sense for a girl to refuse large sums of money, just for the sake of a house no bigger than your bedroom? That’s because I’m willing to pay a much higher price.”
“No! Stop slandering my wife! I know her very well. She can’t destroy other people’s lives for her own sake,” Max exclaimed with his fists clenched tightly. His up and down shoulders looked exhausted from carrying the burden.
Knowing how much Max trusted his wife, Herbert suddenly snorted.
“You never know someone’s badness until the truth opens your eyes. I had been with your mother for a dozen years. Who would have thought that she was secretly having an affair?”
“Don’t equate Gabriella with Mom. They are different!” Max objected while pointing his index finger at Herbert.
Realizing that his brother was running out of patience, Julian rushed to hold him. “Max, calm down,” he whispered with quivering lips.
“Get your hands off me!” the CEO snapped as he elbowed his brother. Once again, he cast a sharp glare at Herbert. “You will never be able to drop Gabriella’s name in my eyes. Remember that!”
“If she is a loyal woman, then why did she leave you?” the old man asked disdainfully at his son’s bluff.
Being counterattacked, Max’s lips instantly trembled. In a cold and emphatic voice, he replied, “She couldn’t have left me. You must be the one holding her up somewhere.”
In a sudden, Herbert burst out laughing. He was amazed at the CEO’s confidence.
“I didn’t think that this woman has really succeeded in bringing you to knees. If I knew the success could be this big, I should have paid a higher price.”
“Stop that nonsense! Right now, tell me where do you keep her?”
Seeing the outburst of anger, Herbert was amazed.
“You are the one who has to stop daydreaming. I never force her to leave you. Did you see me drag her out of your house? No, right? She herself made the choice. That girl likes money more than your love, Mr. CEO.”
Realizing that there was a half-truth in Herbert’s sentence, Max was silent for a moment. Looking down, he tried to raise common sense. However, his emotion was too great to be subdued, making the old man laugh again.
“So, are you aware that your wife has indeed broken her promise? You admit that that woman betrayed you?”
Max looked at Herbert out of the corner of his eyes. In the past, no matter how bad the treatment he received, he never hated his father. But at that time, Max had to struggle to keep his fist from hitting the old man.
“Why are you silent? You’re contemplating something stuck in your chest, hm?” Herbert teased with a satisfied grin.
“So, how does it feel to be betrayed by the person you love the most? Congested? Stiflingly hot? You have to convey it to your mother one day.”
Getting that kind of incitement, Max’s breath was getting louder. With all his might, he tried to separate his tightly clenched jaws in rage.
“You’re free to heat me up. I will not believe your words. Gabriella is a faithful wife, and she loves me very much. If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you, even if you are my father.”
Happiness instantly receded from Herbert’s face. Max’s trust in his wife did not live up to expectations. The old man wanted the illegitimate child to experience the same suffering as himself. But as it turned out, Max didn’t even feel the least bit betrayed by his love.
“Why are you so stubborn?” Herbert said stiffly. After a few seconds, he handed the CEO a brown envelope. “To be honest, I didn’t want to show it to you. But, you seem to need proof. So, see for yourself! Gabriella isn’t the girl you think.”
Max suddenly hesitated. He knew, it was just a trap so that he would be consumed by incitement. However, his curiosity was big enough to move his hand to take the envelope from his father.
A moment later, the CEO fell silent staring at the photos of his wife. In just an instant, the man’s breath thundered again. With one motion, the slippery sheet of paper turned into lumps.
“How about it, Mr. CEO? Do you still trust that woman?” Herbert fished with the corners of his lips starting to lift on one side. He knew that his last weapon could not fail.