"What kind of sin are you talking about, Mr. Bennett?" another reporter suddenly asked, cutting through the rising murmur.

The question seemed to ignite the crowd.

Curiosity spread like wildfire. Cameras tilted forward. Microphones stretched closer. Everyone wanted answers—answers to the mystery that had surrounded Roseline’s drastic actions. A woman who had not only destroyed her own reputation but had nearly cost her husband his life.

The Bennett family had long been a spectacle for the public.

First, it was their crumbling business empire—one that had miraculously stabilized under Daniel Clafford’s intervention. Then came the shocking revelation of Hugo’s second daughter, a child hidden from the world for years. And as if that wasn’t enough, the news of Roseline being attacked by an unknown assailant only added fuel to the chaos.

They had become a source of endless headlines.

A tragic drama unfolding in real time.

But now... the narrative had shifted.

The woman at the center of it all was no longer a victim.

She was a criminal.

A heavy silence fell as Hugo stood there, his face drawn, his eyes shadowed with years of buried guilt. He turned slightly, sharing a brief glance with Anna. She gave him a small, steady nod—her way of telling him to go on.

To finish this.

Hugo inhaled deeply before facing the crowd again.

"It all started years ago," he began, his voice steady but heavy with emotion, "when my daughter, Kathrine, was kidnapped."

A ripple of shock spread across the hall.

"And the one who orchestrated it..." his jaw tightened, "...was none other than my wife. And her former lover."

For a split second, time seemed to freeze.

Then chaos stirred beneath the surface.

Collin’s jaw clenched tightly, his entire body going rigid. His fingers curled into fists as anger surged violently within him. He knew exactly where this was heading—and he couldn’t allow it.

Not now.

Not when everything was about to be exposed.

Hugo continued, his voice growing firmer despite the weight pressing down on him.

"She manipulated the entire situation... framing someone who trusted me with his life."

A reporter’s voice shot through the tension.

"Who was that someone?"

"And who was your wife’s lover?"

Questions overlapped, voices rising, pushing for clarity.

Hugo paused briefly, composing himself. His throat felt dry, but he forced the words out.

"That man... was my most trusted aide. George."

A murmur of recognition spread, though faint—his name had never been publicly tied to anything significant.

"He was also," Hugo added, his voice tightening, "the brother of Mrs. Norma Clafford and father of Daniel."

The hall erupted.

"What?!"

"And he died," Hugo continued, his voice breaking slightly, "because he was blamed for a crime he never committed."

The revelation hit like a bomb.

The case had been buried. Silenced. Erased so completely that the public had never known the truth. Hugo had made sure of that.

And now...

He was bringing it all back.

"And the man who worked with my wife..." Hugo’s eyes slowly scanned the room, his gaze sharp and unyielding, "...is someone present in this very venue."

Gasps filled the air.

Reporters twisted around, scanning faces, searching desperately.

"Who is it?!"

"Where is he?!"

Hugo didn’t hesitate.

"Collin Ford."

The name echoed like a gunshot.

"The man who attacked my wife... and the reason she is now fighting for her life."

Everything shattered in that instant.

Collin froze.

For a fraction of a second, his mind went blank. Then instinct took over.

His breathing grew uneven. Sweat beaded across his forehead as he glanced around, noticing the shifting attention, the suspicious stares.

He had to act.

Now.

His hand instinctively moved, but in his panic, the gun tucked inside his pocket slipped—falling to the ground with a sharp metallic clink.

Time seemed to slow.

"GUN!" the man beside him screamed, his voice piercing through the hall.

All eyes snapped toward Collin.

And that was the breaking point.

"Damn it!" Collin hissed under his breath.

Without wasting another second, he bent down, snatched the gun, and fired a shot into the air.

The deafening sound sent shockwaves through the crowd.

Screams erupted instantly.

Panic spread like wildfire.

People scrambled, pushing, tripping over one another as they rushed toward the exits. Cameras dropped. Equipment crashed. The once-organized press conference descended into pure chaos.

"Everyone stay down!" someone yelled, but it was useless.

No one was listening.

Collin’s eyes burned with fury as he turned his attention back to the stage.

"You bastard!" he roared, pointing the gun directly at Hugo. "How dare you expose me like that?!"

His finger tightened on the trigger.

But before he could fire—

"NO!"

Anna lunged forward.

In one swift movement, she shoved Hugo out of the way.

The bullet rang out.

It missed.

Both of them hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air out of Anna’s lungs.

Pain shot through her, but she ignored it.

Hugo stared at her in shock. "Anna—!"

Before he could say anything else—

Collin moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

He closed the distance in seconds, grabbing Anna by the arm and yanking her up roughly.

"Let go of me!" she struggled, but his grip was iron-like.

The cold barrel of the gun pressed against her temple.

Everything stilled.

The chaos... the screams... the movement...

All of it faded into the background.

"Everyone freeze!" Collin barked, his voice filled with lethal authority.

The room obeyed instantly.

Even the police, who had just begun securing the venue, halted in their tracks.

Daniel stepped forward, his expression dark and controlled, though his eyes burned with fury.

"Collin," he said evenly, "this won’t end well for you. Let her go."

Collin let out a humorless laugh.

"Oh, I know exactly how this ends," he sneered. "But I’m not going down alone."

He tightened his hold on Anna, pressing the gun harder against her head.

She winced but didn’t cry out.

Her eyes, however, flickered toward Daniel—and then Hugo.

A silent message.

Don’t risk it.

"Back off!" Collin warned, his voice sharp. "Or I swear I’ll blow her brains out right here!"

The officers hesitated.

Daniel’s jaw clenched.

"Do it," Collin taunted, his eyes wild. "Take one more step. I dare you."

No one moved.

Satisfied, Collin began backing away slowly, dragging Anna with him.

"You think exposing me changes anything?" he spat, his gaze locked on Hugo. "You should’ve stayed quiet. Now you’ve just made things worse."

Hugo struggled to his feet, his heart pounding.

"Collin, don’t do this—"

"Shut up!" Collin snapped. "You’ve said enough."

Step by step, he moved toward the exit.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

"Listen carefully," Collin continued, his voice dropping into something colder. "No one follows me. No heroics. No tracking."

His eyes flicked toward Daniel.

"Especially you."

Daniel didn’t respond, but the promise in his gaze was unmistakable.

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

Collin smirked faintly.

"Good," he said. "Then we understand each other."

And with that—

He turned.

Dragging Anna along with him.

And disappeared out of the venue.