The truth hit Vincent like a ton of bricks, rooting him to the floor.

The boy he’d loved, cherished and protected for three years wasn’t even his own son.

He’d hurt the woman who loved him most for Natalie and her child. He’d killed his own daughter and destroyed his entire family.

This had been a calculated plot against him, against Claire and against Lily from the very start.

Natalie stepped out of the guest room in a silky nightgown just then. She flashed a seductive smile and moved toward him, trying to lure him in.

“Vincent, you’re awake. Did you sleep well last night…”

A sharp slap cut her off.

Natalie stumbled and fell to the floor. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her head spun wildly.

Vincent raged like a furious lion. He grabbed her hair, slammed her head against the floor and hurled the stack of documents straight at her face.

“How dare you show your face here?!”

Natalie’s eyes widened in terror as she stared at the scattered papers. Her body trembled violently, and her face turned deathly pale.

“No… this isn’t true. Vincent, listen to me. All of this is a lie. Someone framed me!”

She scrambled to her feet, dropped to her knees and clung tightly to the cuffs of his pants, begging desperately.

“I only did this because I love you. I just wanted to stay by your side. I lost my way. Leo is your son, truly he is. The test results must be wrong!”

“Love me?”

Vincent let out a bitter laugh filled with disgust and hatred. He kicked her hard across the floor.

“You have no right to speak of love! You murdered my daughter, tore my family apart and turned Claire against me. You vicious woman!”

His voice was rough and hoarse as he shouted.

“I order you to copy the Holy Bible a hundred times with your own blood as penance. Miss a single word, and you’ll wish you were dead.”

Sharp pain flared in Natalie’s chest from the kick. She collapsed on the floor and wept hopelessly, no longer daring to utter a word in her defense.

Vincent did not spare Leo a single glance. He sent the boy straight to the Foster Care Facility and banned him from ever appearing before him again.

Once everything was dealt with, Vincent tidied himself up. Dark circles under his eyes and his haggard expression could not be hidden.

He drove to the Reed residence, desperate to earn Claire’s forgiveness and start over.

The mansion had new owners when he arrived. They told him the Reeds had sold all their assets and left the country long ago.

She was gone. She’d left his world completely with her family, leaving no trace behind.

Vincent searched frantically. He mobilized every resource he had and scoured the whole of America, but he found no sign of Claire.

He finally tracked down Sophie. He bowed his head, casting aside all his pride and dignity to plead with her.

“Sophie, please tell me where Claire is. I’m begging you…”

Sophie looked at his wretched state. She felt a mix of grim satisfaction and cold sorrow, and she did not hold back her scathing words.

“Vincent, you’re blind. You never deserved to be a father or a husband. Claire gave you her whole heart, yet you hurt her deeply for that cruel woman and got Lily killed. This is all your just deserts.”

“You will never lay eyes on her again for the rest of your life.”