At that mont, Oliver’s footsteps echoed across the room as he slowly closed the distance between himself and Abigail’s father. Each step carried the weight of years of buried anger, and when he finally stopped just a breath away, the tension was suffocating. He looked down at the man trembling on the floor, his eyes cold, his voice like iron as he said,
"Well, you should know by now... I don’t forget. And I don’t forgive."
Imdiately Abigail’s father’s heart pounded in his chest, his forehead still pressed to the ground. Oliver leaned forward slightly, his tone low but cutting, each word sinking into the man’s skin like sharp blades.
"Yes, maybe it didn’t happen to directly. But it happened to my younger brother. And it was your negligence your carelessness that killed him. Don’t try to deny it. You may not have lifted the weapon yourself, but you left the door wide open, and death walked right in. My father was furious, yes... but he was also blinded by the trust and respect he once had for you. That’s why he let it go. He buried his anger because he believed you were innocent. But ?" Oliver’s jaw tightened, and his hand balled into a fist. "I am not my father. I don’t let things go. I don’t let n like you crawl away from responsibility while my family bleeds."
The man’s lips quivered, but he dared not lift his gaze. Oliver crouched down slightly, making sure his words pierced straight into the man’s soul.
"Blood relation or not, that boy was family. My family. And I vowed no one... no one will ever ride over us again while I stand. Not while I breathe. And now here you are, begging. But understand this clearly your apology ans nothing to . I will never forgive you."
Abigail froze where she stood, her face pale as she finally began to piece together the truth. Her father’s sha, Oliver’s hatred it all collided in the silence that followed. The room seed to shrink, every breath heavy, every second a countdown to whatever judgnt Oliver would pass.
And with that, Oliver straightened, his words final and unforgiving.
"I am not going to forgive you. Not now. Not ever."
At that mont, Abigail’s father already on his knees collapsed further, his body stretched out on the cold floor. His forehead pressed against Oliver’s shoes, his arms trembling as he held on as if his life depended on it. His voice cracked with desperation, words tumbling out in broken pleas.
"I am sorry so, so sorry! Please, forgive . I will never do it again. I will change, I swear. I will do everything, anything you ask. Just... please, do not destroy us. Please do not destroy my family."
His body shook violently, his pride gone, his dignity shattered. Abigail, standing frozen in the corner, could barely recognize the man before her. This was her father her strong, respected father reduced to a shadow of himself, trembling like a child before Oliver.
Before Oliver could even respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway. The door suddenly swung open with force, crashing against the wall. Abigail’s mother entered, her eyes darting across the room. But the mont her gaze landed on Oliver, everything changed.
Her breath caught in her throat. The color drained from her face. Her knees buckled beneath her almost instantly, and without hesitation, she dropped to the floor beside her husband. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched at her chest, her whole body trembling.
"Sir..." she whispered hoarsely, as if saying his na alone was enough to shatter her. Then, louder, with her voice breaking, she pleaded, "Please! Please forgive us. I never thought this day would co so quickly. We are sorry so sorry. How... how did you find us? How did you trace us here?"
Her hands clasped tightly together, shaking as though she were holding onto her last thread of hope. Her lips quivered as she bowed lower, trembling like a leaf in a storm.
Abigail’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had always thought of her mother as the strong one the protector who would stand firm no matter the situation. She had even believed that once her mother walked in, she would co to her side, scold her father, and shield her from Oliver. But the sight before her was sothing she could never have imagined.
Her proud, confident mother was kneeling, begging.
If her father’s collapse had shocked her, this crushed whatever was left of her certainty. In that mont, the proud Abigail realized the truth sothing was terribly, terribly wrong. And it was far worse than she had ever imagined.
At that mont, Abigail leaned closer to her mother, her voice shaking but sharp enough to cut through the tension. She whispered urgently, "What the hell is going on, Mom? Who is this man? Do you know him? Why are you and Dad acting like this?" Her eyes darted nervously toward Oliver, then back to her mother, her heart pounding as confusion and fear mixed together.
Her mother’s face was pale, her lips trembling as she pressed a finger to her own mouth, signaling Abigail to silence herself. Then, in a hushed but trembling whisper, she said, "Keep your mouth shut, Abigail. This is not soone you should even be speaking to. Don’t you understand? You must go on your knees imdiately. Now!"
Abigail’s brows furrowed in disbelief. "Knees? For him? Mom, who the hell is he?"
Her mother’s hands shook as she clutched Abigail’s wrist tightly, her eyes wide with raw fear. "This man... he’s ruthless. More ruthless than anyone you’ve ever known. He is not just any man. He’s your father’s forr employee son the one whose na we never whispered in this house. The one even your father forbade you from ntioning. That’s him."
Abigail froze. Her mind scrambled as fragnts of old conversations resurfaced stories she had half-heard as a child, tales of a shadowed figure who once worked under her father, a man so dangerous and unforgiving that even in private, her parents never dared to utter his na aloud. She rembered her father snapping at her once when she had overheard sothing and repeated it. "Never say that na again," he had warned her sternly.
And now... now she realized she had just been standing here, raising her voice, mocking him, without knowing who he truly was.
Her stomach knotted. Her chest tightened. Abigail’s knees weakened, and for the first ti in her life, she felt her own pride turn into poison. This man... this is him? she thought, her mind reeling. The realization hit her like a thunderbolt this wasn’t just a man. This was the nightmare her family had been hiding all along.
And she had just mocked him. Called him useless.
Her lips quivered as she whispered under her breath, "Oh my God... what have I done?"
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