CHAPTER 263: CHAPTER 263

At that moment, 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 me by now... I don’t forget. And I don’t forgive."

Immediately 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 me 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 me?" 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 men 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 means nothing to me. 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 shame, Oliver’s hatred it all collided in the silence that followed. The room seemed to shrink, every breath heavy, every second a countdown to whatever judgment 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 moment, 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 me. 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 moment 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 name alone was enough to shatter her. Then, louder, with her voice breaking, she pleaded, "Please! Please forgive us. I never thought this day would come 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 come to her side, scold her father, and shield her from Oliver. But the sight before her was something 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 moment, the proud Abigail realized the truth something was terribly, terribly wrong. And it was far worse than she had ever imagined.

At that moment, 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 someone you should even be speaking to. Don’t you understand? You must go on your knees immediately. 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 former employee son the one whose name we never whispered in this house. The one even your father forbade you from mentioning. That’s him."

Abigail froze. Her mind scrambled as fragments 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 name aloud. She remembered her father snapping at her once when she had overheard something and repeated it. "Never say that name 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 time 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?"