"Just tell me… it's fine," Caleb said quietly.
Lucy stared at him for a long moment. There was something in her eyes—not just doubt, but pity.
"This all… started when Luna brought Maya to work at the office," she finally said. "Maya… was like a parasite."
Caleb stayed silent, listening.
"I complained to your mom over and over. But Melisa never believed me. Even though… I'd dug deep into Maya's background. She was a young widow with four daughters before she even turned thirty. Out late at night all the time. The club scene… was basically her second home."
Lucy gave a bitter smile. "Melisa got angry instead. Said it was her right. Accused me of invading privacy."
Caleb frowned.
"And then… Maya started dropping by your house," Lucy glanced at him. "You remember that, right?"
Caleb gave a slow nod.
"It happened more and more," Lucy said, taking a breath. "…And this is the part that's gonna hurt you."
Caleb's eyes narrowed. "Say it."
Lucy's voice dropped. "One night, Maya invited Melisa out for dinner. There were drinks on the table. And—unfortunately—those drinks had been tampered with."
Caleb's fists clenched.
"After that disgusting night, Melisa came to my place… shattered. She cried in front of me. I held her tight. She told me… how she'd been treated like she wasn't even human."
Lucy swallowed hard. "Forced… to look like she was enjoying herself… while being surrounded by filthy men… in a place she never wanted to be in."
Caleb slowly lifted his head. His eyes were cold.
"Even after that… Maya wasn't done," Lucy went on, her tone sharper. "A few days later, Maya disappeared for a bit. And when she came back to the office… every single computer in the company had been hacked. The video from that night… played on every screen."
Caleb froze.
"Your father lost it," Lucy said softly. "And right there, in front of everyone… the company they'd built together kicked your mom out. The people she once saved… turned their backs on her."
Lucy's voice trembled. "Your father… slapped her. Then threatened to make sure none of it ever got out."
Silence.
"And in the middle of all that… Maya stepped in. Said she knew someone who could wipe all of your mom's data from the company and erase the disgusting video. And sure enough—the scandal vanished without a trace. The company only got more successful after that."
Lucy turned away. "And your mom… left. Left in disgrace. Took you—still a little kid who knew nothing—far away to Torkside. Away from Metroland."
Caleb said nothing.
His eyes were empty.
His lips parted, but no sound came out.
His head felt heavy. Spinning.
Every word he'd just heard slammed against his skull.
Lucy looked at him, speaking softly.
"That's why… I went into business. I've always dreamed of destroying Maya."
Her breath shook. "But now… it's too late. She's part of the elite now… right alongside your father."
Caleb was still silent.
His heart beat slow… but every beat hurt.
Forced…?
Surrounded by men…?
Mom…?
His mind refused to form the image—yet it came anyway. Stabbing. Crushing.
I thought… this was just a normal family problem.
I thought… Dad and Mom split because Dad cheated with Maya.
That was just a comfortable shit I let myself believe.
The truth… is way filthier. Way more rotten.
Slowly, Caleb's breathing changed.
Heat built in his chest. His eyes sharpened.
What started as curiosity… now burned into rage.
Rage that demanded payback.
Caleb gritted his teeth, his jaw tight.
Lucy held his gaze.
"Caleb… go to the next room. Cool off."
Her voice was firm, but there was worry underneath.
Without a word, Caleb walked off.
The wooden door creaked softly as it opened, then closed behind him.
He dropped onto the sofa.
This time… it wasn't just irritation.
This time, he was truly angry.
He pulled off his cap and mask, tossing them aside.
"Maya…"
Her name left Caleb's lips like poison.
His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
Amid the fury… sadness slipped in.
Cold. Suffocating.
He could feel it—the humiliation his mom had felt back then.
And even after being degraded like that…
She never sold her dignity.
Caleb's eyes opened slowly. His gaze was sharp now. Focused.
"Maya… four daughters?" His voice was cold, almost a whisper.
A pause. His breath heavy.
"I'll destroy them… one by one."
His eyes glinted. Fingers tightening.
"Now…" he leaned forward slightly, a thin, poisonous smile curling his lips.
"…I know exactly what to do with my hands… my system."
Caleb gripped his own head. A maniac's grin spread across his face.
"Even with my dick…" he whispered—cold, but insane.
His grip tightened, like he wanted to crush his own skull.
"You… your whole bloodline… deserve to get beat."