The sound of a door slamming echoed loudly in Charlie's house. Richard walked inside looking for his father, already almost desperate facing his problems with Amara.
"Dad! Dad!" Richard called his father, while several people carried his suitcases from outside. "Call my father for me!"
After giving the order, Richard waited in a room. He roughly raked his hair, his head feeling like it was about to explode thinking about the lawsuit Amara filed against him.
"You're in trouble, hm?" Charlie's heavy voice was finally heard.
"This isn't trouble anymore, Dad. It's a disaster!" Richard answered in frustration. "My marriage is ruined, my child is gone, now… I'm being sued by Amara in court for what I did for 7 years! She's asking for compensation… damn it, if not, I could go to prison!"
Charlie didn't say anything yet. He only walked to the sofa and sat down.
"This is all because of you, Dad! If you hadn't manipulated Amara's return date, she would still be in my grasp."
Richard couldn't stop worrying about his life turning upside down.
"Answer me, Dad. Don't just stay silent when I'm cornered like this!"
"You never change, Richard. Always impulsive and reckless," Charlie said calmly, watching his son panic. "We still have another way. Calm down. I am always on your side."
"You have a way? Tell me…."
As if receiving protection, Richard walked closer and sat beside his father.
"How long have you been married?"
"Eleven years, Dad. Before she went to prison, we really hoped she would get pregnant. But now she wants to take everything for herself. I haven't even had the chance to meet Vero."
Charlie smiled faintly. "Use that to reverse the facts. We will make Amara look evil from the beginning. Then we will demand custody of Vero. We will claim her mental health is unstable after leaving prison. Then add the argument that she brainwashed her own child to hate his father."
Richard fell silent. Because he was too panicked and afraid, he couldn't think clearly like his father. Since long ago, his father had always been calm when facing problems, and Richard always listened to him to escape every trouble.
"Are you sure it will work, Dad?" Richard asked.
"We are not looking for a quick victory, Richard. But we both know… Vero is everything to Amara."
Richard stayed silent for a moment while watching his father. Something was wrong… from the beginning, Charlie seemed obsessed with destroying Amara.
"May I ask?" Richard said.
Charlie turned his head.
"Why are you doing this, Dad? You're not stupid. You must know Amara will fight back. Be honest with me… is there something I don't know?"
For the first time, Richard questioned him seriously. Usually, he would easily ignore his father's affairs.
"Are you hiding something? Or… did Amara ever offend you?" Richard asked again.
Richard didn't get a definite answer, but all of this was too strange and too carefully planned for Charlie. Every action clearly targeted Amara from the start.
Did Charlie have a personal grudge? But what was the reason?
Charlie didn't answer for a while. He only took his cane and slowly stood up.
"Dad?" Richard frowned.
Charlie walked toward the large window in his room. The curtains were half open, the night light slightly touching his face.
"Richard… do you still think all of this started when Amara got out of prison?"
Richard fell silent. "Wasn't it?"
Charlie smiled faintly. "No. This started long before you married her."
Richard's heart beat faster. "What do you mean?"
Charlie didn't turn around.
"Sometimes someone has to sacrifice one thing… to protect something far more important."
"What are you actually talking about, Dad?" Richard's tone began to tense.
Silence for a few seconds. Then Charlie said slowly, "From now on, don't approach Vero."
Richard was shocked. "What?"
"That is no longer your role."
"You're telling me to give up my own child?!"
Charlie finally turned. His gaze was flat, but pressing.
"You are too emotional. The court does not like a father who loses control. From now on… you are only the victim."
Richard didn't immediately understand. "Victim?"
"We will show that Amara kidnapped your child, manipulated him, then prevented you from meeting him. You are a father who tried, but was blocked by an unstable ex-wife."
Richard slowly swallowed.
"And you?"
Charlie adjusted his cuff.
"I am only an old grandfather who wants his grandson safe." The tone was too calm to be spoken in their threatened situation.
Richard felt something cold crawl into his chest.
Since when was this plan prepared?
"That is the only way to make her come back," Charlie added.
Richard froze.
Come back? Come back for what? But before he could ask, Charlie had already walked out of the room.
Leaving Richard with a feeling he had never felt before toward his own father.
---
One month passed.
Finally, Amara officially held her new status as a single parent. Since Adrian sent the divorce papers, she felt satisfied. At least now Amara's steps were much freer.
However, Amara began to learn that Richard was fighting back by demanding child custody. Making various excuses so Vero could be taken back.
That made Amara extremely annoyed.
"Don't let them find a loophole in my mistakes, Adrian. Vero must stay with me, he is undergoing trauma recovery."
"Yes, Ma'am." Adrian said softly.
"I know, the person behind this plan is not actually Richard. He's never smart enough to design any plan. But… his father is dangerous."
Adrian didn't say anything, not because he didn't believe her.
A few seconds later, Amara received a call from Charlie's personal driver who now worked for her.
"I'm at the meeting place now. Mr. Charlie is meeting a police officer."
Amara clenched her hand. "What are they doing?"
"It seems their meeting is quite serious. Mr. Charlie looks angry. I heard him call the police, then discuss a case."
"Alright."
Amara ended the call. Charlie must be preparing another counterattack. It was indeed true, that man was behind all of this.
"If they want to attack me through Vero, fine. I'll entertain it…" Amara looked at Adrian once again. "Make a new report, provide all evidence including my son's mental health records. Drag two names at once!"
Amara's order was clear, nothing could stop her.
From a distance, the conversation between Amara and Adrian Cole in the hospital corridor was heard by someone behind the wall.
A man Amara never realized was there.
When their conversation ended, Amara began to walk. Vero was undergoing a routine examination about his mental condition in Kaisar's room.
"Doctor Diamond?" Amara asked, slightly surprised because Kaisar suddenly appeared from another corridor. "Where is Vero? You're here alone?"
"He's with my nurse, in the room. There was a call earlier, I was about to return."
"Is there any progress regarding my son?"
"Trauma like that can't heal instantly. We need more time. But I can assure you, the therapy is going well, he's actually a smart child."
Kaisar's answer calmed her slightly, but it still couldn't be called good. If only Vero could be asked about the cause of his trauma, this would end quickly.
"You're waiting for him to recover to solve your problem, hm?" Kaisar asked.
Amara was surprised. "Impossible. I can solve it myself without involving my child."
"I like your persistence…."
Amara's eyes looked at the man's smile, but she was not interested at all.
"Ma'am." Megan came, bringing information she had just obtained after gathering it from various sources.
"What is this?" Amara asked when Megan handed a document in a folder.
"That is the list of names and background histories of the people who handled your case. Police, forensic doctor, ER doctor, judge, prosecutor, witnesses. I have gathered them all."
Amara opened the document, she actually planned to study it after returning home from the hospital. She was only curious whose names were involved there. Because there were many people during the trial.
However, when she saw the list of doctors and nurses on duty at that time, Amara saw a familiar name.
Kaisar Diamond Carlton.
Amara was sure that name only existed once in this world.
"Doctor Diamond, why is your name here?" Amara asked. She stared sharply at Kaisar, questioning something that might make him deeply involved in her problem.