Chapter 7 You're Lying!

Camila darted out of the house, her voice laced with concern. "Sweetheart, have you really been playing all morning without grabbing a bite of breakfast?"

"Mommy!" The little boy abandoned his wooden horse in a flash and sprinted into Camila's open arms. She hoisted him up, enveloping him in a warm embrace. "Daddy promised to tell me a story last night, but he left right after dinner."

"I'll talk to Daddy once I'm at the office, and I'll make sure he calls to apologize, okay?"

"Okay!"

Elin approached them, each step measured and slow, her face ashen like a specter in daylight. "You, you two..."

The boy seemed at least three years old!

Camila whirled around, holding the child close. A shadow of panic flickered across her face at the sight of Elin. "Elin, what are you doing here?"

She clutched the child tighter and retreated towards the safety of the house.

Elin hastened after her, fury in her eyes. She reached out, yanked Camila's hair, and delivered a sharp slap across her face.

"Camila, what the hell is wrong with you? How could you screw me over like this? I funded your college, landed you a job at Infinity Group, even bought you this house-and this is how you repay me?"

Her voice cracked, a mix of betrayal and realization dawning on her. She had believed that Dean and Camila's affair was recent, but the existence of their child unveiled the painful truth.

All these years, she had been the fool, heartbroken and discarded by the two people she cherished most, left to pick up the shattered pieces of her trust.

Elin's eyes blazed with fury as she delivered a relentless barrage of slaps to Camila, her rage uncontainable even by the servants who struggled, in vain, to restrain her.

Abruptly, a forceful hand clutched Elin's hair, yanking her back and tossing her onto the cold floor with a resonant thud that seemed to echo through the room, stealing her breath.

Elin struggled to her knees, her gaze shooting up to find Dean looming over her, his face a mask of stoic disinterest. "Elin, what has gotten into you? Have you lost your mind?" he demanded, his voice steady but edged with a hint of disdain.

"Why?" Elin's voice cracked, barely a whisper as she staggered to her feet, her eyes seething with betrayal. She stared at the man she had loved for over a decade, the hurt palpable in her voice. "After your parents' death, my father welcomed you into our home, treated you like his own. My parents gave you everything, and you paid them back by killing them? You're nothing but a cold-blooded murderer!"

Dean's expression shifted into a scowl, a dark storm brewing in his eyes.

He had trusted Camila with this delicate matter, confident that no one else was aware. Elin's knowledge of it unnerved him.

Elin stepped forward, her stance defiant, her eyes shimmering with tears of anger and sorrow. "Why, Dean? Why orchestrate my downfall, pushing me into the arms of another?" she demanded, her voice rising with each word.

Dean declared icily, his eyes glinting with malice, "I wanted to annihilate your family, and I wasn't about to let you get away!"

He then continued, "Infinity Group was never your father's company. Over thirty years ago, both our fathers established it together. My father held the majority stake, yet yours always resented his secondary role. The day the company went public was the same day my family was brutally killed. I only survived because I happened to be crashing at a friend's place."

"You're lying!" Elin's voice broke as she shook her head vehemently, her disbelief radiating with each word. "My dad treated you like his own son, showered you with the wealth of the family, and even gave us his blessing..."

"He only took me in because he felt guilty. It wasn't out of the goodness of his heart," Dean retorted, his voice a low growl.

He leaned in closer, his eyes blazing with a fierce, deep-seated hatred. "It wasn't about caring for me-he just wanted my father's Infinity Group shares under his control!"

Dean hadn't always known this dark truth. It was only after meeting a disfigured man, a survivor of that catastrophic fire, that the grim reality had been unveiled to him.

That explained everything. Asher's kindness had stemmed from his guilt.

As Dean stared at Elin, her face stubborn yet ghostly pale, a wave of inexplicable irritation surged through him. In a sudden, harsh gesture, he seized her by the hair, dragged her across the room, and flung her out the front door.

"Elin, this is the last time," he warned, his voice cold and resolute. "The next time our paths cross, I won't be so forgiving!"

The door slammed with a resounding thud, sealing her fate.

Outside, Elin felt a chill seep into her bones. The man she had adored for years, whom she believed to be her guardian angel, was nothing but a vengeful demon.

His betrayal had not only shattered the Walsh family but had left her in ruins...

Lost in her thoughts, Elin wandered aimlessly through the desolate streets. As she numbly stepped off the curb, a car suddenly charged towards her, its headlights cutting through the darkness like accusing eyes.

Blinded by the harsh lights, she closed her eyes, a strange calm settling over her.

With nothing left to lose, she wondered if meeting her end here might be a merciful escape from her shattered world.