His Destructive, Toxic Love

"Well, look who finally remembered his old man," Tristan greeted, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Seems like life's been treating you well," Casper retorted, standing at the doorway without moving a muscle. "I assume Dillon already filled you in. Now, I want to hear your side."

"Dillon claimed I sent someone to kill you?" Tristan spat, his eyes flashing with indignation. "That's pure nonsense. He's lost his marbles, and it sounds like you have too."

"Wasn't you?" Casper's brow furrowed.

"Casper, you're my son. Why would I want to kill you? Even if..." Tristan's face clouded with a mix of hurt and frustration, "...even if I did favor Shaun more, I'd never go that far. Do you really see me as that heartless?" Tristan's expression seemed genuine enough.

But then again, who else would pin such a grave accusation on him out of the blue?

"I'll get to the bottom of this with Zach," Casper said, his tone resolute.

"Be my guest," Tristan replied, taking a measured sip from his glass. "Sure, Shaun's got ambition, but he's locked up. How'd he have the means or the pull to hire a hitman? For free, no less?"Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Tristan's logic seemed airtight.

Casper's dark eyes stayed unreadable. "Alright, since you're so sure of yourself, answer me this: When I was presumed dead after falling off that cliff, why did you help Zach take over Welton International? Was it because I was gone, or did you think Caroline couldn't handle it? You let an illegitimate child inherit Welton International-what were you thinking?"

"This..." Tristan's voice trailed off, the weight of the accusation hanging in the air.

He couldn't find the words. It was a mess, but at the time, he genuinely believed Casper was gone for good. Welton International was meant to be passed down to a man, not a woman, and certainly not to a kid barely out of diapers. Handing it to Zach seemed like the only option.

"If I'd known you'd survive, I wouldn't have created this mess for myself," Tristan admitted.

"Looks like you've really lost it," Casper said, his expression hardening. "In that case, I'll have someone buy out your shares. It's time for you to step down from Welton International."

"You're trying to ruin me completely?" Tristan slammed his glass down, his chest heaving. "And what if I say no?"

"You don't get a say," Casper's voice was icy, leaving no room for debate.

"You... you really are something," Tristan muttered, pouring himself another full glass of wine and downing it. Casper turned to Dillon. "Bring Zach up here."

"Yes, Mr. Casper."

Zach, after being confined for so long, looked like a shadow of his former self. His hair was a tangled mess, his beard overgrown, and his clothes stained and tattered. He looked more like a man in his fate forties than the young man he once was.

"Did you order the hit on me in Oak Falls?" Casper demanded.

"Order what?" Zach's brow furrowed slightly as he processed the question. "To kill you? I wish I could, but I've been in jail. How could I hire someone to kill you from in here? Casper, if you're hell-bent on blaming me, you don't need to

fabricate stories."

In the game of power, you either win or lose.

He lost, and he accepted that.

Casper's certainty began to waver. Neither of them?

Then who could be using Tristan's name to plot against him?

Could he have misjudged them?

If it wasn't Tristan or Zach, it had to be someone close to them.

But who could it be?