Chapter 8 - The Confrontation
Elizabeth Bennett froze, the haughty arrogance on her face instantly replaced by sheer, paralyzed panic. “How... how do you know about that?”
Dominic walked toward a sleek mahogany desk, picked up a thick manila folder, and dropped it onto the glass coffee table in front of her with a dull thud.
“I know everything, Elizabeth,” Dominic said coldly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “While you were flying first-class across Asia pretending to be a self-made logistics mogul, your European partners were preparing to liquidate your assets. You didn't leave Noah with Claire because you were busy closing deals. You left him because you were hiding from your creditors.”
Claire stared at Elizabeth in utter disbelief. “Elizabeth... is that true? You abandoned Noah while running from loan sharks?”
Elizabeth flushed crimson, clutching her designer coat tightly around herself. “It was temporary! I was going to fix it! I was protecting him!”
“You left him defenseless,” Dominic cut in mercilessly. “You left him to be bullied, mocked, and forgotten while Claire raised him on a nanny’s salary that you haven't even paid in two months.”
Claire gasped softly. It was true—her last two paychecks had bounced, but she had stayed silent, using her own modest savings to buy Noah’s groceries and school supplies because she loved the boy too much to walk away.
“I had to keep up appearances!” Elizabeth shouted desperately, tears of humiliation finally spilling down her cheeks. “If the investors found out I was broke, everything would collapse! Noah is my son! You can’t take him from me!”
“You gave him away the moment you traded his safety for your balance sheets,” Dominic replied, his voice devoid of pity. “Moretti didn't target Noah because of me. Moretti targeted Noah because you owed his shell company five million dollars from your botched Singapore venture. You led those wolves straight to your child’s playground!”
The room fell dead silent except for the crackling of the fire.
Claire felt sick to her stomach. The kidnapping attempt wasn't a random retaliation against Dominic—it was the consequence of Elizabeth’s reckless greed and neglect. Dominic had taken the blame upon himself to spare Claire the horror of knowing Noah’s own mother was responsible.
“I’ve already handled Moretti,” Dominic continued coldly. “His assets have been seized, his syndicate dismantled, and he is currently boarding a cargo ship under federal custody. He will never touch this city again.”
Dominic reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a single legal document, tossing it beside the financial records.
“What is that?” Elizabeth whispered, trembling.
“That is a complete debt assumption agreement,” Dominic explained, his eyes locking onto hers with unyielding authority. “My trust will absorb every penny of your corporate and personal liabilities. You walk away clean. Your reputation intact, your bank accounts restored, and a comfortable executive position in our overseas logistics division.”
Elizabeth looked at the document, a glimmer of desperate hope sparking in her eyes. “And... and what’s the catch?”
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Dominic stepped closer to Claire, reaching down and taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers in front of Elizabeth.
“The catch,” Dominic said firmly, “is full, uncontested legal custody of Noah Bennett. You surrender your parental rights to Claire and me. You walk away, and you let that boy have a real mother and a real father who will never abandon him again.”
