Chapter 5
The press conference ended, sending shockwaves through the city.
In a matter of hours, the names Adam, Victoria, and Claire dominated every headline and social media feed.
Marital infidelity, corporate blackmail, family scandals—each topic was explosive enough to keep the public captivated for days.
Shaw Enterprises' stock, after a brief dip, surged to new heights.
A crisis had been turned into an opportunity.
I sat in the car on the way back, watching the cityscape race backward outside the window.
Mia was next to me, giving me a rundown of the latest updates.
"Ms. Shaw, Summers Corporation's stock has crashed to rock bottom.
"A ton of their partners are scrambling to cut ties.
"Looks like the Summers family is about to collapse.
I responded with only a soft hum.
None of this came as a surprise.
Claire thought she could ruin me by turning the internet against me.
So I made sure she got a taste of what it was like when the media came for her.
"What about Adam?" I asked.
Mia replied, "After the press conference, he just walked out by himself. From the way he left, I'd say he went straight to the hospital."
Her tone was complicated, like she wasn't sure how to feel about it.
I kept quiet; the car fell into a heavy silence.
Shortly after I arrived home, Ryan called.
"Ms. Shaw, will you proceed with the procedure today?" he asked.
"No. Cancel it," I replied calmly.
"Understood." He asked no further questions.
I ended the call and walked into the bedroom, sinking onto the king-sized bed.
A deep, unfamiliar weariness settled over me.
Closing my eyes brought no rest, only Adam's devastated expression from the conference hall.
In the end, he had chosen the child. Or rather, he had chosen to submit to me.
But none of it mattered anymore.
A broken clock could be mended, but it would forever count the hours of that moment it stopped. Betrayal left no room for trust.
Adam returned that night.
There was no smell of alcohol on him, but the heavy scent of cigarettes clung to his clothes.
He stood in the doorway, his eyes fixed on me.
"Claire's surgery... failed. Her emotions are all over the place." His words came out raspy and dry, like he hadn't spoken in days.
I opened my eyes and met his gaze directly. "So? What are you trying to say? Do you want me to apologize to her? Or hand over the Southgate District land to the Summers family?"
He shook his head and moved closer, sitting at the edge of the bed. "Neither. Victoria... can we start over?"
He reached out cautiously, trying to take my hand, but I withdrew it immediately.
"Start over?" I sat up against the headboard. "Do you really believe that's possible, Adam?
"You confessed your infidelity to the world. You ruined the Summers family. You destroyed yourself and destroyed her.
"And now you ask to start over? Don't you think it's far too late for that?"
His hand froze mid-air, his expression crumbling. "I know I was wrong. I'm a monster, I'm worthless. Victoria, please give me one more chance. For the baby. Let's give him a complete family."
Finally, his true motive surfaced—the child.
Every move he made was for the baby.
I looked at him, and suddenly, he just seemed pathetic to me.
"Adam, do you love this child?" I asked, my voice cold.
He froze, caught off guard. "Of course I do. He's my flesh and blood."
I scoffed, a mocking smile on my lips, "Oh, really? You don't really love this child.
"You love what 'Victoria's baby' can bring you. You think keeping him means keeping me, and holding on to everything you have now. Isn't that right?"
My words cut like a blade, stripping away his pretense.
His face went ghostly pale in an instant.
He had no retort because the arrow had struck true.
"Adam, you really are hopelessly naive." I threw back the covers and stood, towering over him.
"I can carry this child to term. But I could also choose to let him grow up never knowing his father. He would carry my name, Shaw. I could tell him his father died long before he was born."
"Victoria, you wouldn't dare!" Adam surged to his feet, eyes blazing with fury and humiliation.
My gaze held his, unwavering. "What's stopping me?"
"Need I remind you? Everything you possess, I gave you.
"I can take it all back. Including any claim to this child."
The air felt frozen between us.
We stood locked in a silent battle, two wounded animals in a cage, neither willing to yield.
A long, strained moment stretched between us before his bitter, hollow laugh broke the silence—a sound more desolate than any sob.
"Victoria, you really are ruthless," Adam said.
"I've always known. So don't test my limits," I retorted, my tone icy as ever.
Turning away, I could no longer bear the sight of him. "The divorce papers are signed. My lawyer will contact you tomorrow. Sign them quietly. Or I will show you what it truly means to lose everything."
I walked out of the bedroom without looking back.
Behind me, the violent crash of shattering glass echoed.
Adam knocked everything off the table in a rage, smashing it all to the floor.
This war had been lost the moment he chose betrayal.
Defeat was now absolute, leaving him nothing to grasp.