Chapter Five

Edward's secretary's statement made the air in the office freeze instantly.

Through the massive glass wall on the upper floor, I could see dozens of camera flashes reflecting across the building's front courtyard.

James stood there, surrounded by a sea of media microphones, his face filled with resentment, while Rose stood beside him with a satisfied smile.

“James is using his position to gather the national media,” the secretary said, his voice trembling. “He's accusing Mrs. Allana of fraud and deliberately seducing you to seize control of Turner Group's assets!”

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms.

Heat burned through my chest.

James truly had no shame.

He hadn't just stolen my work. Now he was trying to destroy my reputation in front of the entire country.

I turned toward Edward.

The man didn't look the slightest bit panicked.

He calmly adjusted the buttons of his suit, every movement controlled, as though the storm raging outside were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

“Edward, we can't let him—”

“Who said I was going to let him?”

Edward cut me off quietly.

He stepped toward me and extended his hand.

The coldness that had filled his gray eyes when we'd spoken about Emmily was gone. Now, his gaze was completely focused on me.

“Come,” Edward said curtly.

“It's time to show them who truly owns this place.”

I took his hand.

His warm, firm fingers closed tightly around mine, giving me a sudden surge of strength that immediately chased the anxiety from my chest.

We walked side by side toward the building's main entrance.

The moment the glass doors opened, the roar of thousands of questions and the relentless flashes of cameras came crashing over us.

“...and this woman named Allana Morris deliberately took advantage of my family's vulnerability!” James's voice boomed through the loudspeakers.

“She seduced my elderly father just to seize control of a project worth hundreds of millions of dollars—one that was rightfully mine!”

The reporters became even more frantic when they saw us emerge.

“Mr. Edward! Is it true that Mrs. Allana deceived you?”

“Is this a father-and-son battle over the family fortune?!”

Edward didn't answer a single question.

He guided me through the line of security guards, walking straight toward the podium where James stood.

James's face suddenly went pale when he saw Edward approaching with an oppressive aura of authority.

He instinctively took a step backward.

The fiery confidence he'd displayed moments ago seemed to evaporate.

Edward took the microphone from James's hand without even looking at him.

Silence immediately descended over the entire courtyard.

Every eye and every camera turned toward the head of Turner Group.

“Every accusation coming from James Turner's mouth today is a lie,” Edward declared through the loudspeaker, his voice calm yet filled with absolute authority.

James's eyes widened.

“Dad! Don't defend this deceitful woman in public!”

“Shut your mouth, James,” Edward cut in coldly without even turning toward him.

He pulled me forward and wrapped an arm firmly around my waist in full view of the cameras.

“Allana Morris is my legally registered wife,” Edward continued, his voice carrying across the courtyard.

“She is not a fraud. She is the sole owner and original designer of Turner Group's new shopping mall project.”

His gaze hardened.

“James is the one who attempted to steal my wife's patent documents and falsify the company's financial reports.”

Shocked murmurs erupted among the reporters.

Cameras shook as they captured James's face, which had turned crimson and was trembling violently.

“Effective today,” Edward continued firmly, his eyes fixed on the cameras, “James Turner's position as an executive is officially revoked.”

“All management rights and project shares are hereby transferred entirely to Allana Turner.”

Rose let out a small scream in panic, while James clenched his fists, breathing heavily.

“You can't do this to me, Edward!” James shouted in frustration, forgetting all sense of decorum in front of the media.

“I'm your son! You're throwing away your own flesh and blood for this woman?!”

Edward lowered the microphone from his lips.

He turned around and stared at James from close range, his gaze cold enough to freeze the blood in his veins.

“You want to talk about flesh and blood, James?”

Edward's voice dropped to a whisper—quiet enough for only James to hear, yet sharp enough to crush whatever remained of his arrogance.

James's eyes widened at the tone of Edward's voice.

“Watch yourself and get out of my company,” Edward whispered again, stripping away the last remnants of James's pride in front of the public.

“Before I reveal to the media that you don't have a single drop of Turner blood running through your veins.”

James froze.

His face turned as pale as a corpse, his eyes fixed on Edward in sheer, unimaginable horror.

Edward didn't give James a chance to respond.

He wrapped an arm around my waist again, turned his back on the hysterical crowd of reporters, and guided me back into the building.

The moment the thick glass doors closed behind us, leaving only silence in the main hallway, I stopped walking and stared at Edward, breathing heavily.

“What did you mean by that, Edward?” I asked, looking directly into his eyes.

“James... isn't your biological son?”

Edward didn't answer immediately.

He closed the distance between us, backing me against the cold marble pillar.

His hand rose, his thumb gently brushing across my lower lip, the delicate touch carrying a heat that sent a shiver through me.

“I told you, never dig into my past, Allana,” Edward whispered, his gray eyes fixed on my lips with unmistakable anticipation.

“But now that you're officially my wife...”

His voice dropped even lower.

“Tonight, at the mansion, I'll tell you everything.”