Chapter 6

The humiliation swept over Ian, and his throat filled with a bittersweet taste. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His vision darkened before he fainted.

When he woke up, Tammy and Selena were by his side, seemingly relieved. "You're finally awake?"

Anthony smiled and wrapped his arm around Ian's shoulders. "Ian, I heard you got so upset you collapsed, so I came to apologize."

He deliberately flaunted the Rolex on his wrist. It had belonged to Ian's late mother.

She had once promised to put it on his wrist herself on his wedding day. Now, Anthony had stolen it.

Seeing his eyes redden, Anthony leaned in close and taunted him in his ear. "I killed your mom, stole your fiancée, and leaked your private videos. You couldn't even protect your mother's ashes and dowry.

"Ian, you must be so pissed off!

"Also, my mother was nine months pregnant when she fell down the stairs and died. The truth is, I deliberately pushed her and framed your mother for it!

"Your stupid father believed it wholeheartedly and didn't hesitate to disobey the entire family to bring the son of a homewrecker back to the Gibsons."

Anthony added, "When we were children, your father hated you and spoiled me. When we grew up, your fiancée and girlfriend schemed against you. To avenge me, Tammy impersonated Selena and slept with you...

"Ian, you're a complete joke. Hahaha!"

The truth was like a knife unexpectedly stabbing Ian's heart.

Gloria had carried the blame for more than a decade for something she never did.

He had endured pain and suffering in his past life when the Palmers joined forces to fake bankruptcy and illness, deceiving him until he died. What did all his pain and suffering count for?

Ian trembled, grabbed a teacup and hurled it at Anthony. He managed to squeeze out, "G-get out!"

When Selena saw the bruise forming on Anthony's temple, her expression instantly turned cold. "Ian, when are you going to stop?"

Ian spoke in a voice filled with despair. "You all enabled Anthony to cause my mother's death, violate me, and leak my private photos...

"Wasn't it all because my mother supposedly killed his mother and unborn sibling, so you wanted revenge for him?

"But Anthony admitted it himself just now! He deliberately pushed his mother down the stairs when she was nine months pregnant, causing her death, and then framed my mother for it! My mother was innocent!"

The hospital ward fell instantly silent.

A flash of panic crossed Anthony's face, but Selena soon sneered. "Stop slandering Anthony."

Tammy scoffed as well. "Anthony was barely ten years old back then. How could a little boy be so vicious as to kill his own mother? You'll stop at nothing to make up excuses, won't you?"

Every word they spoke showed an unprincipled bias toward Anthony.

Ian forced a smile. "Isn't he vicious enough? He caused two deaths, yet you still think he's innocent—"

"Enough!" Tammy was furious, her eyes filled with malice. "It seems the last punishment was too lenient if you still dare to twist the truth. Since you refuse to change your ways, go reflect in the walk-in freezer!"

She had expected Ian to argue or make a scene. Instead, he merely gave a mocking smile. He did not resist or struggle.

Tammy was taken aback and frowned. She felt there was something different about him, but she could not quite put her finger on it.

Before she could stop them, bodyguards dragged Ian away like a piece of livestock toward the walk-in freezer. His knees were scraped raw and bloody against the cold, hard steps.

It was -20 degrees in the freezer. Ian shivered violently and curled into a ball, frost clinging to his eyelashes.

"Cold... So cold..."

His face and fingers were red and swollen from frostbite. Suffering from severe hypothermia and having nearly lost all sensation, he could only murmur the same words again and again: "Save me… Save me…"

Just as his consciousness began to slip away, the door burst open with a loud crash. Well-trained bodyguards in black immediately put a warm coat over him. "Mr. Gibson, Ms. White sent us to pick you up. The private jet is ready."

Ian's face remained numb.

It took a long time for him to finally warm up.

Before getting into the car, he cast one last glance toward the Palmers' estate. The wedding was grand and magnificent.

Tammy had meticulously planned it.

However, his eyes were bloodshot, burning with intense hatred.

He compiled all the evidence he had gathered, drafted a message, and posted it on his social media.

Meanwhile, everyone at the wedding was filled with joy.

A white contrail streaked across the sky. Tammy felt a sharp pang in her heart and instinctively looked around, but she did not see that familiar figure.

Clutching her chest where the abrupt pain had struck, she called out to the butler, Jeffrey Lucas, "Where's Ian? The wedding is in two hours. I know he likes to look sharp. Tell the stylist to make sure he looks good."