Chapter 5

"The doctor said his anger triggered an acute heart attack. They don't know whether he'll ever wake up..."

Corrine finally broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

As Kaleb listened, he felt the blood in his body slowly turning cold. His emotions surged beneath the surface, but he forced them down, keeping his expression icy and unreadable.

He gently embraced his trembling mother. "Mom, don't cry. Take care of Dad. I need to go out for a while."

"Kaleb, where are you going? Don't do anything reckless!" Corrine grabbed him in alarm.

Kaleb turned back and smiled. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

He left and made a phone call.

"Find out exactly where Diego Dougherty and Khloe Allen are right now."

Three minutes later, an address arrived on his phone.

Riverbend Gallery's third-anniversary celebration was an extravagantly lavish affair. Prominent figures from the art world and powerful business executives filled the venue, surrounded by compliments and laughter.

Dressed in a white suit, Diego had his arm linked through Khloe's as he accepted congratulations from the guests.

"Mr. Dougherty, you're young and accomplished. It's remarkable that your gallery has gained such influence in just three years."

"Ms. Allen and Mr. Dougherty make such a perfect couple."

Listening to the comments, Kaleb felt nothing at all. He brought several people with him, walked straight through the crowd, and stopped in front of the two of them.

The lively atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

"Why didn't you invite me to the third-anniversary celebration?" he asked. "Fortunately, I prepared a gift in advance."

Diego hurriedly explained in a soft voice, "Kaleb, I thought you'd been busy lately, so I didn't dare bother you. I'm very glad you could come."

Khloe frowned and warned him quietly, "Don't cause a scene here."

"Why would I?" Kaleb chuckled. "I'm here to offer my sincere congratulations."

He raised a hand slightly. The people behind him immediately moved into action, taking control of the venue's main display screen. Anyone who tried to stop them was promptly escorted away by Kaleb's men.

The screen lit up.

Photos of Diego studying abroad appeared first, followed by displays of his work at various exhibitions. A narrator spoke in an elegant tone, describing his artistic achievements. The suspicion gradually faded from Diego's face, replaced by a hint of smug satisfaction.

Then the footage changed.

"Unfortunately, behind these impressive credentials lies a truth that doesn't stand up to scrutiny," Kaleb announced.

Screenshot after screenshot of emails, transfer records, and photographs of private meetings with competition judges revealed the same thing.

The awards he'd supposedly won had all been bought with money.

The screen changed again. While still married to his ex-wife, Diego had maintained a close relationship with another wealthy businesswoman.

Less than three months after his divorce, he'd become engaged to that woman. The engagement later fell through, and he eventually returned to the country with his daughter.

"That's not true..." Diego shook his head violently, tears welling up in his eyes. He turned to Khloe. "I did it for Lilah. Lilah, she..."

Khloe's face turned livid. Under the scrutiny of the crowd and their many different expressions, she yanked the power cable out of the screen, and the display went black.

"Kaleb, have you lost your mind?!" she shouted.

"Lost my mind?" Kaleb met her gaze without backing down. "The evidence is right there in front of you, and you still think he's innocent. And I'm the one who's lost my mind?"

Khloe said nothing more. Ignoring his resistance, she dragged him away from the main hall and into a lounge.

The door slammed shut, cutting off the commotion outside.

"What exactly do you want?" Khloe released his arm. "Diego is already miserable enough. Why can't you show him a little compassion?"

Watching her lose control over another man, Kaleb found the whole thing absurd.

After a long silence, Khloe finally lowered her head as though conceding defeat. "I'll cut off all contact with Diego. I won't see him again or help him anymore. I'll withdraw my investment from the gallery. Just stop going after him."

Kaleb looked at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. He wanted to laugh, but all he could do was blink in confusion. "And what if I say no?"

Khloe didn't answer. She simply took out her phone and dialed a number. "Release the announcement now. Every company that does business with the Monroe Group will be blacklisted by the Allen Group.

"Also, we can officially launch the plan to acquire the Monroe Group."