Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 111 - Chapitre 120

**ADRIAN’S POV**I sat in my car outside the mansion for twenty minutes, trying to compose myself.Trying to figure out what I was going to say. How I was going to do this.But every time I closed my eyes, I heard that recording. Vivian’s voice. Laughing. Bragging about hurting my son. About conditioning a baby to reject his own mother through pain and manipulation.My hands tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles went white.I’d listened to it three times this morning. Each time hoping I’d heard it wrong. That there was some other explanation. Some context that would make it less monstrous.There wasn’t.Vivian had deliberately hurt Ethan. My infant son. And she’d been proud of it.I got out of the car, walked to the front door, and entered the house I no longer recognized as home.Vivian was in the living room with my mother, both of them looking tense and worried.“Adrian! Thank God.” Vivian rushed toward me. “Is Ethan okay? When is he coming home?”I looked at her. Reall

The first notification came at six a.m. A news alert on my phone: “Breaking: Moore Family Drama - CEO’s Son Runs Away to Biological Mother.” My blood ran cold. I grabbed my phone, scrolled through rapidly multiplying headlines. “Adrian Moore’s Son Chooses Ex-Wife Over Current Fiancée” “Inside Sources Reveal Moore Family Scandal” “Vivian Cross Moves Out Amid Shocking Allegations” “Nine-Year-Old at Center of Custody Drama Between Feuding Parents” How did they know? We’d been so careful. Only Serena, Ethan, my mother, and Vivian knew what had happened yesterday. Someone had leaked it. My phone started ringing. Michael from the office. “Adrian, have you seen the news?” “I’m looking at it now.” “It’s everywhere. Every major outlet. Social media is going insane. Our stock dropped three percent in pre-market trading.” His voice was tight with panic. “What the hell happened?” “My son ran away two nights ago. He’s with Serena. We’re handling it privately—” “Well it’s not private

“No. I don’t expect forgiveness. I don’t deserve it.” I stood. “I’m going to make a public statement today. Confessing my role in what happened. Taking responsibility. I thought you should know before it happens.”“A public statement?” Serena looked surprised.“I’m tired of hiding. Tired of protecting a reputation built on cruelty.” I pulled out my phone, showed her the draft I’d written. “I’m going to admit what I did. Let the world judge me as they will.”She read it, her expression unreadable. Then handed my phone back. “This will ruin you socially.”“Yes.”“Your friends will abandon you. Society will exile you.”“I know.”“And you’re doing it anyway?”“Because it’s the right thing to do.” I looked at Ethan. “And because maybe, if I’m very lucky, my grandson might eventually forgive me. Even if I don’t deserve it.”Ethan studied me for a long time. Then: “I don’t forgive you yet. I’m still too angry. But I appreciate you being honest.”It wasn’t forgiveness. But it was something.“

“I built ETHEREAL with the help of Marcus Chen. I became successful. I became powerful. And when I was finally ready, I came back to New York. Not to destroy anyone. Not for revenge. But because my son deserved to know his mother. And I deserved a chance to be in his life.”“Ms. Moore, Vivian Cross is claiming you’ve poisoned Ethan against her—”“I haven’t had to.” I looked directly at the camera again. “My son is nine years old. Smart. Capable of critical thinking. And when he started asking questions, I told him the truth. I didn’t lie. I didn’t manipulate. I didn’t paint anyone as a villain. I just answered his questions honestly.”“And he chose you.”“He chose honesty over lies. He chose the parent who respected him enough to tell him the truth, even when that truth was hard.” I paused. “And yes, he chose me. Because he’s my son. He was always my son. They just convinced him otherwise.”A reporter stood up. “What about the recordings? The ones that allegedly prove Vivian abused Et

“Yes, Your Honor,” we said in unison.“Then congratulations. You’re officially co-parents.” She banged her gavel. “This court is adjourned.”Isabelle squeezed my shoulder. “You did it.”“We did it,” I corrected, looking at Ethan.He hugged me tight. “Thank you. For fighting for me. For never giving up.”“Always,” I whispered. “I will always fight for you.”Adrian stood awkwardly to the side, waiting. Ethan pulled away from me and hugged him too.“Thanks, Dad. For doing the right thing.”“I should have done it years ago,” Adrian said quietly. “But better late than never.”We filed out of the courthouse together. The press was waiting outside, cameras ready.“Ms. Moore! How does it feel to have joint custody?”“Mr. Moore! Will you and Serena reconcile?”“Ethan! Are you happy with this arrangement?”Isabelle pushed through them. “No comment. The family has issued a statement. Please respect their privacy.”We got into separate cars. Ethan was coming home with me for the first week of the