THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.

At that moment, Oliver narrowed his eyes as he stared at James, still tied up and weak from everything he had endured. He didn't see the need to play games anymore. His tone was calm, but there was a cold sharpness in it. He didn't want anyone mistaking his intentions or thinking this was about some overdue money.

"If this was about money," Oliver began slowly, "I would have sent someone to hand you a letter. I would have given you a deadline. And if you dared defy me… only then would I have made that personal call."

James didn't even lift his head. His eyes were barely open. His lips were cracked and stained from dried blood. He braced for another slap, another hit, but it never came. Instead, he heard Oliver's next words words that froze his spine.

"This isn't about money," Oliver said flatly. "It's about the line you crossed."

Upon hearing what Oliver just said, James blinked, confused. For a moment, the tightness in his chest eased slightly. If this wasn't about money, maybe just maybe there was still a way out. A way to survive.

He swallowed hard and slowly lifted his face. "So… it's not about the money?" he asked quietly, his voice barely rising above a whisper.

"No," Oliver repeated, folding his arms. "Not money."

James' mind raced. Then what was it? He had no personal dealings with Oliver at least not directly. He had never double-crossed him. Never offended him. The only connection he could even think of was Kingstone Investments… but Oliver had already made it clear this wasn't about Kingstone Investments either.

James furrowed his brows. His voice shook as he spoke again, this time filled with genuine confusion.

"If this isn't about money… and this isn't about Kingston… then… what is it about?" he asked slowly. "I don't even know you. I haven't done anything to you. I swear it. What did I do?"

He was desperate to understand. His heart pounded as silence filled the room again.

At that moment, Oliver then say, his voice low and calm like someone about to drop a bombshell, "Well, let me go straight to the point now… Cora."

Immediately the name dropped like thunder in James's ears.

Instantly, his eyes widened, and a visible tremble ran through his entire body. Even though he was still kneeling, both knees started shaking like he was about to collapse again. A cold shiver crawled down his spine. His face went pale, his lips trembled, and his breath caught halfway. For a second, it was like the whole room had gone quiet his ears ringing with that one name: Cora.

His first instinct was denial. He blinked repeatedly, as if he didn't just hear what he thought he heard. But deep down, a knot of fear tightened in his stomach. From the very beginning, a small voice inside him had whispered that this had something to do with Cora. But he had pushed the thought away, thinking it was paranoia or guilt messing with his head.

Now, everything made sense. Everything was clicking into place like a puzzle he never wanted to solve.

Still kneeling, with a mix of fear and hunger tightening his gut, James swallowed hard, his voice barely more than a whisper as he said, "Cora? So… it was her from the beginning?"

He shook his head, not to deny it, but to cope with the realization.

"So, Cora actually did this to me?" His voice cracked. "She actually sent you after me?"

At that moment there was disbelief in his tone. There was pain too. His words started tumbling out faster now, like a man on the edge. "What did I do? I didn't do anything to her! It was her! She took everything everything that belonged to me. And now… she still wants to take my life too? What have I done?"

His voice rose in pitch with each word, not from defiance, but from panic. But before he could speak further, a loud thud echoed in the room.

Oliver had slammed the butt of his palm hard on the metal table in front of him, making a loud sound that startled even the guards.

"Shut your mouth!" Oliver barked.

James flinched immediately, his mouth clamping shut.

"I said," Oliver continued slowly, dangerously, "if you say one more word out of turn, I will cut off your tongue myself. You think I was joking before? I wasn't."

James quickly looked down, holding his breath.

Then Oliver's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a cold, sharp whisper. "Now listen… and listen very carefully. Something happened in front of Everything Luxury some days ago. And from what I can see… it seems like you're trying to play your old trick once more."

hearing what Oliver just said, James looked up slowly, confused, but didn't dare speak.

"You see," Oliver said as he walked closer, pacing slowly, "Cora already divorced you. She let go of you. And guess what? You were the one playing her from the beginning. You used her. You lied. You made her think you were something you're not. And she believed you—because she loved you."

James swallowed hard, his heart beating fast.

"But now?" Oliver scoffed. "Now she's finally seen the light. She's realized who you really are. And suddenly, you want to crawl back. You want to act like you've changed. You want to make her look like the one who took everything from you. You want to look like the victim."

James slowly nodded, his voice shaking as he said, "I'm deeply sorry for everything. I've apologized to her. I've done everything I can. She's still angry, but I… I'm still going to—"

Before he could finish, Oliver's hand snapped forward and gripped his neck tightly.

Immediately James gasped.

The pressure around his throat was hard too hard. The veins in his head started showing. His face turned red. He couldn't breathe properly.

Oliver leaned in, his voice full of rage.

"So you're deeply sorry?" he hissed. "Yet you struck a deal with someone else. Right? Tell me. To do what? To destroy Cora?"