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

At that point, James looked up with tears clinging to his lashes. But there was no sympathy in the room. Only silence.

"They said they'd use Samuel's past situation… twist it together with what I gave them in the video… and turn it into a powerful narrative. One that would make Cora look like a monster. A manipulative, ruthless woman who destroyed the people closest to her. They planned to make her seem like a bully in business and in personal life. And I… I agreed. At least… that was the first part of the plan. I swear, I didn't even know what came next. I wasn't told. They said they'd handle the rest."

His voice cracked again. This time it broke completely as tears finally streamed down his cheeks. He dropped his head and shook it miserably.

"But that's the truth. That's all I know. I swear it on my life. That's all I know."

At that moment, Oliver stepped forward, his voice low but heavy with judgment. He didn't raise it, but somehow, it still shook the room. His eyes were fixed on James like a blade about to drop.

"So," Oliver said slowly, "you actually decided to do this… to the woman you claim you loved. The same woman you stood before me and swore you had changed for. The same woman you said you wanted to win back."

James couldn't even look up. His knees trembled where he knelt, and his arms, still restrained tightly by the men beside him, had gone limp.

Oliver's voice turned sharper. "And yet, you agreed to destroy her. You planned to betray her. You were going to humiliate her publicly, feed her to the wolves, just because of what? Because of your selfish reason? Because of your own mess?"

James's lips trembled. He tried to speak, but Oliver cut him off immediately.

"You are selfish. From the beginning, you've always been selfish. You've never changed. You care only about yourself. Not about Cora. Not about what Cora wants. Not about what she needs. Not even for a second. Everything has always been about you your pain, your regret, your guilt… your ego."

James sniffed, tears already pooling in his eyes. His shoulders shook.

Oliver continued, his face stone-cold. "You are a greedy person, James. And greedy people… people like you don't just repent overnight. They don't transform because they say a few sorrys and shed a few tears. No. It takes more than that. It takes losing everything to learn anything."

He took a slow breath, then added firmly, "And I am not the kind of man who gives second chances. I hate second chances. Do you hear me?"

James's head finally lifted, eyes wet, lips pressed together, but he nodded weakly.

"Because who knows what you'll do next if I give you another chance?" Oliver went on. "Will you lie again? Will you stab her in the back again? Will you cry, swear, beg again and still go behind her to ruin her life? You think your tears mean anything right now?"

At those words, James broke down completely. The wall he tried to keep up crumbled like dust. He wept loud, messy, shameful sobs.

"I'm sorry!" he cried, voice breaking. "I'm really sorry! Please please forgive me. I wasn't thinking straight! I was pressured! I was cornered. I...I didn't know what to do."

He sniffled hard. "Please. I swear I'll stay away from her. I swear. I won't ever go near Cora again. I'll stay far away. Just give me a second chance. Please."

He cried even harder. "Please."

At that moment, Oliver slowly turned to James with a calm yet dangerous smile on his face. He looked like someone who had already made up his mind, and nothing could change it.

"Well, no problem," Oliver began, his voice steady, sharp, and cold. "I have accepted your apology. I won't lie Cora is a kind woman. I believe she has already forgiven you in her heart. That's the kind of person she is."

James, hearing that, felt a little relief. His tears slowed just a little. He nodded quickly, thinking maybe, just maybe, Oliver would let him go.

But then Oliver's smile disappeared. His eyes darkened, and his voice dropped.

"But let me make something clear to you," Oliver continued, "Me forgiving you… and accepting your apology… doesn't mean I won't do exactly what I planned to do."

James's heart dropped again. He looked up, confused, scared, and desperate.

Oliver leaned in just a little, his hands behind his back like a king giving a sentence.

"I'm still going to do it," he said slowly. "And what I want to do to you… is very, very simple."

He turned and looked at the guards around him. Then he raised one finger, just a calm, small swipe through the air.

The room tensed.

One of Oliver's men stepped forward immediately. He held a large, thick envelope in his hands, and with a blank face, he handed it straight to Oliver.

Oliver didn't look at James again. Instead, he opened the envelope slowly and pulled out a document. The rustling sound of the paper felt like thunder to James, who was now frozen in fear.

At that moment, Oliver didn't even bother to sit. He stood like a king issuing judgment, holding the thick brown envelope in one hand and tapping it slowly against his palm. His face was calm, too calm the kind of calm that made James feel even more afraid than if he had been shouting.

He lifted the envelope and said with a cold, amused tone, "This document right here belongs to you, James. But I want everyone here to understand something it doesn't just belong to you. It is you. Everything you own, everything tied to your name, every property, every shady deal, every last drop of asset you think you kept hidden it's all here. Everything."

James blinked rapidly, his heartbeat becoming uneven. His throat was dry. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like his chest was about to explode. He hadn't told anyone about those assets. Not even his lawyer. So how did Oliver…?

"Let me break it down for you," Oliver continued, flipping the document open as one of his men stood by silently, arms crossed, as if ready to enforce whatever command would come next. "Page one, the market value of your house in Oakview Estate. Page two, the two plots you tried to sneak into your cousin's name retrieved. Page three, your luxury car collection. Page four, the offshore account you opened in abroad. And oh, page five," Oliver paused, letting his eyes land directly on James. "The mini casino in Prague. The one you run under that fake name, where you gamble half your conscience away every other month."