Chapter 7

Jerome locked eyes with Miranda, his gaze cold and unreadable like a frozen lake. "Isn't that the truth? All these wounds on you… weren't they Vergil's doing?" Miranda felt as if she had been struck by lightning. "What are you talking about?" "Vergil has confessed everything," Jerome said. Only then did Miranda hear a man's repeated, agonized screams coming from the basement. It was Vergil. Jerome believed Vergil but refused to believe her. Overwhelmed by a suffocating sense of helplessness, Miranda closed her eyes and stopped arguing. Everyone in the room had left, and Jerome spoke again. "I'll handle the online backlash, and I'll have people guard the villa. You're not going anywhere for now." Miranda's eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes. "You're going to keep me locked up?" The only answer she received was the heavy thud of the door closing, followed by a voice dripping with disdain. "The Cooper name can't afford this shame." Miranda stared at the tightly shut door, tears streaming down her face. The next morning, she was awoken by the sound of smashing and banging coming from the direction of the adjacent room—Fred's bedroom. Still in her pajamas and barefoot, she ran out immediately. She saw Madison with several bodyguards, smashing Fred's entire room to pieces, while Jerome stood by, doing nothing to stop them. "Stop! What are you doing?" She rushed forward to stop them, but was violently shoved to the floor by Madison's bodyguards. Madison stepped on her fingers, looking down at her with disdain. "Miranda, you must have messed with Dami during surgery. That's why he's been in such poor health. Of course, I have to get revenge for him!" "Madison Carline!" Miranda's eyes burned with hatred. Summoning all her strength, she shoved Madison to the ground and straddled her. She raised her hand to slap her, but before the hit could land, an immense force yanked her up. She turned and met Jerome's furious gaze. "You dare hit Madison in front of me?" Miranda's chest heaved violently. "Jerome! Was Freddie really your son? How could you just stand there and watch them destroy his room? These were all his belongings!" "If you hadn't deliberately harmed Dami, Madison wouldn't have been so angry as to come and smash the room. As for Freddie… whether he's really my son is still uncertain!" Miranda stared at his cold, indifferent expression. She felt as if her heart were being squeezed to the breaking point. She couldn't breathe, and though she opened her mouth, no words came out. She couldn't even shed a single tear. Jerome threw her harshly to the floor and ordered his men, "Hold her down. Don't let her cause trouble." Miranda was held down firmly, helplessly watching as every one of Fred's belongings was pulled from his bedroom and smashed to pieces. Only after Madison finally stopped did Jerome step forward, wrapping his arm around her. "Feeling better now? Are you tired?" They walked outside side by side, and only then was Miranda released. She looked around in a daze. Fred's favorite toys and figurines had been destroyed; a building block set he had painstakingly built as a gift for Jerome was stomped into shards; and every page of their family photo album, capturing happy moments of the three of them, had been ripped to pieces. Miranda looked down at the crayon drawing on the floor. Only a single corner remained intact, where Fred had clumsily written with the letters he had just learned. "I love Mommy and Daddy the most." She could no longer hold back and collapsed among the ruins of the room, crying her heart out. A pair of high heels stopped beside her as Madison squatted down, a mocking, triumphant smile playing on her face. "Miranda, do you want to know why Dami is a year older than your son?"