The next day, I went to the café where Mr. Handsome said we should meet. I arrived early and chose a seat near the window. Hours passed, yet he never showed up. Luckily, I had brought my laptop with me, so the time wasn't completely wasted. While waiting, I worked on gathering evidence and organizing documents.
Eventually, I sent an anonymous message to Elorah.
"I know what you did five years ago, betrayer."
Attached to the message was transaction evidence between her and Mark. I stared at the screen for a moment after pressing send, imagining the expression on her face when she read it. Shock, fear, panic—it didn't matter. As long as she understood someone was watching.
After that, I forwarded the necessary documents to my lawyer and instructed him to file a case against R&A Company. At the same time, I contacted my assistant and told her to arrange for one of the ladies in M Country to travel to S Country immediately.
Once that was done, I leaned back in my chair and began calculating my next move.
Since I had already accepted the mission regarding our father, I had no intention of abandoning it. If anything, my curiosity had grown stronger. I needed to know exactly who he was. What kind of man abandons his own family? How bad of a father could someone truly be?
While I was still lost in my thoughts, my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Dr. Felix.
"Our father asked me to come home today. Would you like to come along?"
My lips curved slightly.
What an opportunity.
I replied immediately, asking if Judy would also be coming with us. Felix confirmed that she would. That made things easier; I didn't want to look suspicious by refusing.
Before leaving the café, I finished the remaining tasks on my laptop. Mo Company still needed protection, and I couldn't neglect that responsibility.
Using an anonymous number that could never be traced, I sent Julius a recording of several people discussing plans to embezzle money from the company. To make sure he understood the seriousness of the situation, I also attached a video showing someone being killed and pushed into swampy water.
Along with the video, I added a simple message.
"Watch your back, Julius."
I closed my laptop calmly.
Just then, Dr. Felix arrived to pick me up.
Before leaving, I spoke with the café manager and asked him to call me if Mr. Handsome ever showed up later. After that, Felix, Judy, and I left together.
Not long after, we arrived at my so-called father's apartment.
The place was… beautiful.
Luxurious buildings surrounded the property, and the landscape was carefully designed with trees, fountains, and expensive decorations. Everything looked perfect.
I stared silently through the car window.
Is this the life my father denied my mother and me… all in the name of chasing the bag?
The thought made my chest tighten.
If I discovered that he was truly guilty of everything my mother suffered, I would personally kill him—even if that meant damaging my relationship with Dr. Felix.
That was the first determination I made in my mind.
Entering my father's compound was not easy. Security checks happened everywhere. Guards stood at multiple positions, cameras monitored every corner, and hidden men moved silently in the background.
Wow.
All this protection just because he was a consigliere.
The man really valued his life.
Finally, we stepped out of the car. As I walked forward, I prepared myself to behave completely differently from the Cathy that Felix and Judy knew.
Today, they would see another side of me.
A colder side.
Then I saw him.
My father.
We looked surprisingly alike.
Sharp eyes. Small mouth. Green irises.
I was basically a female version of him—with just a little bit of my mother's beauty added.
My stomach churned, but I forced a smile and approached him.
"Wow," I said lightly. "What a handsome dad you have, Felix. But you look nothing like your father."
I winked at Felix before casually pulling out a cigarette.
"Mr., can you light my smoke for me?"
Everyone froze.
The bodyguards immediately pulled out their guns, aiming at me, ready to shoot if I made a suspicious move.
I glanced at the weapon pointed at me and sighed.
"Wow, you're pointing a Glock-19 at me," I said casually. "Tsk tsk… and you're not even holding it right. You're going to miss your target. Hold your gun like this."
Dr. Felix sighed beside me.
"Cathy, stop playing and be serious," he said with a small smile.
"Okay, Felix."
In less than two seconds, before anyone could react, I performed a quick backflip, disarmed the guard, and grabbed the gun. When I landed, the weapon was already pointed at my father's head.
Gasps echoed around us.
"Mr.," I said calmly, "can you tell your bouncers to drop their guns? I'm scared I might accidentally kill you."
My father- Mason Desmond gulped slightly.
Then he raised his hand, signaling his guards.
Slowly, they lowered their weapons.
The next second, I suddenly ran back toward Felix.
"Felix! They're going to kill me!"
Felix burst into laughter.
"Relax. Nobody will touch you as long as I'm here."
He then stepped forward and greeted our father. The two of them began speaking in Italian, clearly assuming I didn't understand the language.
I stayed silent.
After the conversation ended, we all moved into the living room.
And that was when I saw something shocking.
On the wall hung a large framed photograph.
My mother.
My steps slowed.
Without realizing it, I walked closer to the picture, leaving everyone behind.
My fingers lightly touched the frame.
This picture didn't deserve to be here.
Or… was there something my mother had hidden from me?
Was everything I believed a lie?
Maybe there was a misunderstanding I hadn't uncovered yet.
I needed to be patient.
Observant.
Careful.
"Do you know the woman in the picture?" my so-called father suddenly asked.
I turned back and shook my head.
"No, Mr. I'm just intrigued by her beauty."
"Who is she to you?" I asked casually.
He looked at the portrait for a moment.
"She's my wife. My lovely wife. I miss her every day."
"Where is she?" I asked. "Why would you be missing your wife?"
Instead of answering, he studied me carefully.
"Who are you to Dr. Felix?"
Then he smiled.
"I like how confident you are. The way you handled that gun earlier—even professionals struggle to do that. Would you like to become my personal assistant? I'll pay you triple your salary."
I tilted my head.
"Aren't you supposed to be scared?" I asked. "The first time we met, I pointed a gun at your head."
He chuckled.
"I knew you wouldn't shoot because Felix was there."
I nodded slowly, walking around the room as if I owned the place.
"Wow… interesting logic," I said. "But if I truly wanted you dead, you would already be dead—even if Dr. Felix was standing right beside you."
I stopped walking and looked directly at him.
"Do you know what that means?"
"That not even your son Felix could stop me from doing what I want."
I shrugged lightly.
"Besides, I'm not interested in your assistant position. You can't control me, and you definitely can't afford me. Not even the unknown youngest billionaire or the Godfather of the Don could control me."
I smirked.
"So forget it."
I walked closer to him.
"But if you want me to walk with you, then answer one question."
"What is your relationship with the Riggs family?"
He gulped immediately.
I smiled.
"Good," I said softly.
"Because your answer will determine whether they go bankrupt within a month… or not."
With that, I turned around and walked back toward Dr. Felix.