Douglas Dawson's eyes turned red from crying. He and his sister had always shared a close bond, and their children were equally cherished. Douglas had three sons, while Aria Dawson had only one daughter—Brenda Miles, the apple of both the Miles and Dawson families' eyes.
But what they saw now was beyond imagination. Perry Jerome had ordered his men to mercilessly mutilate Brenda's face, which she surgically transformed it into Lilian Asienwegher's likeness. She was locked in a cell until the Russell men discovered her and set her free.
Brenda's face had rotted so badly she couldn't bear it. She insisted on ending her life. The Miles and Dawson families sought the best plastic surgeons, but all said her face was irreparably damaged.
Douglas Dawson was devastated. He remembered the Russell brothers' words: "You won't understand the pain victims endure unless it happens to you." Now, he understood.
---
Suddenly, Douglas picked up his phone and dialed his close friend, the Inspector General of Police. He told him he was withdrawing his support for Morgan Jerome. He intended to bring Morgan and his son to justice, to give victims of Perry's cruelty the justice they deserved.
But unknown to them, Morgan Jerome's confidant overheard their conversation and rushed to inform Morgan.
Morgan was reluctant to believe it. He quickly called Perry. "Did you harm a girl from the Miles family?"
Perry answered angrily. "She should be thankful I was lenient enough not to kill her. How dare she impersonate my Lilian?"
Morgan gritted his teeth. "Lilian Asienwegher again? How much trouble has that girl caused us? She's the Kimberly family's young miss now. If not for the fact she's pregnant with my grandson, I wouldn't spare her."
Morgan's hatred toward Lilian skyrocketed. He wished to crush her into pieces.
---
Quickly, Morgan gathered his belongings and slipped through a secret passage to escape. His confidant, carrying Morgan's expensive gold, diamonds, and money, disguised himself as a food delivery driver and drove out of the presidential villa.
Meanwhile, army and police vehicles were already heading toward the villa to arrest Morgan. But when they arrived, they found only servants.
Morgan had long sent his wife and two youngest daughters abroad. His other four daughters were already married. Douglas Dawson himself had advised Morgan to send them away until Avaldos' crisis was resolved.
Morgan's men tried to hold his family hostage to lure him back, but they were gone.
---
Morgan and his confidant reached the agreed meeting point with Perry. Morgan ordered his confidant to retrieve his family and hide them on one of Perry's islands in Moscow.
Morgan then boarded Perry's submersible vehicle, diving into the sea and disappearing.
For the first time, Morgan felt proud of his son. Despite the troubles Perry had caused, he was capable. Morgan now relied on him to survive. He had no regrets about spoiling his son.
---
Father and son lived in hiding, relying on each other. They dared not hire servants, so they did everything themselves. Perry's attempts to please Lilian had taught him to cook, clean, and manage household chores—skills that now proved invaluable.
Morgan was surprised to see his son wearing an apron, cooking. He sincerely pitied Perry for loving the wrong girl. His hatred for Lilian boiled.
His son, pampered since the womb, had never experienced hardship. Yet he had learned to do everything for an orphan girl—and still couldn't win her heart.
---
Morgan sighed deeply, watching Perry stir soup. "Do you think that girl will agree to bear your child?"
Perry froze, the spoon slipping from his hand. He looked at his father, disappointment clouding his eyes. He wiped away tears threatening to fall. "I doubt it."
Morgan felt a pang of pain for his son. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, powerless to help.
Perry leaned lazily against the kitchen counter, regret burning in his red eyes. "It was all my fault. It's because I'm evil." He sniffed a laugh, sobbing at the same time. "Lee said that if I weren't so evil, we could have been happy together forever."
---
He turned to his father. "Dad… is it too late for me to be good?"
Morgan's eyes fixed painfully on his son. He said nothing.
Perry nodded to himself. "Of course it's too late. She's now the young lady of the Kimberly family. And she has a powerful, handsome suitor—Derek Russell." His words ended in a burst of painful, regretful sobs.
Morgan stood, walked to his son, and patted his shoulder. "Let's wait for the search to die down. Then we'll quietly see how to solve this."
Perry squinted, suspicious. His father's idea of "solving" things didn't sound right. He knew Morgan hated Lilian deeply.
He looked at his father, warning, "Dad, you must not harm Lee!"
Morgan's brow furrowed, irritation flashing. "What's wrong with you, Perry? You've been so good to her, but she's an ungrateful girl! Look at all the trouble you're facing—all because of her."