John was nearly deranged, struggling to lunge forward and strangle Raelynn. Everyone was stunned by the sudden outburst. Julie immediately stepped in front of John, her eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at him. She couldn't believe the man before her remained just as unrepentant. Her voice was sharp. "Dad! Why are you still blaming Mom? It was us! We were the ones blinded by Zac! We were the ones who wronged Arthur! Even last night, Zac was still scheming against Arthur! And yet, you refuse to see the truth and keep siding with Zac! That's why Arthur retaliated against us! How can you still not understand?" Julie shouted with all her strength. It was the first time she had ever defied John like this. The entire Gray family was frozen in shock. John stared at Julie, stunned. This was his eldest daughter, the one who had always been the most sensible and understanding. And yet, she dared to say this, while Zac was right there! Instinctively, John turned to Zac, worried. As expected, Zac was staring at Julie, his eyes filled with disbelief. Seeing Zac's expression, John completely lost his grip on reason. Ignoring his injuries, he suddenly climbed out of bed, stormed over to Julie, and struck her hard across the face. A loud smack echoed through the room. Julie's cheek instantly swelled, a fiery red handprint spreading across her skin. She held her face, staring at John in shock. In all her life, this was the first time he had ever hit her. But John's reckless movement had torn his wounds open, and blood quickly seeped through his bandages. The hospital room erupted into chaos. Doctors rushed in, pulling John away to tend to his injuries. Despite the rift between them, Raelynn, Julie, Susie, and Rosie still followed after him. John refused to even look at Julie. Even while being bandaged, he kept snapping at her to leave.With no other choice, Julie stepped out of the room. Then, she heard Zac's voice. It was faint, but distinct enough to catch her attention. The hospital door was ajar, and acting on impulse, she crept back toward it. Through the gap, she saw Zac on the phone. When she heard the word "shares," she instinctively took out her own phone and quietly started recording. The more she listened, the paler she became. Too many shocking things had happened in a single day. Julie could hardly believe her own ears. Before long, John's wounds were treated, and the doctor gave his instructions before wheeling him out. Zac quickly ended his call. Julie tucked her phone away and stepped back. When John returned to the room, his anger toward Julie had yet to subside. Zac, seeing this, was smug on the inside, but on the surface, he put on a guilty and anxious act. "Dad, please don't be mad at Julie. This is my fault. I was the one who did wrong. It's all on me." His remorseful expression made John's heart ache for him all over again. Zac always played the same tricks, and yet, the Gray family kept falling for them. Then, Julie suddenly spoke. "Zac, the company is in crisis. We can't afford to wait any longer. I'm going to prepare the paperwork for the stock transfer now. I'll have someone bring it here, and you just need to sign." Her firm tone caught everyone off guard. John, who had only just calmed down, immediately flared up again. "Julie! Do you think Zac is going to steal your shares? Why are you in such a rush? The company is already in trouble. Do you really think you can persuade them to start working with us again?" As someone who had run the business for years, John knew better than anyone that those partners wouldn't change their minds so quickly. He had just offered them extremely tempting terms, yet they still cut ties with the Gray family without hesitation. That alone proved how determined they were. The only way out now was to sabotage their collaboration with Cloudia Corporation.He thought if he scolded Julie enough, she would give up on this nonsense and stop hurting Zac in such a crucial moment. But to his surprise, she simply turned to Zac, her gaze unwavering. "Zac, I want my shares back. Right now. Are you willing to return them to me?" There was still a sliver of hope in Julie's heart. She didn't want to believe that the little brother she had loved and protected for so many years could be like this. She had always assumed his actions stemmed from jealousy, that he resented Arthur for being their biological brother and wanted all of their love for himself. But that phone call just now had shown her the truth. Zac never just wanted their love. He wanted everything.