But now... why had Renee’s attitude suddenly changed? John couldn’t understand. He wandered aimlessly down the street. The company was already handed over to Zac. Suddenly, he had nothing to do—and no home to return to. At the hospital, after confirming that John had walked far enough away, Renee shut the door. Zac watched her, his face filled with confusion. He had no idea what she was up to. "Mom, what's going on?" he asked. After closing the door, Renee stepped in front of him, her expression serious as she locked eyes with him. A bad feeling crept over Zac. Instinctively, he felt a flicker of fear. Renee didn't give him time to dwell on it. Her voice was firm, deliberate. "Zac, what I'm about to tell you is extremely, extremely important. You must not tell anyone!" Zac's heart trembled. "What is it?" he asked without thinking. Without warning, Renee grabbed his shoulders. "Zac, John is not your father! You must never address John as your dad again!" Her last sentence came out in a near-hysterical scream. Just moments ago, she had heard Zac suggest that she and John get married, had heard him call John ‘Dad’—and it had completely unraveled her. John? A man like that? How could he ever deserve to be Zac’s father? Zac stared at her, stunned. "But mom, didn't you—" He had wanted to ask—"Didn’t you love John?" Over the past few days, he had clearly sensed her feelings for him. It was precisely because of that, because he had seen her genuine emotions, that he had finally let go of his own reservations and accepted John. But now, why had her attitude shifted so suddenly? Renee took a deep breath. She knew exactly what Zac was wondering. She looked at him intently. "Zac, do you really think I love John? That I truly want to marry him?"Zac hesitated, then nodded. Renee’s expression turned even more serious. "No! I'm telling you right now—I have no feelings for John. Not even a little! You only have one father, and you must never address John as your dad again. He is not worthy!" Zac stared at her in shock. In his memories, Renee had always been gentle and kind. He had never seen her like this before. Her eyes burned with cold fury, deep resentment, and absolute disdain for John. She exhaled sharply before continuing, "Zac, you need to understand—people should always strive to move up in life. John has fallen. He has nothing now. How could he possibly provide for us?" "But before—" "It was all an act!" Renee cut him off decisively. "Zac, everything I've done has been for you. You have a bright future ahead of you. You can’t just waste your life away in South City. You need to go to Seacity! Seacity is so much bigger than South City. Only there can you truly reach your full potential!" Zac stared at her in a daze. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t care. He was so, so tired. He had been wearing a mask for ten years. Ten years. A decade ago, he had still been just a child, yet he had already needed to disguise himself, to infiltrate the Gray family. To release his pent-up frustrations, he had taken it all out on Arthur. Every step of the way had been exhausting. He was so tired of living like this. The past few days, John and Renee had cared for him together. It had been peaceful, warm. He had thought—finally, finally, he could live his own life. But now, he realized it had all been a lie. Yet, when he looked into Renee’s hopeful eyes, he suddenly couldn’t bear to refuse her. His mother had already suffered enough in life. As her only son, he couldn’t disappoint her. Unconsciously, Zac nodded. "Mom, I understand." Seeing his agreement, Renee finally released the tight grip she had on him. A sharp sting spread across Zac’s shoulder.She had gripped him so hard that she had broken the skin. He didn’t say anything. He knew it wasn’t intentional. He couldn’t let her feel guilty or worried. The next day, John had spent the night at a random hotel. He kept replaying everything in his head. He must have done something wrong. He must have upset Renee. She was such a gentle person. It had to be his fault. Determined to make it right, he got up early, bought her favorite pastries, and even ordered a large bouquet of fresh flowers before heading to the hospital. But when he pushed open the door to the hospital room, he froze. The room was empty. The bed was neatly made. All of Zac’s belongings were gone. A terrible feeling sank in his chest. Panic gripped him. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. Desperately, he tried to reassure himself as he stumbled toward the nurses’ station, his steps unsteady, his heart pounding in his chest.