As Zac continued speaking, the anger he had just suppressed erupted once again! Since coming to Seacity, he refused to live a life of humiliation and insignificance! After all this time, Zac had sensed that something was off. Ever since they arrived in Seacity, he had repeatedly asked Renee the same questions—when would Zane take them home, and when would he finally acknowledge him as his son in front of everyone? But Renee always said the same thing, that his injuries hadn't fully healed. He needed to recover first so he could make his grand entrance into the public eye and formally step into Seacity’s elite social circle. Zac had initially found this reasonable. He didn’t want people to see him in such a miserable state. He didn’t want to be looked down upon by Seacity’s upper class. So he waited. And waited. Until now. Just moments ago, when he had asked about college, Renee’s eyes had flickered—subtly but noticeably. Zac had spent years navigating the Gray family, learning how to read people. He had developed his own instincts for detecting lies and hidden motives. But he had never wanted to believe that the one person he held dearest—his own mother—could ever do anything to harm him. Renee was left speechless by his relentless questioning. Zac was even sharper than she had imagined. She opened her mouth, hesitated for a long moment, then finally spoke with difficulty, "Zac, your father... it's not that he doesn’t want to acknowledge you. He’s just... just waiting for the right time." Hearing her response, Zac felt a wave of despair crash over him. He slumped back into his wheelchair, the light in his eyes instantly fading into emptiness. So it’s true. He really doesn’t want to acknowledge me. All that talk about waiting until he was fully recovered, about making his debut in the best possible state—it was all a lie. A convenient excuse. The truth was, Zane didn’t want anyone to know he had an illegitimate son! Not only did he refuse to publicly acknowledge him, but he didn’t even want him to go to college! He was afraid—afraid that people would uncover the truth, that his affair and secret child would be exposed. At that moment, Zac burned with unprecedented rage. What does he take me for?A possession he can hide away whenever he pleases? I’m a living, breathing person!For the first time, he truly understood the pain of being abandoned. The kind of hopelessness that came with being cast aside. Watching the fury and despair in Zac’s expression, Renee hesitated. She felt a pang of guilt. But compared to what she was striving for... She had no choice but to sacrifice Zac. Zac’s bloodshot eyes locked onto Renee as he suddenly asked, "Mom, do you agree with him? Do you think I shouldn't go to college either? Are you in on this—hiding me away so no one finds out I'm his illegitimate son?" His voice rose with each question, his emotions spiraling out of control. "Did you two ever plan to acknowledge me at all?" By the end, Zac was nearly hysterical. Renee’s face paled, then flushed, alternating between shades of blue and white under his piercing interrogation. She suddenly grabbed Zac’s hand tightly. "Zac, your father promised—if we listen to him and do as we're told, one day, he will find the right time to recognize us officially!" Zac let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Oh? One day? And when exactly is one day? In a few months? A few years? A few decades?" Renee was at a loss for words. A few years? A few decades? She had already waited ten years. She had no idea when Zane’s so-called "right time" would actually come. She opened her mouth, wanting to defend him. But her throat tightened, and no sound came out. The room was deathly silent. After a long pause, Renee’s eyes suddenly lit up. As if she had grasped onto a lifeline, she tightened her grip on Zac’s hand again. "Zac, let’s sell our shares! If we sell them, we’ll have enough money. Then, your father will have no choice but to take us seriously! Maybe he’ll finally make our relationship public!" Hope flickered in Renee’s eyes, but beneath that hope was something even more powerful—obsession. She was willing to give up anything— Anything. As long as she could enter the Yarbrough family with a legitimate title, she didn’t care what it took.But Zane was nothing like John—he wasn’t so easy to deceive. No matter how hard she had tried over the years, Zane had always kept her under wraps, ensuring that no one ever found out about her existence. Renee knew that Zane stayed with Zoey only for her family's wealth. He and I,we are the ones truly in love! But right now, Zoey still had value to him. And it was all because of the damn Gibson family and Arthur! It had taken Zane three years to finally make his move against Spencer. The Gibson family had plummeted ever since. Now, the Yarbrough family was rising, growing stronger by the day. Soon, they would crush the Gibson family completely and drive Spencer out of Seacity for good.