Seeing my swollen cheeks and disheveled appearance, his eyes immediately turned red. His voice was filled with a suppressed tremor. Look at this. Look at the state my daughter is in.

It's my fault. I should have been more firm back then. A lump formed in my throat and the tears I had barely been holding back flowed again. I hugged my father tightly.

A strong warm embrace that gave me absolute security. Something I had never felt in 5 years with Caleb. It's me, Dad. It's all my fault.

You're home now. That's enough. My father patted my back just as he would to calm me when I was little. Don't think about anything.

Go upstairs, take a hot bath, and put on clean clothes. The housekeeper has already prepared everything. Well talk later. A kind-looking middle-aged woman approached us.

Her eyes were also red. Savannah, come with me. Your bath is ready. I went up with her to the second floor and entered my bedroom.

It was so familiar, exactly as I had left it before my wedding. Immaculate, as if I had never left. The huge window offered a nighttime view of rainy Chicago. The bath was filled with hot water, and a soft robe and clean clothes lay beside it.

As I sank into the warm water, I felt the chill and fatigue slowly leave my body. The pain in my cheeks also subsided. I looked in the mirror. My cheeks were swollen, but my gaze was no longer helpless.

I promised myself, "Savannah, get a grip. You can't let those bastards destroy your life." After my bath, I put on comfortable pajamas and went downstairs. My father was sitting on the sofa in the spacious living room with a cup of hot tea in front of him, a serious expression on his face as he stared at his phone. Hearing my footsteps, he immediately put his phone down, forced a smile, and waved me over.

Savannah, come here. Sit down. Let me look at your face. He took my hand, sat me down next to him, and carefully examined my face, frowning.

That beast, how could he hit you so hard? The doctor will be here soon. We need to treat this first. Dad, I'm fine.

I shook my head. The wound in my heart was more searing than the one on my face. What? You're fine?

You call this being fine? My father's voice suddenly rose. I, Arthur Vance, have never laid a hand on my daughter in my life. Who the hell are they, this Prescott family, to do this to you?

He took a deep breath to calm himself and looked at me before speaking seriously. Savannah, be honest with me. How have you been living these past 5 years in that house? Did they always treat you like this?

I looked down at my hands, rough and calloused from work. The last 5 years flashed before my eyes like a film. My mother-in-law's cruel jibes, Caleb's indifference and bad moods, and the countless messages with other women on his phone. I had told myself that if I endured it all, everything would work out.

That I had to be patient for the good of the family. How foolish I was. No, it wasn't always like this. My voice was a whisper.

It got worse last year when he started seeing that woman, Briana. What happened tonight was the first time he hit me. And the first time he hits you like this and throws you out of the house. My father slammed his hand on the armrest of the sofa.

Excellent. Very well. This Prescott family is truly something else. He picked up his phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker.

The call was answered almost immediately. I heard a decisive male voice. Marcus, how is the investigation going? My father's voice was icy.

Mr. Vance, we have everything. The Prescott family started in the building materials business and has now invested almost everything in the Sunrise Hills development project in the Eastern District. Caleb's father, Russell Prescott, is the president and Caleb is the vice president. The company is quite large.

Its assets were worth nearly $100 million. They have almost no liquid cash. They live on bank loans and by delaying payments to suppliers. Sunrise Hills project.

My father let out a sarcastic laugh. Wasn't the main contractor the Sterling Group? Yes, Mr. Vance. The CEO of the Sterling Group asked for a meeting with you last month.

He wanted to get involved in our new urban project. My father answered with a single word, a cold glint in his eyes. Tell the CEO of Sterling to immediately halt the Sunrise Hills project. Tell him to pull all personnel and equipment off site as of today.

Let him come up with a pretext. Tell him that serious defects were detected in the material supplied and that the Vance Group wants no association with such low-quality suppliers. I felt my heart leap. Sunrise Hills was the Prescott family's last hope.

If the project was stopped, the bank loans would be immediately called in and suppliers would rush to demand their debts. It was literally cutting off their oxygen. On the other end, Marcus replied without the slightest hesitation. Understood, Mr. Vance.

I'll take care of it immediately. That construction site will be quieter than a tomb by tonight. And one more thing, my father added, "Spread a rumor to some of our contacts. I've seen that the Prescott company has serious management problems and is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Let everyone draw their own conclusions." "Yes, sir." As he hung up, silence fell in the living room. My father looked at me with deep eyes and said, "Savannah, this is just the beginning.

I will show the Prescotts the price for touching my daughter. You will see how your father settles the score." I saw a mixture of concern and fury in his eyes.