Vanessa’s facade began to crack under the weight of my revelations. “You… you have nothing,” she stammered, her confidence eroding into panic.

“You see, Vanessa,” I replied, my voice ice-cold, “I didn’t survive all those years in business without learning a thing or two about deceit. You underestimated me, both of you did.”

David’s voice broke, desperation seeping in. “Mom, please. We can fix this. We were wrong, I see that now. Just… give us another chance.”