Chapter 1161

"That's not possible!" Ralph exclaimed, disbelief etched on his face. He'd meticulously planned everything; his mother's betrayal was the only unforeseen variable. "How could I lose if you hadn't sided with Alex? No way! There's no f*cking way!"

"I guess you're unaware that Alex knew about your birth long ago, even before me," Margaret replied. "He simply chose not to reveal it. If you hadn't pushed him, he wouldn't have exposed you, but you..." Alexander had known for a considerable time, unlike Margaret. As head of the family, he'd pieced together the truth but remained silent out of respect for his grandmother, for Ralph's upbringing within the family, and most importantly, for Hugo, who'd brought Ralph into the family and kept the secret.

However, Ralph's actions had cornered Alexander, unwittingly hastening his own downfall.

"What?" Ralph's voice was sharp, laced with astonishment. He'd never imagined Alexander's knowledge, let alone his silence. "No way! No f*cking way! He would have kicked me out long ago if he'd known! He wouldn't have allowed me to stay this long, let alone attend the family meeting. That makes no sense! Mom, he must have duped you! You think he's a nice, generous guy, do you? If he's so magnanimous, he should announce to all our relatives that I'm still a Russell, that someone maliciously faked the DNA report! He should also promise not to take anything from me, not the properties!"

Ralph's gaze swept the room. He believed he could compel Alexander's compliance. "Doesn't Alex want to appear generous and forgiving? Then he should let bygones be bygones. At least then I can keep what's mine."

"Ralph..." Margaret sighed deeply, speechless. The unspoken question hung in the air: Shouldn't he be repenting now?

"The DNA report is genuine," Margaret finally said. "If Alex had announced it in front of the family, there would be no reason to change the statement. As for your properties…," she hesitated, "that's up to Alex, as head of the family. But if you want—"

Ralph angrily interrupted. "You've deceived me! All that talk about loving me was a lie, wasn't it? You knew I'm not your real son, so you tried to make a fool of me! You told me everything belonged to me, and now you're giving me nothing! Everyone in the Russell family is a liar! Fine. I'll destroy everything if you won't give me anything!"

Enraged, he leaped to his feet, kicking over a coffee table. He then seized a chair, smashing it against the television. "Nothing! You're giving me nothing!" The rage fueled his destruction, a blind fury at what he perceived as theft. The sounds of shattering glass and splintering wood echoed through the phone.

Margaret was stunned, helpless, unsure what her son was doing. "Ralph, what are you doing? Don't hurt yourself! What are you doing? Where are you? Lily, Celine, help!"

Ralph, misinterpreting her distress as anger over his destruction, yelled into the phone, "Call whoever you like, but I'll destroy everything I can't have!" He slammed the phone down and continued his rampage.