Chapter 889

Damian looked at his father, agitation rising from his long absence and the difficult period he'd endured. "Dad..."

Joseph, noticing his son's significant weight loss, forbore his initial reprimand. He sighed and sat down. "Where have you been these past few days?"

"I was kidnapped by Nathaniel Hall."

"So it was him!" Joseph sighed again, his expectation confirmed yet his anger undiminished. That man was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing! He'd been uneasy when Arianna brought Hall into the company, dismissing his concerns then. He’d almost believed the rumors of an intimate relationship between them, but Arianna's preferences made that seem improbable. Her engagement to Noah Richards solidified his doubts. He never suspected, however, that Nathaniel was Eloise's illegitimate son. The shame was unbearable; his bastard son had taken everything.

"It's all your fault!" Elizabeth's scornful words echoed his own self-reproach. "You always told me to tolerate her, to save face, but has she saved yours?"

"Enough!" Joseph's troubled voice silenced her. He didn't want to dwell on it; the discussion only deepened his misery.

But Elizabeth was implacable. Her son was safe, but everything else was lost—Tanner Corporation now in an outsider's hands. Her previous silence shattered.

"Drop it? Why should I? You lectured me about her constantly. Now look what Eloise has done! Her son controls the entire company; Tanner Corporation will soon be Hall Corporation! She'll enjoy a life of comfort after manipulating everyone. What about you? What do you have left? I thought you knew what you were doing, yet she fooled you!"

Joseph's retort was sharp, "I told you to drop it!"

I was foolish not to be wary of Eloise. I’ve lost everything belonging to my family, but will she truly leave me with nothing? No way! I won't give up without a fight!

He turned abruptly to his son. "Damian, you said Nathaniel Hall kidnapped you?"

Damian nodded, surprised by the shift in focus. "Yes, I was."

"Do you remember where he held you, how it happened? Do you have any proof?"

Elizabeth interjected, "You want to press charges?"

Damian, though considering it, was hesitant. "Proof? What proof could I have? He took my phone and abducted me after I lost consciousness. I only remember an abandoned building, but I don't know the location. I was blindfolded when they returned me."

Elizabeth added, "Damian suffered greatly. How could he remember much? Besides, with that man in control, pressing charges won't be easy, will it?"