Out of the Shadows: Tilda’s Brilliant Second Life Chapter 681 Sad Father

Howard and Santiago walked toward Russell and dropped to their knees in front of him, their faces streaked with tears.

The sight of his children breaking down finally stirred Russell’s wounded and shattered heart.

“Dominic, Howard, Santiago… it’s already good enough that you’re here… it’s enough…” His voice shook as he wept. “I know I’ve let you down, seeing your father like this. I just can’t hold on anymore. Your mother has been hurt again and again, and I’ve been powerless to stop it. I’d rather it be me than her. You need to understand that you need to…”

Moisture spilled from Russell’s lifeless eyes.

The man who once stood tall and unyielding now collapsed beneath his own grief.

“I know… we all know…”

Dominic and his brothers had always known their father. The blows that struck Blair pierced Russell’s heart even deeper than theirs. The one who bore the worst pain was not her sons. It was Russell, her husband.

No one on this earth loved Blair more than Russell. His love was stronger, heavier, and deeper than words could carry. Russell valued Blair more than his own life. If giving up his breath could restore hers, he would make that choice without a second thought. Dominic and his brothers had grown up watching it, day after day. Russell’s love for Blair had gone beyond flesh and vows. It had become a truth etched into his very soul, leaving marks that could never be erased. That devotion between their parents was what they themselves dreamed of finding.

But the woman Russell had protected so carefully, the one he held as though she might vanish at a touch, had endured two brutal accidents in only a few months. The first destroyed the strength of her right leg. The second cracked the back of her skull and left her in a hospital bed, unconscious and unmoving. It wasn’t only Blair who suffered. The Jensons carried the torment, too. For Russell, it was punishment so cruel that life itself became unbearable.

Still, the return of Dominic and his brothers sparked a faint light in Russell’s fading spirit. Dominic told Justin and Kayden to remain behind and tend to their father. He and the others stepped outside to demand answers from Wade about Blair’s condition.

“The doctors said they managed to save her life, but the injury to her head is severe. She lost far too much blood. Not long ago she went through that major surgery after the Sunlight Plaza disaster, and she never regained her strength. Now she’s surviving only because of the machines in the ICU. No one can say if she will wake up. If she could, Dad wouldn’t have fallen apart like this…”

The news struck Dominic and his brothers like ice in their veins.

“She went to the bathroom with Kyla. Kyla was supposed to stay with her. How could this happen? Damn it!” Santiago snapped, his anger spilling out. He wanted to blame Kyla for this. Blair’s leg was crippled. She could not even stand without help. Yet Kyla had stayed outside instead of steadying her. That single failure had led to a catastrophic fall, leaving Blair’s skull broken and her future dangling by a thread. And Santiago’s bitterness toward Kyla only deepened. She had staged that scandal that exploded online, framed Tilda, forced her to walk away from the family, and abused the Jensons’ trust. They had given her a place, only to be betrayed and disgraced. Resentment was impossible to contain.

“Enough, Santiago. What’s done is done. Blame won’t fix it. We have to think about what comes next.” Dominic forced his tone to stay steady. He had to force himself to remain calm. With Russell destroyed, both the Jenson family and the company were left leaderless.

If Dominic, as the eldest, let his composure crack in front of his brothers, everything would crumble. Enemies would take their chance, and the Jensons would lose it all. He had always understood what his parents taught him. Building an empire was hard, but holding on to it was harder. Many eyes watched in silence, waiting for Jenson Group to stumble. As the heir his parents raised, Dominic had known this truth since he was young. Every gaze fixed on him now, heavy with expectation, waiting for him to speak. After weighing it all, Dominic finally broke the silence.

“I’ll go to the company and handle the rest. You boys stay here and take care of Dad and Mom. And the Endralsia deal… Howard, call my contact and tell him the land deal outside the city is off for now. Something major happened here at home. We can’t push forward yet. We have to keep our ground steady. Expanding abroad will take longer, and we’ll do it piece by piece.”

His words meant casting aside a year of careful planning in Endralsia. The chance had been perfect. Walking away now meant another chance like it would be nearly impossible to find.