In an instant, Maeve looked away.

"It seems I underestimated you," Neville remarked, his tone cryptic. "Byron sent you to prison, but not only do you not hate him, you're even going out of your way to help him. Truly eye-opening."

Byron furrowed his brows slightly at the sight of Maeve in the projection, a whirl of emotions churning beneath his calm exterior.

Maeve smiled faintly, her voice calm but cutting. "You framed me for murder and had me locked away for four years. Now you want to use me to kill Gilbert? Did you think I wouldn't strike back?" Maeve was no fool.

The doctor reminded Gilbert it was time for him to rest, and the projection faded to black. At the same time, the police arrived.

"I've prepared a gift for you, Byron," Neville said calmly, his face still adorned with that ever-graceful smile. "I hope you'll like it."

"Oh, is that so?" Byron's voice was low, with a faint hint of sarcasm. "In exchange, Vinedustries will go bankrupt within three days."

Neville's smile faltered; his eyes turned icy. Silence fell over the room. Those higher-ups who had been the most vocal earlier shrank back in fear, terrified that Byron might turn his attention to them. An ominous shadow descended.

"Those who spoke earlier," Byron's cold gaze swept across the room as he said in a deep voice, "either submit your resignation tomorrow, or I'll take care of it myself. Make your decision wisely. Meeting adjourned."

With that, Byron headed for the door, unconcerned about the ugly expressions of the higher-ups behind him.

Someone complained, "We were all promoted by Mr. McDaniel. How could he fire us just like that? I'm going to look for Mr. McDaniel. Who's with me?"

"I'd advise you all to stop," an executive from the neutral faction scoffed. "All of you seem to have forgotten that Mr. McDaniel has become more lenient in recent years. Don't you remember how he ruthlessly restructured the company and forced Neville out? Fools. To think anyone would offend Mr. McDaniel so completely over an imposter."

The faces of the subtly criticized executives turned pale. Fear and uncertainty filled their hearts. Byron's current position stemmed not only from the McDaniel family's background but also from his decisiveness and ruthlessness. Those who thought they could provoke him and escape unpunished were deluding themselves.

Meanwhile, in the sanatorium ward, Alexis and Jason remained silent since Gilbert's revelation, unable to believe Neville was the mastermind.

"Dad, could it really have been Neville?" Alexis defended him. "He's always been so considerate and respectful to you. When he left the McDaniel family and moved to the sanatorium, he never once showed any resentment…"

Jason, noticing a shift in Gilbert's expression, immediately interrupted, "Stop it. The facts are clear. What's the point of defending Neville?"

Gilbert's expression turned colder. "Are you suspecting that he joined forces with Byron to frame your precious adopted son?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Alexis quickly denied, shaking her head. "I'm just wondering if there might be more to this, something we're missing?"

Alexis couldn't believe the child she had raised could harm their elders. Accepting this truth meant acknowledging the failure of her parenting, a rejection of herself. How could she accept it?

"Alexis McDaniel," Gilbert addressed her by her full name for the first time since her marriage. "You should be glad Byron isn't here now." Otherwise, their mother-son relationship would probably end.

Alexis's well-maintained face turned pale. She was speechless.

"Also, did you even consider Maeve's feelings when you said that? Your foster son is thoughtful and considerate, but Maeve is capable of such things?" Gilbert retorted sharply. Alexis couldn't respond.

Gilbert continued, "Maeve is married into our family, which means she can be considered your daughter. However, you stood by and watched her be wronged and bullied, and even added to her trouble. Is this how you should act as parents? And you, Jason, the real culprit behind my plight is still out there living freely, while you sent the most innocent person to the detention center! Are you very proud of yourself?"

The couple, usually commanding respect and authority, were too intimidated to defend themselves against Gilbert's harsh criticism. They also worried about the toll his wrath might take on his health. Maeve, standing aside, felt her eyes welling up as she listened to Gilbert defend her. A wave of emotion surged within her; she felt an overwhelming urge to cry. For four years, she had silently endured pain and injustice. However, she couldn't allow herself to dwell on it; the thought caused unbearable pain. She had never spoken of it, but that didn't mean she had forgotten.

Gilbert, tired from scolding, saw Maeve's red eyes and felt a pang of heartache. He waved at her. "Come here, Maeve."

Maeve walked over and greeted him. Gilbert patted her hand gently and sighed deeply. "The McDaniel family has treated you unfairly, Maeve. It's my fault for not teaching my son and daughter-in-law well, so they couldn't tell right from wrong, causing you to suffer such great injustice." Maeve felt resentment during her confinement, but Gilbert's words gradually dissipated it. Though she could accept injustice, her biggest fear was never seeing the truth revealed.

Gilbert, already tired, forced himself to stay awake and said to Jason, "From today onward, you will hand over your power to Byron. Don't interfere in the corporation's matters for the time being."

Jason's expression changed drastically. "Dad, this is not appropriate! Byron is young and impetuous. There are many decisions he won't be able to make without me."

"Do you truly believe you are the reason for the company's success?" Gilbert challenged him. "As Byron's father, you have failed to fulfill your obligations, yet you're eager to meddle in everything. I must admit that Byron has shown boldness and thoughtfulness with the recent energy project. If you disagree with me, you should offer some persuasive arguments instead of relying on your status as his father."

Jason blushed deeply at the public chastisement. Alexis, unable to defend herself, didn't come to his aid. But it wasn't over; Gilbert wanted them to apologize to Maeve.

Maeve's eyes widened. She couldn't believe Gilbert would go this far to protect her, an outsider to the McDaniel family.

After being scolded, Alexis's mind cleared. She hesitated before solemnly apologizing to Maeve.

The extraneous promotional text at the end has been removed.