"If you refuse to marry Kathryn, Nathan, I'll disown you on the spot." Eunice hurled the ultimatum with blazing resolve, and then added icily, "I've already got a great-grandchild coming. I don't need a useless grandson cluttering my house."

Vince observed the formidable old matriarch and, in his mind, offered her an enthusiastic round of applause.

Nathan's expression darkened like a brewing storm. His grandmother's sudden moves hit him squarely, a dull ache blooming at his temples.

Images flashed through his mind—Kathryn had drugged him, used him, and planned to flee overseas with his child.

Any single offense would have warranted severe punishment.

"Grandma, I will not marry her."

"You brat, I'll knock some sense into you myself today!" As she spoke, Eunice rolled up her sleeves and lunged after Nathan, swinging without mercy.

Nathan didn't dare to strike back. He only sidestepped, afraid she might lose her footing or exhaust herself in her fury.

The spectacle left Kathryn rooted in place. She never imagined the cold, ruthless Nathan would allow an elder to chase him down like this—it felt oddly human.

After a moment, she stepped in and gently clasped Eunice's arm, speaking softly. "Eunice, neither of us wants this. Please don't force it."

At the thought of losing the granddaughter-in-law she had already claimed in her heart, Eunice grew flustered and quickly switched tactics. "Kathryn, dear, hear me out. I know you can't stand this wretched grandson of mine."

Nathan said nothing. Was this really his own grandmother? Did she have to humiliate him so publicly?

"I'll support you completely!" Eunice announced with conviction, and then sighed. "But give Nathan one real chance to take care of you. Try a one-year marriage. If you still can't stand him after that… Then dump him without mercy!"

Nathan's eyes flew wide in disbelief.

Kathryn laughed outright. For a fleeting second, it felt as though she were the true Walker heir—and Nathan the outsider.

"Eunice, I don't need him to take care of me."

Eunice had anticipated the rejection. She leaned close and whispered into Kathryn's ear, "Before your mother vanished, she called me. She asked me to ensure you married Nathan, bore his heir, and then I was to pass a special keepsake on to you."

Kathryn's smile froze.

She never imagined her own mother would orchestrate her life so thoroughly.

Was she truly her mother's daughter at all? How could her mother sell her out so completely?

Noticing Kathryn falter, Eunice turned her sharp glare on Nathan and issued a fresh threat. "Marry Kathryn, or I'll transfer every asset I own to her and disappear into seclusion on Hisdon Mountain. I'll never return."

Nathan felt as if the breath had been crushed from his chest.

There was no counterplay left to him. He couldn't sacrifice the family's entire inheritance, nor could he bear the thought of his grandmother isolating herself on that desolate peak.

Vince, having watched the confrontation unfold, knew the outcome was sealed. He mused silently that age only seemed to sharpen some people's blades.

Eunice beamed with satisfaction. Grasping Kathryn's hand, she steered her toward the exit. "Come along. We're getting your marriage registered."

Thirty minutes later, Eunice clutched the newly issued marriage documents, her smile radiant with triumph.

"It's done. Since you're officially husband and wife, take Kathryn home and start learning how to be a family." Before departing, she cast Nathan a final, unmistakable warning. Then she bid Kathryn farewell and returned to the Walker Estate.

With no alternative, Kathryn slid into the car beside Nathan. A weight of regret pressed down on her; signing those papers already felt like a mistake.

She stole a glance at his impassive profile and ventured cautiously. "Listen… you don't want this any more than I do. Why don't we go back and file for divorce right now?"

Nathan's lips twitched in disbelief. It dawned on him that she truly had no desire to marry him—and the realization hurt more than he had anticipated.

"If you're set on divorcing, tell my grandma yourself. I'll accept whatever decision she makes."

Kathryn sagged against the seat, muttering, "With your influence, you could handle it discreetly without dragging her into it."

She wasn't naïve. Pressing the issue through Eunice would cost her whatever her mother had left in the older woman's care.

"So you could run off with my child after all that plotting. Ingenious," Nathan sneered, his dark gaze openly hostile.

Kathryn bristled at the accusation, hands snapping to her hips as she shot back, "Hey! How dare you say that? You didn't seem to mind any of it last night, did you?"

Unlike him—she had endured pain, pleading for him to stop to no avail.

Nathan said nothing.

A hint of unease crossed his features as memories of the previous night resurfaced. Against his will, he recalled that it had been… pleasurable.

Silence stretched between them. Kathryn replayed her own words and realized just how daring they had sounded.

Her phone rang abruptly. She checked the caller ID and saw Cillian Jenkins, her mother's assistant.

After she listened to the report, Kathryn's brows knit together. She replied coolly, "Wait for me."

After the call ended, a hard calm settled over Kathryn's features. She turned to Nathan and said evenly, "Take me to the Galaxy Hotel, please."

Nathan flicked a look at Vince. Without a word, Vince spun the wheel and redirected the car.

At the Galaxy Hotel, the instant Kathryn stepped onto the pavement, she caught sight of a wall of reporters clogging the entrance, cameras lifted like weapons, eyes gleaming with anticipation. She walked straight toward them, unflinching.

The crowd surged at once, microphones shoved inches from her face as questions flew like blades.

"Ms. Pearson, Mr. Lambert alleges you attempted to murder him. Care to respond?"

"Ms. Pearson, the Galaxy Hotel was a joint property of your parents. As a child born out of wedlock, have you been stripped of your inheritance?"

"Ms. Pearson, do you even know who your biological father is?"

Kathryn stood alone at the entrance. Her bodyguards had been forced to the perimeter by the crush of bodies and couldn't reach her.

She showed not a trace of fear. Reaching out, she seized the closest camera and smashed it into the ground. The lens exploded with a sharp crack, fragments skittering across the marble.

The reporter howled, staring at the wreckage. "Kathryn Pearson, are you out of your mind? Trying to silence us because your mother had an affair?"

Without hesitation, Kathryn struck him across the face.

"What the—you actually hit me?" the reporter shouted, lifting his hand to retaliate.

People nearby scattered, shouting warnings as they jumped back.

Kathryn caught the reporter's arm, wrenched it behind his back, and slammed him to the ground. Looking down at his twisted form, she said coldly, "If you don't know how to behave like a journalist, find another job."

Her words set off an uproar. Cameras snapped wildly as reporters yelled over one another.

"Assaulting the press in public? We'll make sure you end up behind bars."

"Raised with no class at all—this explains everything."

Kathryn grabbed a female reporter by the collar and hauled her up. Locking eyes with her, she demanded sharply, "What kind of reporter are you? Is your duty to uncover facts or to sell filth?"

The woman sneered back, "Say whatever you like. We're here because Edwin Lambert gave us evidence of your mother's infidelity. This isn't gossip."

"Evidence you didn't even bother to verify?" Kathryn's voice dropped to a lethal calm. "Anyone who dares smear my mother again can forget about working in this industry ever again."

She let go and turned away, striding toward the elevators.

Cillian kept pace beside her, quietly summarizing developments as they headed for the conference room.

Even with the door shut tight, Edwin's voice drifted out clearly, heavy with practiced grievance.

"Esteemed shareholders, every person here helped Donna build this enterprise from nothing. I ask you to see the predicament I'm in. I cannot, in good conscience, hand over the assets Donna and I shared to someone who attempted to take my life. Someone with such depravity is utterly unfit to inherit the Galaxy Hotel."

Inside the room, murmurs quickly turned into vocal agreement.

"Mr. Lambert is right. A person with no moral bottom line has no place owning the Galaxy Hotel."

"Exactly! The gossip about Donna's infidelity and Kathryn attacking her family has already gone viral. Our stock value is bleeding."

"The second half of the year is peak wedding season. If the Galaxy Hotel collapses now, the penalties alone could ruin us. Cutting ties with both Donna and Kathryn is the safest move."

With a thunderous crash, Kathryn drove her foot into the conference room door, sending it flying open.

The room jolted into silence. All eyes followed her as she strode in without hesitation. Her gaze fixed on Edwin seated in the head chair, a silent order for him to vacate.

Edwin's throat tightened. Pain pulsed through his broken wrist. He started to stand, but Hannah's hand forced him back into the seat.

"Dad, don't panic. All these executives are here. She wouldn't dare lay a finger on you." Hannah lifted her chin at Kathryn, her stare sharp and defiant, as if throwing down a challenge.

Kathryn let out a soft, chilling laugh. "You're quite bold, occupying my mother's seat. Aren't you worried she'll crawl back from the grave to collect what's owed?"

Unease flickered through Edwin, but he crushed it quickly. He scoffed coldly, "Donna is gone. And you broke my wrist over property. Don't think invoking her name will scare me."

"Kathryn, mind your manners. Edwin raised you." An elderly shareholder barked the rebuke, glaring at her in outrage.

Kathryn slowly turned to face everyone present. Without a single wasted word, she connected her device and cast the documents Vicki had prepared onto the massive screen.

"Look carefully. Before Edwin ever married my mother, he signed a comprehensive prenuptial agreement. Edwin Lambert's shareholding in the Galaxy Hotel—zero percent."

Shock rippled through the room.

No one had anticipated that Donna would leave behind such a decisive counterstrike.

Even Edwin was struck dumb. It had never crossed his mind that Donna had preserved the prenuptial agreement he had once signed as proof of loyalty when he married her.

Kathryn applauded slowly, each clap deliberate. Her gaze pinned Edwin's bloodless face as she asked lightly, "So? Didn't see that coming, did you?"

"Y-you…" Edwin's voice quavered, words failing him.

"Dad, this can't be real, can it?" Hannah hurried to steady Edwin, terror flooding her at the thought of the fortune slipping through their fingers.

Edwin calculated desperately—the years gone by, the lack of witnesses. He opened his mouth to deny it all, but Kathryn seized his collar and yanked him up, flinging him aside like refuse.

A dull cry rang out as Edwin hit the floor, curses spilling from his lips. "You bastard—"

"Edwin Lambert, have you forgotten how much it hurts to be hit?" Kathryn lazily flexed her knuckles, as if inviting him to keep talking so she could strike again.

Edwin recoiled, taking a step back in panic. He babbled, "This… this document is forged. Don't listen to her!"

"Authenticity isn't yours to judge. Experts will confirm the handwriting soon enough." Kathryn shot him a look dripping with disdain and commanded, "Clear out everyone who has no right to be here."

Cillian had already stationed security at the entrance. They rushed in, gripping Edwin by both arms and hauling him upright. Their attention then shifted to Hannah.

"Ms. Lambert, you're merely an employee. This meeting is none of your concern."

Hannah shot Kathryn a venomous glare, refusing to go quietly. "Kathryn, you're just your mother's illegitimate child. Aren't you afraid of what people will say?"

In the end, security forcibly removed both Edwin and Hannah from the room.

Kathryn reclaimed the head seat with composed authority and spoke evenly. "I am not Edwin Lambert's biological child. When he married my mother, she was already carrying me. This prenuptial agreement proves Edwin willingly relinquished all claims to my mother's estate—his way of proving he wasn't after her wealth. I will see to it that Edwin is permanently expelled from the Pearson family. From this moment on, the Galaxy Hotel is under my control."

Her declaration settled over the room, heavy and final. Several shareholders bristled but remained silent.

One still voiced resistance. "Ms. Pearson, you've lived abroad most of your life. You have no experience running a hotel. How do you plan to manage the hotel? You may take over if you insist, but you'll bear the consequences of the falling stock. After all, this mess was caused by you and your mother."

Profit-driven as ever, the shareholders turned a blind eye to the facts.

Kathryn brought her palm down on the table with a sharp crack, silencing them all. She said coolly, "Spare me the worry. I'll handle it. This meeting is over."

Seasoned shareholders watched as Kathryn exited with her back straight and steps unhurried, confidence written into every movement. Displeasure lingered on many faces.

"Such arrogance at her age."

"Enough—Edwin brought this on himself."

…

Cillian followed closely at Kathryn's side, admiration undisguised as they returned to the executive office.

Kathryn said, "Release the statement immediately—make my mother and Edwin's divorce public."

"Understood."

That night, the Galaxy Hotel blazed with light. Employees worked nonstop, preparing for the press briefing the next morning.

Kathryn never went home. She stayed at the hotel.

Public opinion churned violently. Accusations stacked one after another, all aimed at Kathryn.

Before the outrage could cool, the Galaxy Hotel dropped a shocking announcement.

The news "Edwin Lambert and Donna Pearson Long Divorced" detonated online, fueling even greater fury. The backlash shifted sharply toward Kathryn.

"Edwin may not be Kathryn's real father, but he raised her. How could she throw him out for money? Shameless."

"Just like her mother. Donna had him sign away everything the moment they married."

"Twenty years fooled and left with nothing—rich families really play dirty."

Kathryn was midway through a press conference when Edwin arrived, flanked by police.

"Ms. Pearson, Edwin Lambert and a reporter named Kelsey Hudson have accused you of aggravated assault. You'll need to come with us for questioning." One of the officers spoke, his voice firm as he stepped forward.

Kathryn inclined her head calmly. "That's fine. In that case, I'll also be filing charges against Edwin and Kelsey for malicious slander against my mother and me."

She offered no resistance as she entered the patrol car.

Outside, reporters snapped relentlessly, capturing every second.

Within minutes, news of Kathryn's arrest had spread everywhere.