Chapter 195: Dominic, the new boss

"What?" Luke stared at Dominic in disbelief. He had no idea the company name had been changed overnight.

"Accept the reality, Luke." Dominic’s voice was calm, but the pride in it was unmistakable. "I’ve already taken over the company. The board listens to me. The guards follow my orders. You are nothing here."

"You..." Luke’s expression twisted with fury. "You betrayed me. I’ll kill you."

He reached behind his back, pulled out a gun, and aimed it directly at Dominic.

Everyone gasped. Several directors ducked beneath the table, while others scrambled behind their chairs.

"Dominic." Luke’s finger tightened around the trigger. "Just die."

The men in black suits standing silently around the room moved instantly.

Before Luke could fire, they crossed the distance between them at breakneck speed. One of them seized his wrist and twisted it sharply, forcing the gun from his hand. Another grabbed him from behind and drove him to his knees.

The weapon clattered onto the floor.

Luke struggled violently. But the guards were stronger. They forced him down and restrained his arms.

Luke glared at Dominic with pure hatred. "Dominic, this isn’t over," he barked. "I’ll destroy you."

Dominic slowly rose from his chair. "Everyone, leave. I need to speak with Luke alone."

The directors didn’t need to be told twice. They hurried out of the conference room, their faces still pale from what had just happened.

Soon, the massive room fell silent. Dominic looked down at Luke, who was still pinned to the floor.

He gave a slight wave of his hand. "Release him."

The guards immediately let go and stepped back.

Luke pushed himself upright and reached for his cane. His knees trembled as he struggled to stand. His breathing was rapid, and pain pulsed through his battered body. But he refused to show weakness.

He looked at Dominic with burning resentment.

"Dominic, I helped you." His voice was strained. "I saved you from being killed. I protected your girlfriend and the baby in her womb. If it weren’t for me, you would have lost them a long time ago."

His fingers tightened around the cane. "And this is how you repay me?"

Dominic’s expression changed. A dark, dangerous fury surfaced beneath his controlled exterior.

"Still pretending to be a savior?" His lips curled into a cold sneer. "Stop acting as though I owe you anything. I know the truth. You were the one who conspired to kill Alejandro."

Luke staggered backward. He nearly lost his balance. He caught the edge of the table and held on tightly.

Dominic continued, "It was you who betrayed Mathius. You manipulated the core team members and conspired to have me killed."

His voice grew colder with every word. "Do you really think you could fool me forever? Did you honestly believe I would spend the rest of my life working for you out of gratitude?"

Luke’s face drained of color. All those years, he had played Dominic perfectly. He had wrapped him in a web of gratitude, convinced him that he owed his life to him, and used that debt to keep him under control.

But he had never imagined Dominic would discover the truth.

"I knew about your schemes a long time ago," Dominic said. "I simply chose not to expose you. I waited for the right moment."

Luke stared at him. "So..." His voice was barely audible. "You slowly turned everyone against me."

A bitter realization crossed his face. "The crisis in the company... It was all you."

Luke suddenly remembered something. His eyes widened in horror.

"Max..." His voice trembled. "Did you hurt Max too?"

Dominic didn’t deny it. A faint, chilling smirk appeared on his lips.

Fear instantly turned into rage.

"You monster. You caused his death." Luke’s breathing became heavier. "He had already suffered so much since childhood. Why did you kill him?"

"I didn’t kill him," Dominic reminded. "Matteo did."

Luke flinched.

"It was Max who caused Felix’s accident," Dominic continued. "Felix is still lying in a coma because of him. Have you forgotten that?"

Luke lowered his head.

"Or do you only care about Max?" Dominic’s tone became merciless. "Felix’s life and death mean nothing to you, don’t they?"

"That’s not true." Luke’s voice shook. "I love my sons. I’m just—"

"You love Max more," Dominic cut him off. "But Max is already dead. Matteo killed him to avenge his brother. That has nothing to do with me."

Luke let out a bitter laugh. "Really?" He stared at Dominic with hatred. "You carefully planned everything to destroy my family. You turned my sons against each other. And now you claim you have nothing to do with it?"

"Stop blaming everyone else," Dominic snapped. "You were the one who created this hatred."

Luke went still.

"You were biased. You always favored Max. You gave him more attention, more trust, and more power. Do you know what that did to Matteo and Felix?"

Dominic stepped closer. "You sowed the seeds of hatred toward Max in their hearts."

Luke stopped breathing.

"You made Max your successor." Dominic’s eyes burned. "That decision shocked your entire family. Then you locked your wife away. You tore your family apart and made your sons resent each other."

His voice dropped. "Max hated Matteo and Felix because you abandoned him and his mother for them."

Luke’s lips trembled.

"It was you who destroyed this family." Dominic stared directly into his eyes.

"Stop." Luke dropped his cane and clamped both hands over his ears.

But Dominic wasn’t finished. "Felix is lying in a coma because of you. And now Matteo is in danger."

Luke’s hands slowly fell. "What did you say?"

Panic flashed across Luke’s face. "What happened to Matteo? Where is he?"

Dominic snorted. "He is still alive. But he won’t be for much longer."

The words shattered whatever composure Luke had left. Hearing that another son was in danger, he lost control. He lunged forward and grabbed Dominic by the collar.

"What did you do to him?"

Dominic shoved him away.

Luke staggered backward and crashed to the floor. A violent cough tore through his chest. He covered his mouth. When he pulled his hand away, blood stained his palm.

Dominic calmly took out his phone and held it in front of Luke. "Look."

Luke’s eyes fixed on the screen.

A photograph showed Matteo chained inside a dimly lit dungeon. He was shirtless, his body covered in crisscrossing whip marks. His head hung forward, his body appearing completely limp.

Luke’s eyes widened. He snatched the phone from Dominic with trembling hands.

"Matteo..." Tears welled in his eyes. For the first time, the arrogant chairman looked completely helpless. He slowly raised his gaze to Dominic.

"You did this to him? Why are you after him? He never treated you badly. He trusted you."

His grip tightened around the phone. "Why did you do this to him?"