THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.

Then Oliver's jaw tightened at the admission, his fists curling at his sides, but William pressed on, his words sharp and venomous.

"I've learned something over the years, Oliver," he continued, his tone rising slightly, carrying the weight of pent-up resentment. "If you want something truly want it you don't wait for it to come to you. You take it. You do whatever it takes. You bleed, you fight, and you destroy anyone who stands in your way."

His eyes narrowed into a glare, locking on Oliver's. "And you… you've been in my way from the start."

Hearing Williams words Oliver's brows furrowed, his breathing heavy, but William didn't give him room to speak. He stepped even closer, their foreheads almost touching now, the raw heat of his anger radiating off him.

"Don't you dare act like the victim," William hissed. "You betrayed me first. You went to Cora behind my back. You poisoned her against me. You made her see me as something I'm not turned her away from me. So don't stand here and pretend you're innocent."

The words sliced through the air like knives. Their father shifted in his seat, lips parting as if to intervene, but even he knew this wasn't his battle to stop for now, William's voice dropped lower, quieter, but every syllable was drenched in venom.

"So now I'm returning the favor. If you won't stand with me, if you won't support me… then why should I call you my brother?"

He leaned in just enough for his final words to cut even deeper.

"Truth is, Oliver, we're not even real brothers and you that, we're half-brothers. And the half that's you?" William sneered. "It's the half I wish never existed."

At that moment, William's voice hardened, each word dripping with contempt as he unleashed years of buried resentment. He jabbed a finger toward Oliver, his tone sharp and cutting.

"You know what your real problem is, Oliver?" William sneered. "You shouldn't even be here. If it weren't for our father's mistake yes, mistake you wouldn't exist. This family wouldn't even know your name."

At that moment Oliver's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides.

"But do I blame Father?" William continued, shaking his head with feigned pity. "No. I blame your mother. She's the one who lured him in, who forced her way into this family. She's the reason you're here, walking around like you belong. And if not for my mother's kindness, if she hadn't pushed to let you stay, you wouldn't have even been welcomed. You'd still be nothing and not carrying the family name. And you should be grateful for that."

He stepped closer, his face inches from Oliver's, his words like venom.

"But gratitude isn't what I see from you. Instead, you think you have the right to make decisions. To drag this family into corners you can't get us out of. You forget who you are, Oliver. You're not a full-blooded Victor. You never were. You're just… half."

The insult hung in the air like a slap, sharp and stinging.

Oliver's chest heaved even more, his breathing rough as anger boiled inside him. His fists trembled not from fear, but from the overwhelming urge to strike. His arm twitched upward instinctively, ready to swing.

"Enough!"

Their father's voice cracked through the tension like thunder.

Both brothers froze, heads snapping toward him. He had risen from his chair, face red with fury, eyes blazing.

"Both of you stop this right now!" he roared, pointing at them with a trembling hand. "I will not have my house turned into a battleground!"

But then his gaze turned sharp not at William, but at Oliver. His tone shifted, heavy with disappointment.

"This… all of this," their father said, his voice low but firm, "I do not blame William for it. I blame you, Oliver."

Their father's voice was still heavy with anger as he stepped closer to them, his hand raised as though commanding silence. The air between the three of them was so thick that even the faint ticking of the clock in the hallway felt deafening. Oliver stood rigid, chest heaving, while William kept his chin high, defiant but clearly satisfied that the tide of the argument had shifted.

"You know what I can't understand, Oliver?" their father said, his voice sharp, controlled but quivering at the edges. "I told you about the plan. I told you. We wanted Cora in this family. We wanted her to be one of us. It wasn't just William's idea, it was mine too."

Oliver's eyes flickered, a flash of disbelief crossing his face, but their father didn't stop.

"And what did you do with that information? Did you support your brother? Did you stand with him?" His voice rose, trembling with frustration. "No. You went behind our backs. You whispered against him. You painted him in the worst light possible to Cora, of all people. You undermined your brother, you undermined me, and now you stand here acting like the victim!"

William's smirk deepened slightly, though he didn't speak. He didn't need to. Their father was saying everything he wanted to say himself.

"Tell me, Oliver," their father pressed on, pacing now, his hand slicing through the air as if cutting through the tension. "What were you expecting to happen? Did you think William would fold his hands and do nothing while you stripped him of his chance at happiness our happiness? While you made him look like the villain?"

Again Oliver's fists tightened, but he kept silent, jaw clenched, eyes dark with fury.

"This," their father said firmly, gesturing between them, "is on you. You started this. And now it's blown up in all of our faces."

Then he took a deep breath, steadying himself, his voice softening slightly though the weight of authority still hung in every word.

"But it ends here. I will not have my sons tearing each other apart like this. You hear me?" His eyes moved from William to Oliver and back. "I don't want to see either of you attacking each other again. I don't want this house to turn into a war zone. We are still family half-brothers or not. And family…" His tone shifted to something quieter, heavier. "…family finds a way forward, and with Cora since you're not interested then help William."