Chapter 19
The power of the global livestream was devastating.
Overnight, Magnus became a reviled pariah that everyone wanted to destroy.
His marriage fraud and involvement in an intentional homicide case made him completely despised by the people of New York.
Everhart Corporation’s stock plummeted and hit the circuit breaker.
Shareholders sold off en masse, partners terminated contracts urgently, and the entire business empire collapsed at unprecedented speed.
The highly publicized custody case soon reached its verdict.
In court, Thane brought in a gold-star legal team that systematically refuted every accusation and slander from Magnus’s side.
Their chain of evidence was devastatingly complete.
From Eli’s psychological evaluation report to Magnus’s past misdeeds, to the global negative impact of that livestream.
In contrast, Magnus’s legal team was utterly routed.
All their defenses appeared pale and powerless before iron-clad facts.
Finally, the judge announced the verdict: Defendant Magnus Everhart was permanently stripped of visitation and custody rights over Eli Everhart. Custody of Eli belonged solely to his mother, Sierra Whitlow.
The moment the judgment was issued, Sierra finally couldn’t hold back tears of relief in the gallery.
This nightmare that had lasted far too long was finally concluded with legal justice.
But for a madman, it was far from over.
Outside the courthouse, Magnus blocked their path.
In his hand was a black handgun.
“Magnus, you maniac! Using the same old tricks again?” Sierra was alarmed, holding Eli protectively in her arms.
Thane pulled her behind him, blocking Magnus’s terrifying gaze.
Magnus approached step by step until only three meters separated them.
Reporters and passersby hadn’t completely dispersed. Seeing this tense confrontation, they raised their phones.
Then Magnus raised the gun in his hand.
A suppressed gasp rose from the crowd.
But the dark barrel wasn’t aimed at anyone-instead, he turned it around and pressed it heavily against his own temple.
“Sierra, I’m giving you two choices.”
“First, come with me. We’ll take Eli back to New York and start over. I’ll give you Everhart Corporation, I’ll give you my life, I’ll give you everything.”
Chapter 19
“Second, you choose him, and then I die in front of you.”
Sierra suddenly felt very tired-a weariness from the depths of her soul.
She didn’t want to argue with him anymore, didn’t want to entangle with him anymore.
She just wanted to end all of this.
“Magnus, do you think your life is very valuable?”
“Do you think that threatening me with death will make me afraid, make me soften, make me compromise?”
“You’re wrong.”
She met his vacant stare and said slowly, “I choose option two.”
The light in Magnus’s eyes completely died.
You… what did you say? Sierra… don’t be so cruel to me, okay?”
‘I said! If you want to die, then die!” Sierra repeated, her tone even clearer than before.
She added, “But don’t die in front of me. I don’t want to scare my child.”
Each word was like a poisoned blade, precisely stabbing into Magnus’s already riddled heart.
So even his death had become a disturbance to her.
She walked away so resolutely, so decisively, as if the man behind her gambling his life on a final bet was completely irrelevant.
Magnus slowly closed his eyes, a tragic smile appearing on his face.
Then he pulled the trigger.
“BANG-!”
A muffled gunshot.
Thane immediately pulled her and Eli tightly into his embrace, covering their eyes.
“Don’t look! Don’t turn around!”
In the distance, sirens wailed.
Sierra leaned against Thane’s chest and let out a long, long breath.
