+78 BONUS

That evening. Kris went to the Miller mansion to see his daughter. Though the mansion was the last place he wanted to be, he hadn't seen his little girl in almost a week He'd spoken to her every day over the phone, but it wasn't the same.

As soon as he stepped inside, an excited squeal filled the room. "Dackly!'

Tessa sprinted towards him, her small legs carrying her as fast as they could. Kris crouched down, extending his good arm to embrace her, but she crashed into him a little too hard, falling against his injured arm which was still in a sling. He winced. "Careful, sweetheart."

Tessa pulled back, a frown marring her face as her gaze landed on the sling "What happened to you, Daddy?"

Kris hesitated for a moment, realizing he hadn't thought of an excuse beforehand. Finally, he forced a smile." Daddy fell down and hurt himself."

A soft giggle escaped her lips. "Clam-thy."

Kris's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Clam-thy," she repeated, this time more seriously, as if speaking to a small child.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Boatemaa. She said I'm so clam-thy."

A smile crept onto Kris's face. "Ah, you mean *clumsy*?"

"Aha! Clumsy!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together with glee.

Kris chuckled softly and pulled her close again, planting a tender kiss on her forehead. His heart warmed in a way only she could manage.

"Oh, the almighty Kris graces us with his presence," a mocking voice sneered from across the room. Kris didn't even bother to look up, knowing it was Tyler.

"A phone call to check on us once in a while wouldn't kill you, you know," Susan's voice chimed in. Kris straightened, already feeling exasperated.

"I heard you got shot," Tyler added with a smirk. "See where following that bitch gets you-"

"One more word about Thalassa and I'll forget you're my brother," Kris snapped, his voice dangerously low.

Tyler rolled his eyes dramatically. "When have you ever remembered that?" he muttered before stomping off.

"Daddy, what does 'bitch' mean?" Tessa asked innocently, her wide eyes peering up at him.

Susan snickered, clearly enjoying the awkward moment. Kris's eyes widened in bemusement. "It means nothing, sweetie. And you shouldn't say that word again, okay?"

"Oh, my dear nephew, finally home after so long," Aunt Cynthia's voice echoed from a distance.

Looking in that direction, Kris's throat tightened as he saw his mother approaching him with a broad smile on her face. It took him moment to notice Karen who was also walking with them, and his jaw tightened. "Dear, your mother told us about you getting shot. How awful!" Aunt Cynthia gushed. "You really should stay away from that-"

1

"Cynthia," Linda interrupted sharply, clearly cutting off her sister before the could say something againer

Thalassa.

"What, Linda? 1 wasn't going to call that woman tank or then turned back to Kris. "But I'm glad you've come to you your mother of destroying that woman's collection. That

thing," Cynthia replied with an exaggerated shrug. senex, nephews, and realized you wrongly accusel reappointing of your "

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"Enough, Cynthia. Kris and I have already discussed it, are apologized," Linda scolded her sister.

As if his aunt's rants weren't enough, Karen took a step forward. "What about me, Kris? You also wrongly accused me. Remember how aggressive you were when you came to the house? Don't I deserve an apology (on?" Kris shot her a glare so cold that she immediately retreated behind Linda without another word.noveldrama

His mother stepped forward, her smile softening as she looked at him. "So, tell me you brought good news, son. You convinced her to clear my name, right?"

Kris stiffened, his throat tightening. He shook his head. "No. She refused."

The smile vanished from Linda's face. "But... Kris, you have to convince her. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise, what, Mother?" Kris asked quietly, his expression unreadable. "Are you going to refuse to forgive me because I couldn't do what you wanted? I thought your love for me was unconditional."

A tense silence hung in the air before his mother spoke, her brow furrowed. "Of course my love is unconditional. I already forgave you, didn't I? But why are you talking to me like that?"

Guilt crept into Kris's chest, realizing he may have spoken too harshly. He gave her a nod. "I'm sorry, Mom." "You don't need to apologize, son," Linda replied gently. "But you have to understand why I'm asking you to talk to Thalassa. She's the reason my company is crumbling. If she doesn't publicly apologize and tell everyone the truth, I'll be forced into bankruptcy."

Kris stared at her, incredulous. "Apologize?Thalassa was arrested and humiliated far worse than you ever were because of a misunderstanding. How about you apologize to *her* first? Maybe then, she'll consider clearing your name."

Linda's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious, Kris?"

"Kris, how could you ask your mother to apologize to that" Cynthia started, but Kris cut her off sharply.

"I wasn't speaking to you, Aunt Cynthia. And forgive me, but you would do well never to speak ill of Thalassa again.'

Cynthia gasped, her eyes widening in horror, as if she couldn't believe his audacity. Kris ignored her, turning back to his mother.

"So, tell me, Mother," he said, his voice steady, "are you willing to publicly apologize to Thalassa?"