Chapter 572:

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Wyatt didn’t say it outright, but the implication was clear.

Paul had been deliberately targeted.

And the possible culprits were hardly a mystery.

“I need to prep for another surgery,” Wyatt added. He shifted as if to pat Marcelo’s shoulder in reassurance, then stopped short, remembering Marcelo’s aversion to physical contact. With that, he left, closing the door softly behind him.

A heavy silence settled over the office, broken only by the sound of their breathing.

“Could it be… Gary and his family?” Renee speculated, thinking back to the strange look on Andrew’s face when the doctor had explained Paul’s condition.

Still, she couldn’t make sense of it.

“Paul used to be on their side. Why would they turn on him? Even if they wanted to control the King family, there’s no reason to be this impatient.”

Marcelo remained calm. “What if Paul was thinking about supporting me again?”

Renee froze for a beat, then the pieces clicked into place.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Gary and his relatives’ hold over the King legacy had always been fragile. It depended heavily on Paul’s past endorsement. Without Paul in their corner, Gary’s position would weaken dramatically.

And Marcelo wasn’t just any rival. With KM Group under his control—and with the Moore family, Levy, Jason, and possibly even the Lambert family as allies—he was a force Gary couldn’t afford to ignore.

Andrew, despite being the favored grandson, didn’t compare. He was weighed down by mediocrity and scandals.

“Still, you don’t seem interested in leading the King family,” Renee pointed out.

Marcelo’s distance from the family’s infighting made it clear he had no desire to take the helm.

“But that’s not how they see it,” he replied, his tone edged with disdain. He found most of the King family intolerable.

Even so, he was certain of one thing: the King legacy could not be allowed to fall into Gary’s hands.

As more relatives arrived to visit Paul, Marcelo’s continued absence drew attention.

“Why haven’t we seen Marcelo?” an elder asked, scanning the room.

Gary forced an awkward smile. “Marcelo… has been tied up. He did stop by earlier, but he had to leave.”

“Oh, Marcelo…” The elder sighed. “What a shame, given Paul’s condition. Well, at least Paul has you.”

Andrew curled his lip. “Marcelo’s always been ruthless, hasn’t he? Otherwise, how could he have caused Sebastian’s tragic end?”

The elders could only sigh and shake their heads at the bitterness in his words.

“It seems the King family’s future rests on your shoulders,” one of them murmured.

Gary and Andrew exchanged a fleeting look of triumph, as if their schemes had been quietly affirmed.

Once the visitors had finally left, Gary stood beside Paul’s ICU bed, his gaze darkening.

“You have no one to blame but yourself, Dad. Why would you reconsider Marcelo? You never acknowledged my rightful place, and now you want to revisit the inheritance?” His voice turned cold. “You brought this on yourself.”

Marcelo didn’t stay at the hospital. After making sure Paul would be closely monitored, he left with Renee and went home.

The drive back was quiet, Renee offering him support without pressing him for words.

After his shower, Marcelo pulled her into a tight embrace.

“If something is weighing on you, you can tell me,” Renee murmured, her view filled by the curve of his neck and the sharp line of his jaw.

“It’s not so much sadness,” Marcelo admitted with his eyes closed. “It’s frustration.”

The sudden emergency had derailed his plans. He had expected Paul and Gary to clash—not for Paul to be struck down so abruptly by a cerebral hemorrhage.

Dealing with the King family’s chaos was the last thing he wanted. Worse still, the consequences if Jessica found out about Paul’s condition hung over him like a shadow.

Renee rested her cheek against his chest, trying to soothe him. Marcelo let out a low chuckle.

“Darling, that’s not exactly comforting,” he teased. “It feels more like you’re tempting me.”

Renee pulled back, annoyed, and sat up to scold him. “You are impossible.”

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