Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 224: Eric’s Childhood

Chapter 224: Eric’s Childhood

"I understand. I just wanted to reassure you, not rush for the payment. Feel free to call me again—whether it’s the Grim Reaper or a god, we can bring them down with a single shot."

"Alright, hanging up now," the other person responded indifferently.

The man let out a cold snort, shutting off his phone. He removed the SIM card and tossed it into the river behind the house.

His eyes glinted coldly in the dark, like a phantom or a bloodthirsty wolf prowling in the night. He was Blood Wolf, the leader of the most mysterious assassin group, the Blood Wolf Squad.

Assassin squads like his usually consisted of four or five members, making it easier to complete missions. However, Eric’s men had already captured the sharpshooter, and for the first time, Blood Wolf found himself in a difficult situation. He couldn’t understand why the usually infallible marksman, known as "One-Shot Blade," had been caught.

There were two possibilities.

First, perhaps One-Shot Blade had seen something that distracted him.

Second, the thin man had caught him off guard, someone One-Shot Blade would have never considered a threat. Most people ran in fear at the sound of a gunshot, but that man stayed and managed to injure him.

Now, Blood Wolf had two plans.

First, attempt to rescue One-Shot Blade.

Second, if that failed, eliminate One-Shot Blade quietly. Dead men tell no tales.

...

By morning, the news of a murder at the Nelson Group’s luxury treehouse resort was splashed across the front pages of major newspapers and websites.

James found out while reading the morning paper during breakfast with his family.

When he saw the headlines, a heavy feeling settled in his chest—a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite explain.

In truth, he had always felt a sense of guilt toward Eric’s biological mother, Victoria. Their marriage had been a business arrangement, while secretly, James had kept another woman, Grace, on the side.

He had never loved Victoria. His heart belonged to Grace, his college sweetheart and first love, a bond so deep that even being separated by their families had only intensified their feelings. Defying all odds, they continued their affair in secret.

But back at home, James couldn’t deny Victoria’s admiring gaze. There was a sense of reverence in the way she looked at him, and over time, he stopped hating her. In fact, he began to appreciate her gentle nature.

In the first few months of their marriage, James hadn’t even touched her. Yet Victoria never complained, never lost her temper, and didn’t confide in anyone about their cold relationship.

Victoria was brilliant, a true intellectual. In every aspect of her life, she was exceptional—yet she had fallen in love with him. The young and beautiful Victoria was every bit as alluring as Grace, if not more.

One night, James came home to find Victoria asleep on the bed, dressed in a thin, seductive nightgown, her figure outlined in the soft light for the first time.

At that time, Grace had been sick, and James, overcome by desire, finally gave in and slept with Victoria.

From that night on, things spiraled, and eventually, Victoria became pregnant with Eric.

James was overwhelmed with guilt, torn between his obligations to Victoria and his love for Grace. He treated Victoria erratically—sometimes kind, other times cold—like a man possessed by his own inner turmoil.

Meanwhile, his affair with Grace remained hidden. Even when their son Henry was born, few people knew the truth.

It wasn’t until Eric was seven years old that everything fell apart. Victoria had taken Eric to her family’s home for a brief stay, and during that time, James secretly invited Grace over.

But as fate would have it, Victoria came home earlier than expected and walked in on them in bed.

Eric had been playing downstairs with a new toy Victoria had bought him, so he hadn’t seen anything.

Victoria, furious and unable to contain her rage, stormed into the room and struck Grace several times. Seeing the woman he loved being hit and her tearful, hurt expression, James lost all sense of reason. In a fit of anger, he slapped Victoria—twice.

Victoria’s fierce personality meant she could never tolerate betrayal. She had believed that when James finally shared a bed with her, he had let go of his old lover. But seven years later, discovering him in that heartbreaking moment shattered her completely.

In a moment of unbearable anguish, Victoria threw herself from the fourth floor, dying instantly.

James could never forget the sight—his son, Eric, hearing the noise, rushed outside to find Victoria’s lifeless body. He dropped his toy, ran to her, and collapsed in grief, sobbing uncontrollably as he clung to her.

Afterward, Eric developed severe autism. James, consumed by guilt, sought out the best doctors and showered his son with love and care.

Eric eventually recovered, and by the time he turned ten, James felt a joy and relief he hadn’t known in years. That moment of Eric’s recovery was one James still held onto dearly.

But then, the day came when Eric was in a car accident and needed a blood transfusion. The doctor informed James that Eric’s blood type was AB.

James was stunned. Both he and Victoria had type A blood, making it impossible for them to have a child with AB blood.

From that moment on, James’s feelings toward Eric changed drastically. He began to resent the boy, and eventually sent him abroad, though he never withheld financial support.

Eric, however, wasn’t one to stay silent. He called James, furiously accusing him of being an unfit father, even going so far as to hire assassins to kill him. James, of course, hadn’t been guilty of what Eric suspected, but their relationship had already soured beyond repair.

Their bond, once strained by grief and misunderstanding, grew worse with every accusation and suspicion. After all, Eric was seven when Victoria died. While he didn’t witness the full details, he understood enough—especially with the sudden appearance of Grace and the neighbors’ gossip. It wasn’t hard for Eric to piece things together.

Eric’s resentment toward James eventually turned into mutual hatred. Their relationship deteriorated further, with neither willing to reconcile.

Now, as James stared at the news headline, a wave of sadness washed over him, mixed with anger. He had once treated Eric as his own son, only to discover that Victoria had deceived him all along.

Despite his efforts, James had never been able to uncover the identity of Eric’s biological father. He’d even tested several men he suspected of having affairs with Victoria, but none of their DNA matched Eric’s.

"Dad, what’s got you so deep in thought?" Henry’s voice broke through James’s reverie as he came down the stairs, noticing his father’s troubled expression.

James didn’t respond, simply handing the newspaper to Henry.

Henry glanced at the paper, his eyes immediately drawn to the headline. His expression darkened as he read further. While he didn’t particularly like Eric, he didn’t necessarily wish for him to die, either.

"What happened?" Grace asked as she walked down the stairs, noticing her son’s somber face. She leaned over to take a look at the paper and gasped in shock.

"James! Something’s happened to Eric. We should go to the hospital right away!" Grace’s face was full of worry, and her eyes brimmed with genuine concern.

"Mom, we can’t go right now," Henry interjected, shaking his head calmly. "It’s better if Dad goes alone. If we show up, it’ll only upset him further."