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The plan back then had been carefully laid out, but people were never as flawless as the plans of heaven. Cosmo’s life was strong. He survived the accident, even though his legs were ruined. He lived.

Who would have thought that Sofia, the quiet, gentle housewife who never seemed to have enemies or even a single worry, was the mastermind behind the car accident?

Cosmo’s father had long passed away, and if the truth about Sofia’s past were to be revealed, it would not only damage the family’s reputation but also erupt into a major scandal for the entire Dominguez clan.

Sofia admitted she was the one behind it all, but how was Cosmo supposed to deal with that? He had no immediate answer.

The dead should no longer be disturbed. The living, like Tania and Cris, should not be dragged into this. But what about the innocent lives that were lost, like Kenneth and his assistant? How could he explain it to them?

Cosmo held a full recording of Sofia’s confession, and though Eloise wasn’t physically there, she had also heard the entire thing.

“Originally, she should’ve been turned over to the police immediately. But she murdered people. Once this comes out, the Dominguez will be in the spotlight of public opinion. Your father will be dragged into discussion, and enemies will seize the opportunity to crush the Dominguez, causing a chain of problems,” Eloise said calmly. “But her crimes are so serious. If we leave her alone, she won’t stop. This is really complicated,” she added.

Cosmo didn’t hesitate and explained the whole story to Eloise. He didn’t hide a single detail, not even his doubts and worries. Eloise considered every angle carefully.

“So, do you think the reputation of the Dominguez family is more important, the peace of everyone, or is the truth more important?” Cosmo asked.

Sometimes, decisions came hard for Cosmo. And now, once again, he was forced to weigh everything on a scale.

Carlo had long since died, but Tania, who cared deeply for Cosmo, still missed him. Whatever their relationship had been, she and Carlo had known each other deeply. After his death, Tania never sought another man. No one ever told her to remarry.

But she didn’t want to. In her heart, only Carlo could ever stand beside her. No other man could measure up to him.

If Tania were to learn about Carlo’s past with Sofia, she would surely be shocked. Her image of Carlo would be shattered, and the love she had for him would vanish. The man she once adored would be revealed to have shared a hidden connection with Sofia.

Then there was Cris, the steady, loyal man who had once courted Sofia. Now they had children together and lived a happy family life. If Cris were to find out that Sofia had still been carrying hatred for Carlo, it would be impossible for him to accept.

All those years of love would suddenly feel meaningless. Every vow of “love” and “harmony” between them would be exposed as false. All of it would be a performance.

If this truth came out, everyone’s lives would fall into chaos.

“Have you thought about telling your grandfather about this?” Eloise asked slowly. “He’s the elder of the Dominguez family, and what’s at stake involves his most beloved eldest son, as well as his second daughter-in-law.”

Cosmo thought about Eloise’s words for a moment, then agreed to include her in his decision. Together, they returned to the Dominguez home.

When they arrived, Cosmo met with the elder Dominguez. They spoke privately in the study for over an hour. When Gabriel heard what happened, he rushed back home.

Sofia explained to Gabriel about Cosmo. Gabriel already knew fragments of the past, but his knowledge wasn’t complete. Now that Cosmo knew the entire story, Sofia wanted Gabriel to understand too, preparing him for the painful truth.

Gabriel had expected Sofia to be turned over to the police immediately, but that wasn’t what happened. Instead of seeing her in handcuffs, he found Cosmo back at the Dominguez house, speaking with the old man.

Cosmo made this choice carefully, and as much as Gabriel wrestled with his feelings, especially about Carlo’s reputation, Cosmo stayed cautious. After all, no one wanted their deceased father dragged through the mud and branded with disgrace.

After steadying his emotions, Gabriel knocked on the door. Elder Dominguez opened it, his wrinkled face twisted in barely contained anger.

“Why are you here?” the old man asked harshly, his brows furrowed deep.

Gabriel saw Cosmo inside the study and gave a faint smile. “I know what my cousin wants to say, and I want to hear it too.”

Family scandals should never be exposed to the public, but it was clear they both already knew what was happening.

Before the elder could speak, Cosmo raised his voice. “Grandfather, let him in!”

They were discussing the same matter anyway, but neither expected Gabriel to return so quickly. He clearly knew more than they thought about the entire situation.

The door shut again, and for a moment the three of them sat in heavy silence. Elder Dominguez settled into his chair across from them. “Do you even know? What exactly do you know?”

“I know what I should know, and also what I shouldn’t know! What are you planning to do with Mama?” Gabriel was the first to break the silence.

He directed his question straight at his grandfather. The old man’s deep voice rumbled in reply, “You know too much. What is it that you want to happen?”

Cosmo locked eyes with Gabriel, silent but firm. “How long have you known?”

When Gabriel was ten years old, Carlo was still alive, and he accidentally saw Carlo and Sofia talking. Back then, he was too young to understand the kind of look Sofia was giving Carlo. But as he grew older, he realized it was the gaze of a woman toward a man she desired, a look mixed with admiration and resentment.

The piano Carlo had given Sofia, worth millions of dollars, was proof of his love for her. Sofia treasured it deeply, and whenever someone touched it, she would get angry. As Gabriel grew up, he noticed the way his mother treated Cris. She was kind to him, but it wasn’t the love of a wife to her husband. It felt more like years of pretending to be good in a marriage that lacked real affection.

At first, Gabriel might have remained unaware of all this. But when Cosmo’s accident happened and people put all the blame on him, even though he knew he wasn’t at fault, everything changed. Meeting Kevin made him realize that his mother had something to do with what happened.

The wealth of his aunt Sarah came from the Dominguez family. So how could she even dare plot against Cosmo? The one truly involved was Kevin, and perhaps Sofia was also behind everything.

Even without direct evidence, no one would ever think Sofia was the mastermind. Not even Cosmo could believe she was capable of such a thing.

“If these things ever get out, even if my late uncle stays silent, the reputation of the Dominguez family and the company’s stock price will suffer,” Gabriel said steadily. “Besides, how are my mom and dad, as part of all this, supposed to face themselves?”

Gabriel deliberately turned the discussion toward his mother and father, and the room fell silent. Everything had started from a past they never imagined would one day cause so much chaos for everyone.