THE FORGOTTEN DAD

Chapter 62: The Awakening of Vengeance

Emil sat back in his chair, staring at the TV screen as it showed the exclusive interview between Dae Ho and Jasmine. The happy couple sat together, hand in hand, exchanging smiles that seemed to pierce Emil's heart. Dae Ho, tall and handsome, with his perfectly tailored suit, looked every bit the billionaire king. And Jasmine—radiant, poised, her smile gentle as she spoke to the interviewer about their upcoming wedding—was completely immersed in her new life.

The interviewer leaned in, asking Jasmine how she felt about being the queen of Aurelius Hotels Group. "It feels... surreal," Jasmine answered, her eyes briefly flicking toward Dae Ho, whose possessive grip tightened over her hand. "But I'm ready for this new chapter."

Emil's eyes darkened. He had to force himself to watch, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the remote. As the camera zoomed in on Jasmine's face, he could see the flicker of hesitation behind her smile, but the public would never notice. All they saw was a happy couple. All they heard was the story of a perfect match.

Click. The TV went black as Emil slammed the remote down. "Enough," he muttered, his jaw tight. The tension in the room was thick, radiating off him in waves. He sat in silence for a moment, his chest rising and falling with barely contained fury.

Steven, his loyal confidant, sat nearby, observing Emil's quiet rage. Without a word, he passed Emil an iPad, its screen already displaying several online articles. "It's not just the interview," Steven said, his tone calm but serious. "The public's reacting."

Emil took the iPad, his eyes scanning the headlines:

"The Perfect Match: Jasmine Park Set to Become the Queen of Aurelius Hotels Group",

"Why Jasmine Deserves Better: A Fairytale Wedding After Emil Langston's Betrayal,"

and worse,

"A Child with Two Rich Fathers: Eva Langston, the Nepo Baby Born into Wealth."

Emil's eyes narrowed, his grip on the iPad tightening. Each article was worse than the last, ripping into him, glorifying Jasmine's rise while tarnishing his name.

"What the hell is this?" Emil growled, his voice low but dangerous.

Steven shifted in his chair. "Public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of Jasmine and Dae Ho. They see you as the villain—the one who destroyed your family by cheating on Jasmine with Ruby. And with Jasmine set to marry Dae Ho, investors are flocking to Aurelius Hotels Group. Their stock is already climbing."

Emil's pulse pounded in his ears as he scrolled through the comments beneath the articles. It was a sea of vitriol:

"Jasmine finally got the happiness she deserves after what Emil did to her. She's a queen now, and Emil's just a cheater."

"Langston Group's days are numbered. Who would invest in a company run by a man like Emil Langston?!"

"Eva is so lucky to have Dae Ho as a stepfather. She's set for life! Langston can go rot."

Emil's face twisted with anger. Every word felt like a knife in his back, each comment more venomous than the last. They didn't know the truth. They didn't know what really happened. And they had no idea what was coming.

Steven, sensing the shift in Emil's mood, cleared his throat. "At this rate, Aurelius Hotels Group might overshadow us. Dae Ho's playing the perfect game—he's positioning himself as the better man, and the public's eating it up."

Emil's eyes darkened further. The betrayal of Dae Ho and Ruby was something he would never forget, something that had burned deep inside him for years. But now, watching Jasmine be swept into their lies, watching the world believe she had found her 'happy ending' with the man who had helped destroy him—it was too much.

"We've waited long enough," Emil said suddenly, his voice like ice. He rose from his chair, pacing toward the window where the city stretched out beneath him like a battlefield. His mind was whirling, calculating. "It's time."

Steven blinked, caught off guard. "You mean... the plan?"

Emil's gaze was cold, determined. "Yes. It's time to launch the plan."

Steven stood, his face serious. "Emil, that plan... it's dangerous. We've been preparing for years, but once we start, there's no going back. It'll be chaos."

"Good," Emil muttered, his eyes never leaving the skyline. "Let chaos come. They wanted to destroy me, humiliate me, turn Jasmine against me." He turned to Steven, his expression deadly serious. "Now it's my turn."

"But what about Jasmine?" Steven asked cautiously, trying to reason with him. "If we go through with this, she'll be affected too. She's marrying Dae Ho—anything we do to him will spill over to her."

Emil's face hardened, the coldness in his eyes deepening. "She made her choice when she sided with him. I don't care about her anymore."

Steven frowned. "You sure about that? I know you—"

"I said I don't care," Emil snapped, cutting him off. His voice was sharp, but beneath the anger, there was pain—pain he refused to show. "Jasmine chose her path. She walked away from me, from Eva. She's with Dae Ho now. Whatever happens to her... it's not my problem."

Steven hesitated. "And Ruby? She's been quiet, but we know she's still pulling strings behind the scenes. If we go after Dae Ho, Ruby won't sit by and watch."

Emil's lips curled into a cold, bitter smile. "Ruby's just as guilty. She betrayed me and framed me for crimes I didn't commit. She'll pay too." He turned to Steven, his eyes burning with icy determination. "I want them both ruined. I want everything they've built to come crashing down."

Steven took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back. "What about the investors? If we launch this, it'll ripple through the entire business world. Langston Group could get hit too."

Emil's voice was steady, but there was a dark undertone. "I don't care anymore. The only thing that matters to me is Eva. I'll destroy anyone who gets in the way of bringing my daughter back."

Steven nodded, resigned to the fact that Emil had made up his mind. "Alright. I'll put the plan into motion. But Emil," he paused, his eyes meeting Emil's, "once this starts, we're declaring war. It's not just about Dae Ho and Ruby—it'll be a disaster for everyone involved. Are you prepared for that?"

Emil's gaze was unwavering, his voice deadly calm. "I've been preparing for this ever since they betrayed me. It's time to make them suffer."

Steven nodded, turning to leave the office. "I'll make the necessary calls. But we'll need to move quickly—before Dae Ho and Ruby catch wind of what's coming."

As Steven walked out, the weight of what was about to happen settled over the room like a storm cloud. Emil stood alone, staring out at the city below. His heart was pounding, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge.

He had tried to fight fair, to let the truth come out on its own, but Dae Ho and Ruby had made that impossible. They had forced his hand, and now they were going to pay the price. And if Jasmine got caught in the crossfire, so be it.

She had made her choice.

But as Emil stood there, the cold realization sank in. This wasn't just about revenge. This was about reclaiming everything they had stolen from him—his reputation, his company, his life. And most importantly, Eva.

Nothing else mattered now. Nothing except his daughter.

And he would burn everything to the ground to get her back.