The room fell silent except for the faint sound of Derek's labored breathing. His confession hung in the air like a curse, heavy and suffocating.
Iris's lips quivered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Derek…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. The weight of his words crushed her.
She looked at her son, this broken, arrogant shell of a man, and realized the horrifying truth.
She had raised him to believe the world owed him everything.
She had turned a blind eye to his faults, excusing his behavior, spoiling him at every turn.
And now, here he was, a monster of her own making.
Tears slid silently down her cheeks as the reality of her failure as a mother settled into her heart.
She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words came.
Ross straightened, his cold eyes flickering to Iris.
"Now you see," he said, his voice cutting through the silence.
