CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT – THE PATRONS ARE WEAK

In the Jones family compound, the atmosphere was no less volatile. Patrick found himself caught in the crossfire, his betrayal a festering wound that refused to heal. "How could you, Patrick?" Richard Jones rasped, his voice a mere whisper as he struggled to maintain consciousness in his hospital bed. "How could you betray your own flesh and blood?" Patrick's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his expression a mask of anguish and regret. "Father, I... I never meant for it to go this far. The von Beckers, they promised me a future, a way to secure our legacy..." But Richard's gaze hardened, his eyes burning with a mixture of disappointment and wounded pride. "Our legacy?" he spat, his words laced with venom. "You've brought nothing but shame and ruin upon our name, boy." The accusation struck deep, and Patrick flinched as if physically struck. He opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips as his mother, Lillian, stepped into the room, her face a mask of anguish. "En