He inhaled deeply. "On the day of the incident, I genuinely believed all core issues had been handled."
Lana looked at him quietly. There was a faint trace of pity in her eyes.
"And Tan?" Axel asked coldly.
"Tan is a mystic cultivator. He spread the cream and handled the execution. The so-called foreign institute that provided the 'miracle cream' never existed. That entire narrative was fabricated by Bella from the start."
Lana slowly shook her head. What a web of deception.
Everything had been connected from the very beginning.
She looked at Wayne. "But why? Why would Bella harbor such hatred?"
Wayne let out a hollow chuckle. "It was my own foolishness."
He did not elaborate fully, but the weight of regret in his expression spoke volumes.
"I will find a way to accelerate the restoration of my cultivation," he added quietly. "As for the rest, I will compensate accordingly."
Then, as if remembering something, he reached into his spatial ring and took out a small wooden box.
