Chapter 52 Corrections

• Ivan had never been close with his father. In fact, for years, he struggled to even accept that Maverick was his father at all. His world had shattered the day Derek, his uncle, had handed his mother a set of divorce papers alongside a paternity test revealing the affair. That moment marked the beginning of years of public humiliation. The scandal had rocked their family, with the media and society eager to latch onto every detail. Ivan's legitimacy was questioned, and whispers of "bastard" followed him wherever he went. His mother became a target for gossip, bullied and shamed for her indiscretion. D.O.N Corps, their family business, teetered on the brink of collapse, almost brought to ruin by the scandal.
• But Maverick, cunning and ruthless, had stepped in. While Derek had disappeared from the public eye, Maverick had confronted the fire head-on. He silenced the mockery, wrestled control of a significant portion of the company from his brother, and rebuilt the empire. Soon, people forgot the affair, distracted by the growing success of D.O.N Corps. Maverick's dominance was undeniable, his influence absolute. Even though Ivan despised him, he could not deny that his father had been the one to stop the humiliation.
• In contrast, Derek had gone silent, retreating while his brother saved the family name. Over time, Ivan's resentment festered into hatred for Derek. As much as he loathed Maverick’s cruelty—the bruises, the abuse—it was Maverick who had shielded them from societal ruin. So, Ivan tolerated it, the beatings, the humiliation, knowing that in this game of power, aligning himself with Maverick was better than being his enemy.