Chapter 2

I stepped forward and gave the woman who insulted my mother a fierce slap across the face. "Say one more word about my mother, and I'll kill you right here!"

The woman clutched her face and cried out, "With everyone watching? You dare kill an official's wife in your own manor? Do you really think there's no law?"

I scoffed. "See? Even this idiot knows we're at a dinner with everyone watching. So do you think I'm stupid enough to mess with an old lady who's a dozen years older than me, right here, today?"

Cathy and the woman both stammered, "You..."

Before they could finish, my father, Edward, who had been waiting outside for King Leo, hurried in.

As soon as he arrived, he shot me a fierce glare. "Parker, everyone's here to celebrate you being welcomed back into the family. Why are you making trouble here?"

I lowered my head and kept quiet, letting Cathy have her moment.

Just as I expected, Cathy stepped forward and grabbed Edward's sleeve. "Edward, Parker is shameless. He had indecent intentions toward me. You have to defend me."

I thought Edward would blow up, but instead, he just frowned and defended me. "That's impossible. Parker told me he wanted me to help him find a suitable girl at the dinner.

"Why would he try anything with you? He must've had a bit too much to drink and got muddled. It's just a misunderstanding."

I'd heard from my mother since I was little that even when Cathy was just a mistress, Edward always stood up for her. After my mother passed away, he devoted himself to Cathy alone.

But now, oddly enough, even though he had no idea I was being framed, he was still defending me. And I never even said anything about wanting to meet girls.

When I caught sight of the few strands of gray at his temples, it all clicked for me.

Even though he loved Cathy, he was frustrated that she never gave him a son. Now that he was getting older, he was desperate for an heir to inherit the title, so he'd rather let Cathy suffer than risk losing me.

Cathy noticed Edward was taking my side, and her crying got even louder. "Edward, I swear on my life, there's no misunderstanding. There's something I've been hiding from you, and today I have to say it.

"Ever since Parker came back, he's been all over me. He'd grab my hand when no one was around. He knew I was his stepmother, but he showed me no respect.

"He even said you were getting old, but I still had my charm, and if I were with him, he'd secure my place in Harrington Manor."

Her lies were so outrageous that they made my skin crawl, but she didn't even care how shameless she sounded. She spun her story like it was the truth, not giving a damn about her reputation.

But then again, if she could kick me out, she'd have Harrington Manor all to herself and wouldn't have to worry about a thing.

I shot back to rile her up. "You said you'd never tried being with someone younger and wanted a taste of youth. You kept going on about how I'm young and full of energy. You even took your clothes off to try and seduce me."

Cathy was completely thrown. "You're just making things up!"

I grinned and gave a mock bow. "Exactly. If you can spin wild stories, why can't I make up something too?"

She was furious. "You filthy scoundrel. I was going to let you keep a shred of dignity, but now, don't blame me if I spill all your dirty secrets."

I forced myself to stay calm. "Oh? What else? Are you going to claim I knocked you up now?"

"Yes!" she shouted.

Everyone was shocked, and Edward was so shaken he could barely stand.

I stared at her, surprised. "Bravo. You're really going to destroy yourself just to drag me down? You truly are as wicked as I always knew you were."