Chapter 3

On the way to the hospital, the air in the car was so thick with tension.

Margaret sat beside me, saying nothing, but her icy aura made the driver barely dare to breathe.

Justin and Vivian were "escorted" by bodyguards into another car, following behind us.

At the hospital, Margaret used her connections to snag an exclusive appointment with the top OB specialist.

Outside the ultrasound room, she stood in front of me, her gaze sharp. "Nina, I'm asking you one more time. Are you sure that report is fake? If you dare mess with me about my grandson, you won't survive the consequences."

I met her eyes calmly. "Margaret, I want my baby to be healthy more than anyone. Whether it's fake or not, the test results will give us the answer."

My steady tone made her suspicion fade a little.

The check took a long time. I lay on the exam table, feeling the cold probe slide across my belly. I'd never been so nervous.

I was terrified that there really was something wrong with my baby. But deep down, I knew it couldn't be true. The way Justin and Vivian reacted already told me everything.

Finally, the doctor took off the mask, a gentle smile on her face. "Congratulations, your baby is perfectly healthy. All the numbers look fantastic.

"Was the previous report a mistake? This little one is bursting with energy."

Hearing that, I finally felt assured. My eyes stung, and I nearly broke down in tears. My baby was healthy. That was all I needed.

I walked out of the exam room clutching the brand-new report that showed everything was normal.

Margaret snatched it from my hands and scrutinized every line, reading it over three times.

When she saw that every word screamed "healthy," her taut face twisted into something hideous right away. That was the rage of someone who'd been lied to and made a total fool of.

Margaret spun around, eyes locked on Justin and Vivian at the end of the hall, still under the watchful eyes of the bodyguards.

"Justin, you're such a jerk." She forced the words out through gritted teeth. "How did the Johnson family end up with a backstabbing bastard like you?"

Margaret marched over. Justin and Vivian shrank back the moment they saw the report in her hand.

Justin said, "Mom, please, let me explain."

"Explain?" Margaret swung the report and smacked it into Justin's face. "This is all the explanation I need. For that side chick, you'd try to kill your own son. Are you heartless?"

She was shaking all over with fury, jabbing a finger at Vivian. "And you bitch. You dare scheme against the Johnson family? You must be tired of living."

Vivian was so scared that she fell to the floor, sobbing and begging for mercy. "Mrs. Johnson, I'm sorry. I'll never do it again."

I watched them coldly. Now wasn't the time for payback.

I stepped forward, cutting off Margaret's tirade. "Margaret, losing your temper won't solve anything right now. We need to figure out our next move."

Margaret took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked at me, her gaze sizing me up for the first time. "What's your plan?"

"First, this report is ironclad proof that they tried to hurt your grandson. We need to keep it safe.

"Second, I can't stay at home anymore. I'm worried they'll get desperate and come after me and the baby.

"Third," I paused, meeting Margaret's eyes. "All of Justin's bank cards and stock accounts need to be frozen immediately.

"I'm afraid he'll try to move money to Vivian and her bastard behind our backs."

That last line hit Margaret right where it hurt. Not a single dollar of the Johnson family's money was going to end up in some outsider's hands.

"Okay." Margaret didn't hesitate. She whipped out her phone and started dialing. "Mr. Lewis from the legal department? This is Margaret. Now I need you to—"

Right then, Justin's phone started ringing. His hands were shaking as he answered. It was my father-in-law, Richard Johnson. "Justin, where are you? Did your mom come to your place? I heard—"

Margaret snatched the phone and roared into it. "Richard, look at the son you raised. He tried to kill your grandson."

After that, she hung up and then dialed another number. When the call connected, she said coldly, "Justin, get your ass back here now. And bring that bitch with you."