Chapter 4

At Johnson Manor, the living room was blazing with light, but the atmosphere was icy to the core.

Margaret sat me down in the seat of honor, and a servant brought over a cup of warm milk.

Justin and Vivian were forced to squat like criminals in the center of the room, flanked by bodyguards.

Richard sat across from me in a single armchair, his face stormy, brows drawn tight. He was the head of the family. Nothing mattered more to him than keeping up appearances.

This kind of scandal at home made him feel like his whole world had been dragged through the mud.

"Margaret, what the hell are you doing?" He finally spoke, his voice tight with barely contained rage. All of it was aimed at Margaret. "Dragging them back? What does this look like? Haven't you heard of keeping family scandals under wraps?"

Margaret let out a cold laugh and slammed both ultrasound reports down hard on the coffee table. "Family scandal, huh? Your son tried to kill your grandson, and you're still worried about saving face?

"Richard, take a good look. These are reports from the hospital. One's a fake; one's the real deal."

Richard picked up the reports, his face getting darker with every line he read. He suddenly looked up, eyes blazing at Justin. "You bastard. Did you really do this?"

Justin shuddered in terror, begging like crazy for mercy. "Dad, I'm sorry. I lost my mind. I wasn't thinking straight."

Vivian started crying too. "Mr. Johnson, it's all my fault. Blame me if you want. Justin only did it because he loves me and for the sake of our baby."

"Shut up." Margaret's furious shout made Vivian fall silent right away. "Who do you think you are, chiming in? You shameless bitch."

Richard took a deep breath and turned to me. There was no guilt in his eyes, only superior scrutiny and impatience. "Nina, Justin was wrong about this. But he's your husband, and it was a momentary mistake.

"Look, Vivian's baby is still Johnson blood. We can't turn our backs on it. Let her have the baby, and you can raise it as your own. You'll still be family."

I almost laughed out of anger. What a ridiculous, shameless suggestion. Richard wanted me to raise the baby of Justin's mistress. He didn't care what that would lead to for my child and me.

I said nothing, picked up my milk, and gently blew on it.

Richard got annoyed by my silence. "Nina, you need to be the bigger person. For the baby, you should give Justin another chance. The Johnson family will support you."

I finally looked up at him. "Richard, are you telling me to swallow this?"

Richard nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Men will always have their little flings. As the Johnson family's daughter-in-law, you should show some tolerance."

"Tolerance?" I set the cup down with a sharp, clear sound. "Richard, Justin tried to kill your grandson. If I hadn't found out today, I'd have signed the abortion paperwork. That's a little life. I can't tolerate this."

My voice wasn't loud, but every word stung Richard hard. His face froze, and he couldn't say a word.

Margaret, who'd been silent all this time, finally lost it. She shot to her feet, jabbing a finger right in Richard's face. "Richard, are you heartless? You want Nina to raise a homewrecker's kid? Are you out of your mind?

"Let me make this clear. As long as I'm here, nobody gets to mess with my grandson or my daughter-in-law."

Margaret's firm stance surprised everyone.

Richard slammed his hand on the table, furious. "You're crazy. Are you going to turn your back on the Johnson family for an outsider?"

"Outsider?" Margaret laughed, the sound dripping with sarcasm. "Now, Nina and her unborn baby are the closest family I recognize. As for your precious son?"

She jabbed a finger at Justin, stressing every word. "I want him kicked out, not a single dollar to his name."

Justin and Vivian both screamed in shock. "No."

Richard shot to his feet. "No way."