Chapter 2

A few days later, Justin woke up, saw me, and practically turned purple with rage.

"You drugged me? You actually stooped that low?" he yelled. "Do you have any shame at all?"

My skin was still marked with his teeth and bruises, but my voice was cold and sharp. "Oh, please. Look who's pretending to be the moral one now.

"We slept together. You remembered shame a little late, don't you think?"

For all his wealth and pedigree, he had rolled in the same mud with me.

Now neither of us got to call the other dirty again.

William was born with a congenital heart condition.

After running a full set of tests, the doctors suggested keeping him in the hospital for now, letting his body recover before scheduling the surgery.

Brandon immediately arranged for top specialists to monitor him around the clock and spent an absurd amount of money flying in the best surgical equipment from overseas.

"Blood really does make all the difference." Watching him flip through William's medical records with such care, I let out a dry laugh. "But honestly? You were never this attentive with Justin.

"Did you soften with age, or are you getting nervous now that Justin's grown up, so you want someone around to keep him in check?"

Brandon lifted his eyes toward me. "Is that what you think?"

His tone was calm, steady—just like him.

But underneath that calmness, there was pressure, heavy and unmistakable.

I wasn't that scared little girl anymore.

I met his gaze, my expression cold. "What else am I supposed to think? Don't tell me you're feeling fatherly all of a sudden."

Brandon didn't deny it. "I'd like to believe I've fulfilled my responsibilities as a father."

I let out a short, sharp laugh. "Yeah, very responsible of you."

I didn't bother hiding the sarcasm in my voice. "Your son gets someone pregnant, and you—the great father—step forward to clean up his mess."

Brandon's eyes hardened with irritation.

"He's too young," he said quietly. "Having a child this early doesn't do him any good."

"Oh, really?" I widened my eyes in mock surprise.

"It's not because I'm 'too much to handle', and you're scared he can't deal with me—" I tilted my head. "So the father steps in to 'protect' his son? How noble."

Brandon chuckled under his breath, not confirming nor denying anything.

"You brought the kid here because you want money." He spoke as calmly as ever. "And between me and Justin, I'm obviously the one who can give you more."

Wow. So this was him paying me to disappear?

"William is Justin's son," I said, my voice steady. "He's the rightful heir. When you're gone, he'll be the head of the family. The entire Pearson empire will belong to him."

My eyes held nothing but calculation and ambition.

I continued, "You insist on taking your grandson as your own son, turning a father and son into brothers, putting them on the same level.

"Justin is the one you trained from day one. By the time Will grows up, there may not be any room left for Justin in this family.

"And whether you'll even leave Justin anything—let alone how much—that's another question.

"Brandon, do I look that easy to fool?"

His gaze darkened.

He'd been in power for decades and didn't tolerate being challenged.

And this—inheritance, hierarchy, the successor—this was the one place you didn't push him.

I fully expected him to explode, to call me delusional and greedy.

But after a long silence, he only said, "No manners."

It took me a second to realize he was referring to the fact that I'd been calling him by his name.

For a moment, I wondered if he'd mellowed with age. But mostly, I was just disgusted by the patronizing tone, like he thought he could scold me into submission.

"Tell that to Justin," I shot back. "Don't preach at me. What exactly do you think we are?"

Brandon paused, studying me. "What do you think we are?"

I smiled slowly, "Well, that depends. Are you lecturing your son's wife or your own?"

*****

When I came downstairs, everyone was already seated at the table.

Brandon sat at the head, relaxed as ever, a pair of rimless glasses perched on his nose while he read the newspaper.

"Sit." He didn't even look up—just tapped the table, signaling me to take the seat across from him.

Justin, dressed in a sharp suit, looked like he'd been carved out of ice.

"You're early," he said coldly, dripping with sarcasm.

I dropped into a chair, unbothered. "You're the one running a whole company now. Busy, busy, busy.

"As for me, I've got nothing better to do. Might as well sleep in."

His jaw clenched.

He hated it when anyone hinted he was living under his father's shadow.

"Dad, she's throwing shade at you." Justin suddenly spoke in this weird, mocking tone.

He sneered, "If she wants a job at the company, she can just say it. You'll hire her.

"After all, you two slept together. You even have a kid.

"Men are easiest to deal with in bed. If she works hard enough, she might even take my spot someday."

I was about to thank him for mapping out my career path when Brandon finally frowned.

"Justin." He set down his glasses, his voice low and heavy. "That was out of line."

Decades of authority spoke for him. Justin swallowed his anger, but he still muttered, "Am I the only one in this family who ever steps out of line?"

Brandon ignored him entirely.

"For now, put company matters on hold," he said evenly. "I've arranged a short family trip. We'll all go together."

He paused, looking directly at me. "We can bring Will along for a few days."

I blinked, wondering if I'd misheard.

Brandon Pearson, planning a family vacation? The man was a total workaholic. That was the only reason he managed to build the Pearson Group into what it is today. He didn't do vacations. He was a machine.

Even Justin barely got slivers of his time.

A family vacation, in his eyes, was boring and pointless.

Could it be he finally old enough to want a little family time?

Maybe my shock showed, because Brandon added, "Will just came home. It's a good chance to bond."

I was still thinking it over when Justin exploded, pointing at me. "A family trip? Her? That kid isn't the issue. She's not family!

"You signed the statement cutting ties with her. Did you forget?"

Brandon's brow furrowed. "I never told you to treat her like a sister."

Justin got even angrier. "Then what? You want me to treat her like a stepmom? Or what? A second mom?"

Brandon shot him a warning look. "She's your brother's mother. Isn't that enough of an identity?

"If not, I can go get the paperwork done right now. Would that work for you?"

The threat was crystal clear.

Justin's face contorted, every line sharp with anger.