Chapter 195
Rachel placed a hand gently over her belly as she spoke, her expression soft yet laden with intention. The small bump was barely noticeable, but both she and Kris understood the significance of what it represented.
Kris bit her lip, her worry evident. “But even the doctor said that this child won’t make it. Dad has such a tight grip on the company shares. If the baby doesn’t survive, how are we supposed to get those shares?”
The path to controlling the Stark Group’s shares hinged on Rachel giving birth to a child, a son. They’d known from the start that this pregnancy was doomed. Initially, they’d planned to convince Cameron to hand over the shares while the child was still in the womb, but they’d underestimated his caution.
Rachel’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Do you remember the plan I told you about from the beginning?”
Kris hesitated for a moment before nodding, her unease evident. “I remember. I’m just scared…”
“It’s natural to be scared,” Rachel replied, her voice softening. “Your father is suspicious by nature. If he finds out we’ve been deceiving him all along, he’ll never forgive us. But what if… what if it wasn’t me who lost the child? What if it was Myra who caused the miscarriage?”
Rachel’s emphasis on the word “again” caused Kris to pause, her mind racing. Slowly, a smile tugged at her lips, and excitement lit up her eyes. “Mom, do you mean…?”
“Yes,” Rachel answered, her voice cold and calculated. “You resented Myra for taking your man, didn’t you? If everyone knew the truth about her… What would they think of a woman who couldn’t even tolerate the birth of a younger sibling? What would the Hart Family think? What would the outsiders think?”
She gave Kris a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “And especially your father. He’s always wanted a son. If he loses that son because of Myra, who’s only interested in the family assets…”
Rachel didn’t finish the sentence, but Kris understood. “Dad said Tony is just having a fling with Myra. He thinks Tony wants to get Hilliville from her. He even told me to endure…”
Rachel’s smile deepened, her eyes gleaming with calculated coldness. “Your father is still on your side. Kris, we need to make sure Myra is completely out of the Stark Family. Even if we can’t get the shares right now, if you’re the only daughter Cameron has, the Stark Group will have to be handed down to you.”
A wicked smile finally formed on Kris’s lips. “I understand.”
“As for Tony,” Rachel’s eyes narrowed, a hint of cruelty in her gaze, “He will be my daughter’s. Myra may get him for a while, but once Tony grows tired of her… that’s when you’ll take her place.”
Meanwhile, Sean drove back to the Chase Residence, feeling the weight of the situation. The floor of the living room was covered in broken furniture and shattered glass. The TV screens were smashed, and the kitchen was a mess of porcelain shards.
Greta met him at the door, relief flooding her face as she quickly spoke. “Mr. Chase, I’m so glad you’re back! Madam Eve and Young Mistress Lyla have been fighting non-stop! Please, go talk to them.”
Without waiting for her to finish, Sean brushed past Greta and walked into the house. The first person he encountered was Eve. Her face had clearly been slapped, the red marks still visible. As soon as she saw him, she rushed over, tears streaming down her face.
“Sean, I regret this! You need to divorce this woman! Look at what she’s done to me! She slapped me!” She turned her face to him, showing him the mark.
But before he could respond, Lyla appeared in front of him, her condition far worse than Eve’s. One side of her face was swollen, and her body was drenched in tea. She looked like a mess, disheveled and clearly upset.
“Sean, Mom hit me first!” Lyla cried, her voice filled with hurt. “Look at what she did to me! I’ve tried my best to get along with her, but she always finds a reason to attack me! She even sent someone to follow me!”
“I told you, I didn’t send anyone to follow you!” Eve shouted, her voice quivering with anger. “This family should never have accepted you as a daughter-in-law!”
After hours of verbal sparring, Lyla’s temper finally broke. “You don’t want me as a daughter-in-law, do you? How will you survive your financial troubles without me? You kicked Myra out once you were done with her. Now you want to do the same to me?! Well, I’m not as easy to push around as she was!”
“You!” Eve’s finger trembled as she pointed at Lyla. She quickly turned to Sean, her face filled with desperation. “Sean, I’ve never thought that way! She insults me, and now she’s insulting you, too! Do you hear her?”
“That’s enough!” Sean’s voice cut through the chaos like a sharp knife. His tone was cold, his patience clearly wearing thin. He looked at both women, his exhaustion palpable.
“Mom, don’t follow Lyla anymore,” he commanded.
Eve’s eyes widened in disbelief. Before she could protest, Sean turned to Lyla, his voice colder than ever. “Lyla, don’t forget, she’s my mother and our elder. Did you even think about me when you hit her?”
Lyla’s triumphant expression faltered immediately. “Sean, I—”
“What happened today ends here,” Sean interrupted. His voice was hard, his anger barely contained. “I don’t want to be called back from work because of petty arguments like this.”
Lyla, feeling the sting of his words, wiped her tears away and added bitterly, “But Sean, you weren’t even at the company today. Richard told me you went out…”
“Why do you care where I go?” Sean snapped, his tone growing sharper. “I’m out there working for our future. What about you? All you do is spend money without a thought. Myra never did that!”
Eve, seeing an opportunity to strike, joined in. “That’s right. Myra never spent money recklessly. Maybe if you were more like her, you wouldn’t be in this mess!”
At that, Lyla lost all composure. She lashed out, her voice trembling with rage. “Myra? You threw her out after using her! And now you’re going to throw me out too?!”
Suddenly, Sean’s slap silenced her. The room fell into a heavy silence as Lyla clutched her face in shock. Her eyes widened, unable to process what had just happened. The blow was the first of its kind from Sean, and it left her shaken.
“How dare you hit me?” Lyla whispered in disbelief, her voice barely audible as tears streamed down her face.
Sean stood frozen, his hand still raised as he processed what he’d just done. His voice was eerily calm as he spoke. “Calm down.”
Lyla staggered backward, her emotions overwhelming her. She bumped into broken shards of a plate and fell to the ground. When her gaze landed on the remnants of a plate of steamed fish, her expression changed drastically. The smell seemed to trigger something inside her, and she suddenly turned away, retching violently.
Eve’s face turned pale. Greta, standing nervously by the door, asked in a small voice, “Young Mistress Lyla… are you… pregnant?”