Chapter 8

PRESENT DAY

“May I present my wife, Mia? She’s also pregnant with my child. That too can be verified.”

A pin drop silence ensued after Ezra’s words, followed by twin outbursts from Olivia and Ethan.

“Your wife?” Olivia.

“What is the meaning of this, Mia?” Ethan.

Mia also wanted to know the answer to that question. She was just as confused as Ethan and Olivia, and involuntarily took a step backwards because of the intensity of their stares. Ezra noted the motion and sneered inwardly.

Olivia turned to him, an angry expression on her face. “Ezra?” She was sure Ezra knew exactly who Mia was, and knew exactly what he was doing. He always found ways to discredit her, every single time. Too bad he’d miscalculated this time.

“Mia, what are you doing?” Ethan demanded, taking a step in her direction. “Do you know exactly what’s going on here? Why haven’t you been taking my calls?” He turned to Ezra. “Uncle. What's this? What's going on?”

By now the rest of the board members had already realized that there was underlying drama here. They all shut their mouths and let the members of the Grey family unfold the drama.

“Answer the question, Mia,” Olivia said when she saw that Mia was simply keeping quiet and staring at them.

Meanwhile, Mia's head was spinning. Ethan's words just now were circling around in her head, especially “uncle”. Uncle?

She looked from him to Ezra and back again. Oh, God. Ezra was the uncle who'd just returned to the country. The one Ethan was so obsessed with impressing. She felt a little faint. What had she gotten herself into?

Ethan gave an angry, derisive laugh, shaking his head, with no idea of what Mia was thinking. “You wouldn’t even speak to me, even when I was obviously trying to make things better. What is wrong with you, Mia? Are you doing this simply to get back at me? To hurt me?” He looked really hurt and betrayed. “I know I wronged you first, but that doesn’t make this okay!”

After this much back and forth without getting any backstory, someone felt compelled to speak up.

“Ethan, what’s going on?” Byers asked. “Do you know that woman?” he was referring to Mia.

Ethan’s gaze was locked on Mia, and the fury in his eyes was apparent. “She’s my fiancee.”

Eyes widened and turned to Mia who finally felt obliged to speak. Her voice was small as she said, “Not anymore. W-we broke up.” And I can't believe I just married his uncle, she added silently.

The eyes turned back to Ethan, whose veins were pulsing. “We did not! We had a slight disagreement. I never agreed to the breakup, Mia. I apologized.”

Mia glanced at Ezra, then back to Ethan, her fingers clenching. “You think an apology is enough to wipe out what you did?”

“Did you really marry him?” Ethan demanded. “Truly? I know that’s not like you. This is a farce. Right? It's an act. You’re just hurting, and you want me to hurt too. Please tell me I’m correct, Mia.”

“Well?” Olivia added sharply. “Speak up!” She turned to Ezra. “Brother, this is ridiculous. I don’t know what stories that girl told you, but they’re all lies. She’s engaged to Ethan!”

Ezra simply ignored Olivia and remained silent, watching. He wanted to see how Mia would handle herself. And were Olivia and her idiot son truly using “they’re engaged” as a reason why he couldn’t be married to Mia? Last he checked, a marriage trumped a broken engagement. Fools.

“Ethan and I are no longer engaged,” Mia said, taking a deep breath. She had to get herself together. She turned to Ethan. “I told you already. We’re over and whatever I do with my life next, has nothing to do with you.”

Ezra slightly raised a brow.

“And I told you I don’t agree!” Ethan snapped. “You’re pregnant and carrying my child for god’s sake!”

“It’s not – ”

In a few large strides, Ethan was right in front of her. “Don’t you dare say it’s not mine. I know you’re lying.”

“It’s not yours,” Mia told him truthfully.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, and he reached out a hand. Before he could touch Mia though, Ezra inserted himself between them, a cold expression on his face.

“I’ve allowed this drama for long enough, I think,” he said. “Ethan, please refrain from touching my wife. You heard her. She’s no longer your girlfriend.”

“Fiancee.” Ethan gritted his teeth. “She’s my fiancee.”

“Mm.” Ezra made a consolatory noise, as if he was talking to a child who’d just lost a toy.

Ethan’s fury only grew. “You think this is funny? She’s just using you to get back at me! That child she’s carrying? It’s mine!”

Ezra gave a cold laugh. “I’m a hundred percent sure it’s not. Don’t be so desperate to claim my child as yours, Ethan. That's a bit low, even for you and your mother.”

“So what you’re trying to say is that – ”

“Is that Mia is a slut!” Olivia completed for him. She laughed, and shook her head, giving Mia a venomous look. “I knew you’re not the kind of woman who stays faithful! Always looking for ways to climb the social ladder, spreading her legs for anyone – ”

“Olivia!” Ezra’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a sharp edge that wasn’t there before. When he looked at her, she actually felt chills go down her spine. “I understand you’re just as immature as your son, so let me remind you. Mia is my wife now. So any disrespect to her is disrespect to me. I trust I don't have to explain myself any further.”

Olivia fell silent, impotent fury stamped across her features.

Ezra turned to the rest of the still silent board members. “Is there anything else? This is turning into a waste of time.”

“Wait.” A board member spoke up. “A fake marriage and false pregnancy isn’t something that can just be overlooked. We need to get to the bottom of this. Ezra, you have to admit this is suspicious!”

Ezra shrugged, pressing a button to turn his wheelchair away. “You can investigate all you want. The marriage is real and legal. As for the paternity of the pregnancy, Mia and I will be happy to submit a DNA report once we get the go-ahead from her doctor. In the meantime and before any of you can prove otherwise, both she and the child are mine.”