Ch-4

That evening…

The silence in the Crown mansion was thick. Too thick.

Then—BANG!

Eric’s fist crashed against the polished mahogany table, the sharp sound cutting through the stillness like a gunshot.

“That fucking bastard!” His voice thundered through the suite, ricocheting off the high ceilings. “He actually thinks he can demand that my wife bear his child—or he’ll sue?!”

His breath came in sharp, uneven bursts, his entire body vibrating with restrained fury. “Who the hell does he think he is? Just because Forbes slapped his name on one of the young billionaire lists, he thinks that erases the fact that he used to be a lowlife?”

Across the table, Dominic Harrington barely flinched. The older man simply leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the cushions in a slow, deliberate rhythm. His gaze flicked to his wife, Mabel.

She looked just as furious. But unlike Eric, she wasn’t pacing—she was calculating. And her silence was just as dangerous as his rage.

Finally, Dominic let out a slow breath and pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking.

“Son…” His voice was even. Measured. But there was a warning beneath it. “I understand how you feel, but let’s not lose ourselves in the moment.”

“This mix-up wasn’t planned, and no matter how much you shout, it won’t change what’s already happened.” His tone cooled. “What matters now is how we handle it.”

“Yes.” Mabel finally spoke. Her expression was poised, her gaze locked onto Eric. “Your father is right, son… Yelling and hitting things won’t fix this.”

Dominic’s brows lifted in quiet suspicion. He knew his wife. Knew her temper. If anything, he had expected her to join Eric’s rage—maybe even fuel it. But instead, she was agreeing with him?

“I’m glad you also think we should handle this rationally, darling. For a moment, I thought—”

“Rationally?” Mabel snapped, cutting him off mid-sentence. Her composed facade shattered in an instant, fury twisting her features.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Dominic.” Her voice was sharp, seething. “Our daughter-in-law is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s child, and that bastard actually expects her to give birth to it? We passed being rational a long time ago.”

Dominic didn’t argue. He never did—not when Mabel was like this. He had always been the kind of man who let her have the final say, even when it was to his discomfort.

Mabel turned to Adina then, her gaze burning with something beyond anger. Disdain. Disappointment. A mother-in-law’s scorn.

“We are going to handle this pregnancy before things get even more out of hand.”

Adina gulped, fear gripping her heart. “Mother… What do you mean? How are we going to handle it?”

Mabel’s frown deepened, her gaze locked onto Adina, unyielding. “What sort of question is that, darling?...”

“...Surely you don’t expect your husband—my son—to raise not just any man’s child, but your ex-boyfriend’s? That would be a disgrace to this family. An embarrassment.”

Adina’s stomach twisted painfully. She didn’t need Mabel to say it outright. She already knew what she meant.

“So… there’s no other alternative?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, timid, pleading.

Her teary eyes searched her mother-in-law’s face, hoping desperately that she would say something else. Anything else.

Mabel crossed her arms, her tone sharp as a blade. “You know there isn’t, Adina. We all know what needs to be done. You need to terminate the pregnancy— and fast.”

There it was.

Their lack of concern.

For her.

For what this meant to her.

Adina felt her heart crack into a million pieces. Get rid of her child?

The child she had waited for.

For six long years.

Endured tests. Hope. Heartbreak.

And now?

The same woman who had once stood by her side, who had suggested the IVF, encouraging and at the same time insisting—now wanted her to terminate it. All because it wasn’t her son’s.

Her throat felt tight. “But… but what about the lawsuit?” she stammered, clinging to one last shred of hope. “Ryan said if we did anything to the child, he’d sue.”

Mabel opened her mouth to respond, but Eric cut in first.

“That’s all empty threats, darling.” His voice was calm now but also dismissive. “No court in this country would force a woman to give birth to a child she doesn’t want—even if the father demanded it.”

Adina lowered her gaze to her lap.

A child she doesn’t want to give birth to—The words echoed relentlessly in her mind, each repetition cutting deeper than the last.

Sensing her hesitation, Eric moved toward her, crouching at her side. He took her hands gently in his, his touch warm, steady.

“I know this is hard for you, darling,” he murmured, his voice smooth, reassuring. “But if this was successful, it can be successful again. And next time, the baby will be ours.”

Adina inhaled sharply, her eyes meeting his.

A long silence stretched between them before she finally whispered. “Fine… I’ll do it. I’ll terminate the pregnancy.”