Chapter 6

Andrea took Summer to the hospital. After getting drenched in the rain, Summer was running a high fever.

While Andrea stayed with Summer at the hospital, Logan treated Vivian to dinner at a revolving restaurant and spared no expense buying her jewelry at auction.

He even brought Vivian to a charity gala on his arm. Their outfits were carefully coordinated. They might as well have announced to the world that they were a couple.

Rumors that Logan and Summer's marriage was on the rocks were spreading online, but Logan couldn't have cared less.

Instead, he had his PR team leak that Summer was the Siegel family's illegitimate daughter. They also put out word that the Siegels were gearing up for a major comeback.

The comment section exploded.

"Wait, Summer's an illegitimate daughter? Guess Logan's regretting marrying her now."

"Why stick with Summer when he could have Vivian, the legitimate heiress? I'd choose Vivian, too."

"With Logan backing them, the Siegels are definitely making a comeback. And once they join forces, Summer's gonna be the first one he dumps."

Even Andrea's eyes reddened as she read the comments.

"Ms. Bennett, they've gone too far! I've worked for you for years, and I've never seen anyone treat you this badly!"

But Summer had grown numb to it all. She struggled to get the words out.

"Please help me schedule the surgery."

She couldn't put off her brain surgery any longer. If she waited much longer, she might not live long enough to have her baby.

Then another fear crept in.

What if Logan found out she was pregnant?

He didn't love her anymore. He'd even hit her with his car for Vivian's sake. How could she trust him not to hurt their baby, too?

No. She couldn't let Logan find out about the baby.

Andrea had barely left when the door to Summer's hospital room flew open.

Logan stormed in, his face dark with fury. Like an animal gone berserk, he clamped a hand around Summer's throat.

His eyes were wild with rage, and the hatred in them was so fierce that he looked ready to kill her.

"Summer, you sick bitch! You know how hard it was for Vivian to get pregnant, and you still had someone poison her? You tried to kill her baby! I don't care how much you hate Vivian. The baby's innocent! How could you do this?"

Summer could barely breathe. She managed to choke out a few words.

"I didn't..."

Logan gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare deny it! You had someone poison Vivian's water! She almost lost the baby, and the person who did it already confessed!"

Despair washed over Summer. Logan was too blinded by rage to listen to anything she said.

"Vivian didn't lose the baby, but don't think that means you're getting away with what you did."

Logan grabbed Summer and dragged her toward the door, not caring that she was still burning up with fever.

"You're going to kneel on the steps outside St. Arden's Church and pray for Vivian's baby! Every time you stop praying, my guards will slam your head against the steps. And if anything happens to that baby, I swear I'll make you pay!"

Summer's breath caught. Her heart pounded.

Logan was actually going to have his guards slam her head against those stone steps.

Her brain surgery was coming up, and her doctor had warned her that she couldn't risk another blow to the head. This punishment could kill her.

Summer struggled desperately to break free and screamed, "Logan, have you lost your mind? You're really going to make your own wife kneel and pray for Vivian's bastard? She bullied us both!

"She even desecrated Grandma's grave! If you make me do this, I'll hate you for the rest of my life!"

Logan ignored her and shoved her into the car. No matter how much she screamed, he wouldn't stop.

By the time they reached St. Arden's Church, evening had fallen. Vivian was already waiting on the steps, one hand pressed against her belly, her eyes red.

"You bitch! You tried to kill my baby! You deserve to rot in hell!"

She rushed down the steps and slapped Summer hard across the face. When she raised her hand to strike again, Logan caught it.

"That's enough. You're still recovering. Don't overdo it."

His voice was low and firm, but the concern in his eyes was unmistakable. The tenderness in his voice made Summer's heart ache.

She was still burning up with fever, and she barely had the strength to speak. Even so, she managed a bitter sneer.

"Vivian, you know damn well I didn't do anything to you. You don't deserve to be a mother. Any child unlucky enough to have you for a mother would be better off dead!"

"You!" Vivian sputtered.

Guilt flickered in her eyes. She pressed a hand to her belly and stomped her foot.

"Logan, it's your baby, too! Are you just going to stand there and let her say our baby would be better off dead?"

"Of course not," Logan said coldly.

He called over two bodyguards, who seized Summer from either side.

Her heart sank. She tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. They forced her to her knees on the church steps.

One of the guards grabbed the back of Summer's head.

She gritted her teeth and struggled to speak. "Logan, I can't take another hit to the head. I have a malignant brain tumor, and my surgery's tomorrow. You can't do this to me..."

She hated begging Logan, but she had to survive, and so did her baby.

Logan's eyes hardened with disgust. "Summer, I thought you'd stopped making up stories like that back in middle school."

He wrapped an arm around Vivian and looked down at Summer. When he spoke again, his voice was ice-cold.

"Do it!"