Chapter 2

Tears streamed down Noelle's face. "Mom, Dad, Zane Latham is my husband, and the baby I'm carrying is your grandchild. How could you say such things?"

Penny sneered and reached out to jab Noelle's stomach, but I stepped between them and knocked her hand away. Unfortunately, I misjudged my strength, and she stumbled back several steps.

She immediately exploded in anger.

"You actually shoved me?" she shrieked. "Have you lost your mind?"

Fred helped her up and glared at me with undisguised fury.

"Let me make this clear! Today, you either divorce Noelle and have her get rid of that bastard, or the two of you can leave together. You'll never set foot in the Sutton family again."

A portly middle-aged man sauntered over, leering openly at Noelle.

He was Kenneth Wright, the heir to the Wright family. He was famous in the city as a notorious playboy.

He reached out, trying to touch Noelle's face. "Noelle, what future could you possibly have with a broke nobody like him? If you come with me and be my mistress, I guarantee you'll live like royalty. You'd be a thousand times better off with me."

Noelle, utterly terrified, ducked behind me, trembling from head to toe.

I slapped Kenneth's hand away. The force of it left his knuckles bright red.

I glared at him, my voice ice-cold. "Keep your filthy hands off her."

Kenneth yelped and glared back at me, his face twisted with rage. "You fucking dare hit me? Do you have a death wish?"

Penny immediately stepped forward and held Kenneth back, smiling apologetically.

"Mr. Wright, don't get mad. This nobody doesn't know any better. We'll teach him a lesson for you."

Then, she turned to Noelle, her tone hardening. "Listen up. Either you go to the hospital now, get rid of the baby, and leave with Mr. Wright, or you can forget about calling us your parents! You won't get a single penny of the Sutton fortune. It all belongs to Maeve!"

Fred nodded in agreement. "That's right. The Suttons don't need such a stain on their reputation."

Noelle stared at her biological parents, tears falling harder down her cheeks. She bit her lip so hard it started to bleed.

I pulled her tightly into my arms, gently patting her back. The anger burning inside me was already reaching its limits.

Kenneth rubbed his reddened hand and glared at me with pure hatred. "How dare you lay your hands on me? I'm going to show you exactly what happens when you cross me!"

With that, he raised his foot to kick Noelle's stomach.

"I'll get rid of the little bastard first!" he crowed. "Let's see how tough you are then!"

My expression turned frigid.

At age 30, I had spent nearly half my life guarding the border. The one thing I could never tolerate was anyone threatening the people close to me.

Noelle was my wife, and she was carrying my unborn child.

I stepped forward and caught Kenneth's ankle in the air.

With just a little force, a sharp crack rang out. Kenneth's shin was now bent at an unnatural angle.

He howled and collapsed to the floor, clutching his broken leg as he writhed in pain. He started foaming at the mouth.

The entire hall went silent.

No one had imagined that I would fight back, much less attack the Wright family's heir at the Suttons' own family banquet.

Maeve screamed and pointed at me, her finger trembling.

"You actually attacked someone? Are you insane? Do you have any idea who Mr. Wright is? You're finished!"

Fred was also shaking in rage. His face had turned purple as he pointed at me.

"Outrageous! How dare you cause trouble at my family's banquet? You even attacked someone from the Wright family! I'm not letting you walk out of here today!"

The guests around us started muttering amongst themselves, looking at me as if I were already a dead man.

"That guy must seriously be insane. He actually attacked Mr. Wright? And on the Sutton family's territory, of all places?"