Chapter 2

Little did I know, all the nutritional supplements I had sent Nalani would end up benefiting someone else, and the woman I had spent so much time caring for and supporting had, under the watchful eyes of Brimstone's elite, given birth to another man's child.

Finn chased after me all the way to the entrance. Clutching my sleeve for dear life, he apologized with a somber look. "Nalani genuinely loves you, Hugo. Please give her another chance. I had never imagined that the two of them…

"There has to be some misunderstanding! We'll talk sense into her and make sure she comes around…"

I flung his hand away and responded lowly, "It's alright. I suppose this is just a case of keeping things in the family. After all, they're not related by blood. Congratulations on the new addition to your family!"

My faintly sarcastic remark made Finn's expression shift. However, because he depended on my family for everything, he didn't dare cross me. All he could do was force a smile. "I'll give you 30% of our company's shares. Why don't you claim the child as yours? We can still be one big family…"

I looked down at him before slowly curling my lips. "Quit dreaming, Mr. Smith!"

Indignant, he wanted to change my mind, but he was stopped by Henry. "We won't get involved in your family's dirty laundry. My older brother has made himself clear. Our lawyer will pay you a visit tomorrow!"

After hearing the word "lawyer", Finn panicked. With a look of misery, he threw himself at our car, only to be blasted with a cloud of tailpipe smoke as we sped off.

…

The following afternoon, my lawyer, Mr. Mason, returned to my office, sporting a battered, bruised face. "Ms. Smith refuses to sign the agreement, Mr. Chandler. She even invited you to attend her family's press conference."

Nalani refused to sign, and she even beat up my lawyer... I took the invitation, suppressed my rage, and floored the gas pedal. It felt as though a fishbone was lodged in my chest, leaving me in pain and making it hard to breathe.

Nalani and Felix stood together like a newlywed couple amidst a flurry of camera shutters, exchanging knowing smiles before addressing the reporters. "Felix and I aren't related by blood. We love each other, and I willingly gave birth to his child."

The reporters went wild the moment they heard that. Elite families were always breeding grounds for scandal, and this involved the richest man in Brimstone. Thus, they were itching to dig up every last detail and turn it into a sensational scandal.

"Ms. Smith, what about your previous relationship with Mr. Chandler? Is your younger brother really the one who came between you and your fiance?"

Nalani's eyes coincidentally met mine. After a split second of hesitation, she answered firmly, "That's not true. The one who isn't loved is the homewrecker, and I love Felix!"

Then, she smiled and emphasized, "He's the love of my life, the father of my child, and in a few months, we'll be welcoming our second baby..."

Just then, one of the reporters spotted me and immediately thrust their camera in my face. "Mr. Chandler, what are your thoughts on what Ms. Smith just said?"

The divorce agreement in my palm was almost crushed in my grip. For the sake of Felix's reputation, she was willing to humiliate me in public, dragging me and my family through the dirt. Every word she said implied that I was the unloved homewrecker, yet I was her lawful husband.

I narrowed my eyes and was about to retort when Henry's voice rang out. "Since you two are so deeply in love, have you registered your marriage? Are you legally married?" He placed heavy emphasis on the words "registered your marriage".

The blood drained from Felix's face in a heartbeat. The reporters' cameras were all trained on him, waiting for his answer.

Henry, who was secretly enjoying every second of this, continued to mock them. "Everyone, they may not be related by blood, but they're still siblings! Ms. Smith became pregnant out of wedlock and had an incestuous affair. For the sake of their affair, they don't care about their family's reputation…"