d to answer. She didn't say a word. S

hen she got nothing but a dead, eerie silence, Jacquelyn immediately adopted a choking, tearful tone, playing the pe

o depressed, and Clifton was so worried about me, so they finally told him my location. We just... we couldn't fight

re, physical nausea. "Are you done?" her voice was frigid and comple

now you're hurting, but I want to explain everything to you face-to-f

t convenient," Adaline replie

ogant voice pierced through the speaker. "Inviting you to my daugh

ly hid her fragile state, refusing to let them know she was on the verge of a miscarriage. "You want me to get out of a hospi

pathetic body, you couldn't keep a child anyway. Right now, Jacquelyn's

ined by the harsh, physical punishments her parents inflicted on her since childhood. He knew exactly how fragi

e past few months, she had been overflowing with hope, believing with all her heart that she was carrying his baby. He watched her risk her life, fighting desperately to protect what

a sharp, lethal blade. "How a

lent. Only Adaline's cold, mocking lau

about using me as a convenient shield to legitimize your bastard in the public eye. Unless you are generous enough to publicly admit to the press

d of his furious response, Adali

, clinging to Clifton's arm. "How can she be so cruel? Dotty is jus

e. He smashed his fist onto the mahogany desk. "She act

tracing his chest. "She's probably just keeping it to get your attention, Clifto

s she can threaten me while carrying a filthy wild seed? She's pushing her luck. I want

ecutive security team to the clinic right now. Bring her

von pushed the door open without knocking, flanked by two towering, muscular security guards. His suit

the gala. Please cooperate, or we will have to use phys

nly risk another massive hemorrhage. She had to protect her baby at all costs. She

fear. "But I need to change my clothes first. I ca

doned woman couldn't pull any tricks. "

. From the hidden inner lining of her designer handbag, she pulled out a sleek, thumb-sized digital voice recorder. She switched it to

r sense of helplessness washed over her. She was being dragged against her will to a public execution of her own dignity. She had

heir stage to humiliate her, she had to at least arm herself. She lightly pressed her hand over her chest, feeling the hard outline of the