The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 86: Chapter 86
You are reading The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep, Chapter 86: Chapter 86. Read more chapters of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep.
"Enough!" Albert cut him off sharply. "She's pregnant now—what other agenda could she possibly have? She just wants to make it official so she can use that baby to climb her way into the Powell family."
Victor pressed his lips together, his face tense as his hands instinctively gripped the seams of his pants. "Dad, I know you've never liked Ellie, but the child is innocent. This is my blood, my—"
Albert strode over to his desk and slammed his hand down hard on the surface. "This child cannot be born!"
Victor's head snapped up, his eyes filled with shock. "Dad, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying she needs to get rid of it! This situation has to be dealt with immediately. We can't wait any longer!"
"No, Dad!" Victor stumbled backward, his voice shaking. "This child is my own flesh and blood. You can't make her—"
Albert's anger turned into a cold laugh. "Flesh and blood? So what if there's a child? Let me tell you something. The Powell family doors will never open for that woman. Not in this lifetime!"
Victor kept his head down, unable to speak. Albert's decisions were never up for negotiation. But the child in Eliza's belly was still his own blood, and he couldn't just abandon it.
The next morning, Eliza woke up to an empty bed. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around the room, but Victor was nowhere to be found. She picked up her phone to check the time—it was already eight in the morning.
Victor hadn't come home all night, and his phone was going straight to voicemail. She could hear the servants bustling around downstairs as she walked over to her vanity.
The woman staring back at her in the mirror looked pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes that makeup couldn't hide.
Eliza picked up her phone and tried calling Victor again, but still no answer. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach. Then, she pulled out a business card from her nightstand drawer and dialed the number.
Eliza kept one hand pressed gently against her belly as the phone rang twice before someone picked up. "Hello, I have a story for you. Victor from Powell Group—he got someone pregnant, but he's not planning to take responsibility."
"What? If this story breaks, it's going to be huge!" the person on the other end exclaimed.
"I'll send you all the evidence. Victor is definitely the father—there's no question about it. I want this in the papers as soon as possible." Then, Eliza hung up without another word.
Noon sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains. Victor woke up in his bedroom at Powell Manor, rubbing his temples as he reached for his phone on the nightstand.
The screen showed dozens of unread messages from friends, colleagues, and even some business contacts he barely knew. Victor opened one of them, and the message hit him like a punch to the gut.
[Dude, who's this woman? I thought you were engaged to Aniston Group. Where did this kid come from?]
Victor's heart lurched as he bolted upright in bed and clicked on another message. It was more of the same content. That's when he realized just how serious this situation had become, and he frantically opened his news app.
[Mystery Woman Spotted at Pregnancy Clinic—Could the Baby Belong to Powell Group CEO Victor?]
[Total Scumbag! Victor Refuses to Take Responsibility for His Child Despite His Wealth!]
[Elite Family Drama! Mystery Woman Appears Just as Victor Gets Engaged. Baby Scandal Rocks Business World.]
The photos showed Eliza getting her prenatal checkup at the hospital. Even though the images were blurry, one could still clearly make out her figure.
Victor stared at the harsh headlines flashing across his screen, nearly dropping his phone.
How did this happen so fast? The news is already spreading through every social circle,' he thought. 'How could Ellie do something like this?'
Victor rushed downstairs, gripping the banister as he went. His face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. In the living room, Albert sat rigidly on the sofa, clutching a newspaper with a face like thunder.
When Albert saw Victor's disheveled state, he slammed the newspaper down on the coffee table and let out a cold laugh. He pointed at the headline with one finger.
"Victor, do you see it clearly now? This is the woman you've been protecting. She has no shame. She's using tactics like this to force you to marry her! And you're still defending her?" Albert let out a harsh laugh.
Victor looked up, his voice hoarse. "Dad, Ellie isn't that kind of person. There has to be a reason for all this—"
"A reason?" Albert shot up from the couch, his face red with anger. "You have the nerve to tell me there's a reason? She pulled this stunt to force a marriage proposal, and she's willing to destroy the Powell family's reputation to get it."
Victor clenched his jaw and hung his head, unable to say a single word. He had no idea how to defend Eliza.
The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows in Glonia, casting light across Serena's desk. She scrolled through her computer screen, occasionally typing a few lines. Her phone buzzed on the table, and she glanced at the caller ID—Kristy.
She set down her mouse and swiped to answer. "Hey, Kristy?"
Kristy's excited voice burst through the speaker. "Oh my gosh, Seri. You'll never guess what I just saw online. I had to call you immediately."
Serena frowned slightly and held the phone away from her ear. "You sound like something big has happened. What's going on?"
Kristy clicked her tongue and launched into rapid-fire gossip. "It's about Eliza! She's pregnant! But Victor is completely denying it's his, and now the whole internet is going crazy. This is insane."
Serena froze, her hand gripping the phone tighter. 'Eliza's pregnant? And Victor won't take responsibility?' she thought, trying to process what she'd just heard.
"Seri, you know what?" Kristy was still chattering away on the other end of the line. "I almost spit out my drink when I saw the news! Eliza is really something else, pulling a stunt like this."
Serena gripped her phone tighter. 'Victor just returned to the country recently, didn't he? How did this kind of scandal break so quickly?' she thought.
"What exactly happened?" she asked.
"The news story is absolutely wild, and they've got pictures too!" Kristy's excitement made her talk even faster. "Eliza went to the hospital for a prenatal checkup, and the paparazzi caught it all on camera. It's explosive."
"She..." Serena started to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She took a shaky breath as her mind reeled from the shocking information.
"I have to admit, it feels pretty satisfying! Oh, wait!" Kristy suddenly switched topics with renewed enthusiasm. "I almost forgot the main reason I called. There's something else I need to tell you."
Serena welcomed the distraction. "What is it?"
"I'm getting married!"
"Really?" Serena was genuinely surprised, and for the first time in a while, a smile crossed her face. "Congratulations! When's the wedding? I'll definitely fly back for it."
"We haven't set a date yet, but you better not back out on me," Kristy warned playfully. "Besides, you've been in Glonia for so long now. It's time you came back for a visit anyway. We girls need to catch up."
Don't worry," Serena laughed softly. "I'll be there for sure."
Kristy sounded incredibly excited on the other end of the phone, chattering away about all sorts of wedding plans and even going through the entire reception menu with Serena.
Serena listened quietly, nodding and making the occasional sound of agreement.
Victor pressed his lips together, his face tense as his hands instinctively gripped the seams of his pants. "Dad, I know you've never liked Ellie, but the child is innocent. This is my blood, my—"
Albert strode over to his desk and slammed his hand down hard on the surface. "This child cannot be born!"
Victor's head snapped up, his eyes filled with shock. "Dad, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying she needs to get rid of it! This situation has to be dealt with immediately. We can't wait any longer!"
"No, Dad!" Victor stumbled backward, his voice shaking. "This child is my own flesh and blood. You can't make her—"
Albert's anger turned into a cold laugh. "Flesh and blood? So what if there's a child? Let me tell you something. The Powell family doors will never open for that woman. Not in this lifetime!"
Victor kept his head down, unable to speak. Albert's decisions were never up for negotiation. But the child in Eliza's belly was still his own blood, and he couldn't just abandon it.
The next morning, Eliza woke up to an empty bed. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around the room, but Victor was nowhere to be found. She picked up her phone to check the time—it was already eight in the morning.
Victor hadn't come home all night, and his phone was going straight to voicemail. She could hear the servants bustling around downstairs as she walked over to her vanity.
The woman staring back at her in the mirror looked pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes that makeup couldn't hide.
Eliza picked up her phone and tried calling Victor again, but still no answer. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach. Then, she pulled out a business card from her nightstand drawer and dialed the number.
Eliza kept one hand pressed gently against her belly as the phone rang twice before someone picked up. "Hello, I have a story for you. Victor from Powell Group—he got someone pregnant, but he's not planning to take responsibility."
"What? If this story breaks, it's going to be huge!" the person on the other end exclaimed.
"I'll send you all the evidence. Victor is definitely the father—there's no question about it. I want this in the papers as soon as possible." Then, Eliza hung up without another word.
Noon sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains. Victor woke up in his bedroom at Powell Manor, rubbing his temples as he reached for his phone on the nightstand.
The screen showed dozens of unread messages from friends, colleagues, and even some business contacts he barely knew. Victor opened one of them, and the message hit him like a punch to the gut.
[Dude, who's this woman? I thought you were engaged to Aniston Group. Where did this kid come from?]
Victor's heart lurched as he bolted upright in bed and clicked on another message. It was more of the same content. That's when he realized just how serious this situation had become, and he frantically opened his news app.
[Mystery Woman Spotted at Pregnancy Clinic—Could the Baby Belong to Powell Group CEO Victor?]
[Total Scumbag! Victor Refuses to Take Responsibility for His Child Despite His Wealth!]
[Elite Family Drama! Mystery Woman Appears Just as Victor Gets Engaged. Baby Scandal Rocks Business World.]
The photos showed Eliza getting her prenatal checkup at the hospital. Even though the images were blurry, one could still clearly make out her figure.
Victor stared at the harsh headlines flashing across his screen, nearly dropping his phone.
How did this happen so fast? The news is already spreading through every social circle,' he thought. 'How could Ellie do something like this?'
Victor rushed downstairs, gripping the banister as he went. His face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. In the living room, Albert sat rigidly on the sofa, clutching a newspaper with a face like thunder.
When Albert saw Victor's disheveled state, he slammed the newspaper down on the coffee table and let out a cold laugh. He pointed at the headline with one finger.
"Victor, do you see it clearly now? This is the woman you've been protecting. She has no shame. She's using tactics like this to force you to marry her! And you're still defending her?" Albert let out a harsh laugh.
Victor looked up, his voice hoarse. "Dad, Ellie isn't that kind of person. There has to be a reason for all this—"
"A reason?" Albert shot up from the couch, his face red with anger. "You have the nerve to tell me there's a reason? She pulled this stunt to force a marriage proposal, and she's willing to destroy the Powell family's reputation to get it."
Victor clenched his jaw and hung his head, unable to say a single word. He had no idea how to defend Eliza.
The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows in Glonia, casting light across Serena's desk. She scrolled through her computer screen, occasionally typing a few lines. Her phone buzzed on the table, and she glanced at the caller ID—Kristy.
She set down her mouse and swiped to answer. "Hey, Kristy?"
Kristy's excited voice burst through the speaker. "Oh my gosh, Seri. You'll never guess what I just saw online. I had to call you immediately."
Serena frowned slightly and held the phone away from her ear. "You sound like something big has happened. What's going on?"
Kristy clicked her tongue and launched into rapid-fire gossip. "It's about Eliza! She's pregnant! But Victor is completely denying it's his, and now the whole internet is going crazy. This is insane."
Serena froze, her hand gripping the phone tighter. 'Eliza's pregnant? And Victor won't take responsibility?' she thought, trying to process what she'd just heard.
"Seri, you know what?" Kristy was still chattering away on the other end of the line. "I almost spit out my drink when I saw the news! Eliza is really something else, pulling a stunt like this."
Serena gripped her phone tighter. 'Victor just returned to the country recently, didn't he? How did this kind of scandal break so quickly?' she thought.
"What exactly happened?" she asked.
"The news story is absolutely wild, and they've got pictures too!" Kristy's excitement made her talk even faster. "Eliza went to the hospital for a prenatal checkup, and the paparazzi caught it all on camera. It's explosive."
"She..." Serena started to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She took a shaky breath as her mind reeled from the shocking information.
"I have to admit, it feels pretty satisfying! Oh, wait!" Kristy suddenly switched topics with renewed enthusiasm. "I almost forgot the main reason I called. There's something else I need to tell you."
Serena welcomed the distraction. "What is it?"
"I'm getting married!"
"Really?" Serena was genuinely surprised, and for the first time in a while, a smile crossed her face. "Congratulations! When's the wedding? I'll definitely fly back for it."
"We haven't set a date yet, but you better not back out on me," Kristy warned playfully. "Besides, you've been in Glonia for so long now. It's time you came back for a visit anyway. We girls need to catch up."
Don't worry," Serena laughed softly. "I'll be there for sure."
Kristy sounded incredibly excited on the other end of the phone, chattering away about all sorts of wedding plans and even going through the entire reception menu with Serena.
Serena listened quietly, nodding and making the occasional sound of agreement.
End of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep Chapter 86. Continue reading Chapter 87 or return to The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep book page.