"What?" Richard spat out, his nostrils flaring as a dark flush of pure outrage crept up his neck. "Do you even hear the heinous thing you are suggesting?"
Roxanne’s fists clenched tightly in her lap, her fingernails digging deep into her palms as her gut twisted into a hard knot. A violent surge of anger welled up inside her chest, but she kept her teeth grinding together, fighting to keep her voice under control.
She refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.
"Well, I am simply offering a practical solution to a crisis," Margaret said coldly, giving a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.
"That solution is completely fine with me, because I will certainly not be the one getting rid of my baby," Cara declared, leaning back into her plush armchair with an air of smug superiority. "And frankly, that is a far better outcome than forcing me to marry a man I do not love."
"Ridiculous," Pamela scoffed loudly from her seat across the room, shaking her head in complete disgust.
"It is the absolute truth!" Cara added, her eyes flashing as she snapped her head toward Pamela and leaned forward. "I have known Richard longer than her! It is already deeply unfair that you are all pressuring me to marry Nicholas, but it would be a total injustice if you all sit back and allow Richard to discard me like trash. Especially knowing the massive amount of public embarrassment this entire situation will cause my family."
"Oh, please, spare us the dramatic performance, Cara," Pamela shot back, rolling her eyes in sheer annoyance.
Richard stood frozen beside Roxanne, his jaw clamped so tight the muscles twitched under his skin. His fists remained curled into tight balls at his sides.
Roxanne watched the room in silence, analyzing every face. There was no point in engaging in an argument with anyone when her own personal decision was already set in stone.
Nicholas let out a scoff that echoed loudly in the room. "This family never fails to amaze me," he muttered, shaking his head with a mocking smirk plastered across his face.
"She should be the one to terminate her pregnancy!" Cara blurted out suddenly, her slender arm shooting out as she pointed a sharp finger directly at Roxanne. "This sacrifice is for the ultimate good of the Vance family name, and since she claims to care so much about this family, she should—"
"Do not even dare," Roxanne interrupted, her voice dropping into an icy, dangerous register. Her eyes blazed with a raw, protective fury as she fixed her gaze on Cara. "Do not dare finish that sentence, or I swear I will make you regret the day you were born."
Cara flinched slightly under the intensity of Roxanne’s glare, but she quickly scoffed and turned her tear-stained face toward Margaret. "Why don’t you explain the reality of the situation to her?" she demanded, her heels tapping a frantic, nervous rhythm against the floor.
Margaret looked over at Roxanne and let out a heavy sigh. "As much as you dislike hearing it, Roxanne, Cara makes a valid point," she said, pressing her thin lips into a tight line. "We all share one singular goal in this room, and that is to prevent this scandal from escalating and destroying our stock value."
"If you truly wanted to prevent a scandal, then you should have kept this manipulative woman far away from your family years ago," Roxanne said, her clear tone brooking absolutely no argument. "She is the sole root of this entire nightmare, yet you refuse to hold her accountable. It honestly makes me wonder what she holds over your head," she added, her chest heaving as her breathing quickened.
Margaret’s face twisted with deep irritation. "What utter nonsense are you spouting now?" she demanded sharply, sitting up straight.
"You know exactly what I mean, Lady Vance," Roxanne shot back without flinching. "We all know you never offer your protection or favor to anyone without expecting substantial benefits in return."
"Wow, even the newbie is already getting the hang of how this family works," Nicholas murmured quietly under his breath, taking a slow sip from his glass.
Margaret’s harsh gaze darted over to Nicholas, then snapped right back to Roxanne. "You do not get to address me with such disrespect inside my own home!"
"And you do not get to speak about the life of my unborn child like it is a disposable business asset!" Roxanne fired back, standing her ground as her knuckles turned white.
Richard reached down and squeezed Roxanne’s trembling hand, his grip warm and solid. She glanced up at him, her chest rising and falling in jagged, angry breaths. A hot sting prickled behind her eyelids, but she refused to let a single tear fall.
How could these people sit in their luxurious living room and calmly expect her to terminate a child she had prayed and waited years to carry? Just to protect their pristine reputation? To hell with their family name.
"You simply have to do it," Margaret insisted, her voice cold and unyielding. "Otherwise—"
"Enough, Mother!" Richard snapped, his booming voice cutting her off instantly. His dark eyes were hard as steel. "You are free to orchestrate whatever scheme you want with Cara, but you will leave Roxanne and my child out of your twisted games."
"Why don’t we all just take a deep breath and calm down," Henry interjected smoothly, raising a hand. "We cannot turn on each other like this. We came here tonight to come to a logical solution—"
"And we already have our solution," Margaret interrupted firmly, brushing her husband’s plea aside. "We can only accommodate one legitimate pregnancy in this family. And until the truth is proven, Cara’s child is the one the world will recognize as Richard’s."
Roxanne stared at the matriarch, her jaw setting into a hard line. Margaret was blatantly trying to provoke her into an emotional outburst, but she refused to take the bait. Letting out a sharp exhale, she pushed herself up from the sofa, standing tall beside Richard. He immediately stood up with her, his presence looming like a protective shield.
Roxanne turned her gaze toward Henry, then swept her eyes over the rest of the family and Cara. "I came to this villa tonight because I foolishly believed you had a reasonable strategy to resolve the chaos Cara so graciously created," she said, her voice steady.
"But it is abundantly clear that you brought me here merely to waste my precious time." She reached down and gathered her leather purse from the cushion. "I have had more than enough of this absurd gathering. So, if you will excuse me."
"You will not walk out on this family meeting, and you will watch your tongue when speaking to your elders!" Margaret barked, her eyes flashing with outrage.
"You are the only person being continuously disrespectful in this room, Margaret," Roxanne replied, her tone remaining eerily calm and poised. "I have sat here for weeks listening to you insult my character and insult my background, no matter how much effort I put into keeping the peace. But this is where my patience ends. If you ever target my child again, be fully prepared for war."
Richard wrapped his fingers tightly around hers, his jaw clamped shut as he stepped forward. "I stand completely with Roxanne," he declared, his heavy voice echoing through the quiet space. "Anyone in this room who dares to bring their dirty drama to my unborn child will deeply regret crossing me."
"You currently have two pregnancies tied to your name, Richard. Stop speaking as if you only have one," Nicholas chimed in, his tone heavy with mockery.
Richard’s grip on Roxanne’s hand tightened a fraction more, his sharp eyes locking onto his brother with absolute hostility.
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