Chapter 1747
Keaton kept his voice dangerously calm.
“I don’t know. It’s her private business. Keep this to yourself. Do not go interrogating
her. When she is ready to share, she will tell you on her own terms p>
Janelle’s face contorted with a messy storm of emotions. p>
For a moment, she didn’t know whether to pop champagne or burst into tears.
She was an old-school traditionalist who desperately craved grandchildren. To her, a new life was always a miracle worth celebrating.
But the crushing reality that the child didn’t belong to the Huber bloodline felt like a knife to the chest.
If only it were a Huber baby, everything would be perfect!
Oh, for the love of God!
Why couldn’t their family catch a break like that p>
She mourned the missed opportunity in silence, agonizing over the injustice of it all before finally composing herself.
“You’re still checking in on her, right?” she asked.
“Yeah. Why p>
“I need you to drop some things off for her p>
Janelle marched into the massive pantry and immediately began ransacking the shelves.
She cleared out their most exclusive inventory of premium vitamins, organic prenatal supplements, and rare superfoods, stuffing them into several heavy canvas bags before shoving them into Keaton’s arms.
“Find a casual excuse to bring these to her. They are absolutely vital for a healthy pregnancy p>
“Carrying a child takes a massive toll on a woman’s body. She needs to rebuild her strength p>
“These will ensure both she and the baby get all the nutrients they need. A strong mother makes for a safe delivery p>
Keaton stared at the massive haul. She’s not even your daughter-in-law. Why are you acting like a fiercely protective grandmother p>
Janelle shot him a withering glare.
“Of course I am! I’d adore her even if she never looked your way! Now stop dawdling and take these over to her. As soon as she makes it public, I’ll be there to pamper her myself p>
After loading the ridiculous amount of supplements into the back of his SUV, Keaton pulled over on a deserted stretch of road.
He made a quick, ruthless phone call, ordering his security team to hack the country club’s surveillance and extract the audio and video footage from Janelle’s afternoon tea.
The moment Janelle had walked into the sunroom, Mrs. Sewell’s clique had swooped in like vultures.
Disguising their venom as false sympathy, they mocked her relentless desperation for a grandson, sneering that some bloodlines just weren’t meant to endure.
They practically advised her to start planning for the extinction of the Huber family legacy!
After verbally eviscerating his mother, they pivoted their crosshairs directly onto Winona.
They trashed the Newsom family’s parenting, claiming their household bred nothing but loose morals and scandal.
They sneered at her out-of-wedlock pregnancy, boldly declaring that Winona herself probably didn’t even know who the father was!
They branded the unborn baby a bastard!
Another socialite suggested she had
traded sexual favors with a
high-powered billionaire to fund her
career implying the father was
some decrepit, eighty year
tycoon!
Someone even dragged Zane Livingston into the crossfire.
They spun a wild narrative that Winona had cheated on him during their marriage
and callously discarded him, pushing Zane into a vengeful rage.
They actually twisted Zane’s horrific abuse, claiming Winona had brought it entirely on herself that she deserved every ounce of his cruelty!
Sitting in the dim glow of his
dashboard, listening to the toxic sludge spilling from those women’s
mouths, Keaton’s expression shifted into something predatory and pitch-black.
With a jaw cut from granite, he lit a
cigarette, inhaling deeply as he
stared blankly ahead. Finally, he
slammed the car into gear, flooring
the accelerator ontent belongs to
until he reached the
Newsom Estate p>
His first instinct was to drag her outside for a confrontation, but as his thumb
hovered over her contact, he hesitated, then locked his phone.
The lights in her bedroom were completely extinguished. She had already gone to bed.
Pregnancy was demanding, and she needed every ounce of rest she could get.
Refusing to disrupt her peace, he parked the SUV on the curb, stepped out into the freezing night, and lit another cigarette, leaning heavily against the hood.
He tipped his head back, staring up at her darkened window.
He stood vigil outside her house for the entire night!
It wasn’t until the first light of dawn cracked the horizon that he finally dialed her number. “Are you awake p>
Winona let out a soft yawn, her voice heavy with sleep. “Not really. What’s wrong?” I’m outside your house. Come down. We need to talk p>
Winona blinked, the lingering exhaustion instantly vanishing.
Throwing off the covers, she padded over to the window and peered through the blinds, immediately spotting the familiar silhouette of his Cullinan parked on the street.
“Why are you here so early? Is it an emergency p>
Keaton didn’t mention he had been standing guard in the freezing cold for the past eight hours.
“Just come down. I need to say this to your face p>
With that, he hung up.
Winona stared at the black SUV for a long moment before quickly tossing on a thick coat over her pajamas and rushing out the door, not even bothering to wash her face.
When Keaton saw her shivering in the morning air, he ushered her straight into the passenger seat.
The cabin smelled immaculate; he had rigorously ensured every trace of tobacco smoke stayed outside.
With the heat blasting, the interior was blissfully warm. Just as Winona opened her mouth to ask what was going on, he cut her off.
“I want to find a father for the baby you’re carrying,” he stated flatly.
Winona froze in shock. “What p>
His brow furrowed as he looked her dead in the eye, his gaze stripped of all its usual
playful charm, leaving behind nothing but raw, absolute sincerity.
“How about me p>