Chapter 20 This Is Your Child

Logan and Hunter arrived at KB Corporation together at 9 am. They walked into the office on the top floor while discussing their bet. They were about to gather the documents needed for the meeting when they saw Mortimer lying on the sofa, using his jacket as a blanket. He was still wearing the same clothes from the night before and he reeked of alcohol. Seeing his disheveled demeanor, Hunter instantly guessed what had happened. “Boss, did you fight with your wife?” Mortimer’s expression darkened. He didn’t reply. Logan quickly instructed someone to get him a new set of clothes. Once Mortimer was dressed and presentable, he handed him a file of documents. “As you requested, I looked into NC Company’s annual financial reports and found several problems. The main reason they suffered losses wasn’t because of the management, but because their former financial director, Fanny, who’s also Ms. Tiffany’s stepmother, was transferring the company’s assets to her name.” Logan estimated that Fanny had stolen at least nine figures worth of assets. In other words, if it weren’t for Fanny, NC Company wouldn’t have faced bankruptcy. Hunter had had bad experiences with women before as well, so he could relate. He sighed. “As expected, women are spell trouble. I really should be careful when choosing my future wife.” Mortimer said thoughtfully, “The only person you should trust is yourself. If you trust others blindly, you’re just signing your own death warrant.” Hunter was curious when he heard him say that. “Boss, does that mean you’ve finally decided to divorce Miss. Tiffany? Don’t worry, once the divorce is finalized, I’ll introduce some pretty women to you, so you won’t feel lonely.” Mortimer’s expression didn’t change, but his tone was cold. “Did I hire you to say such stupid things?” Hunter scratched his head. “I’ll get back to work right now. By the way, Boss, should you do something about that injury on your neck? You’re a public figure, after all, it’s not appropriate to be so open about what goes on behind your bedroom doors.” Mortimer glared at him. Hunter mimed zipping up his mouth, then ran off quickly. Not long after he left, another uninvited guest arrived at the office. As always, Lucia’s clothes were exquisite and alluring. Her spaghetti-strapped dress wrapped snugly around her body, showing off all her seductive curves. She bent over slightly so that Mortimer could see more of what she wanted him to see. However, Mortimer didn’t even look at her. His expression was cold and distant. “I’m busy. If you don’t have anything important to say, please leave.” Lucia stomped her feet in grievance. “Why do you have to be so frosty to me?” Seeing that Mortimer was still ignoring her, Lucia sat opposite him. “I have something important to tell you.” As she spoke, she glanced at the red marks on Mortimer’s neck. As an adult, Lucia knew what those marks were. She could barely control her anger and jealousy. “You’ve already had sex with that woman, haven’t you? Why are you hurting me like this?” “You have no right to interfere in my matters!” Mortimer dismissed her impatiently. “I’m the only one in this world who can treat you right!” Lucia sobbed. “Tiffany is only with you for your money!” “That’s enough!” Mortimer’s expression was as cold as ice. “Whatever happens, she’s still my woman. You shouldn’t spread false rumors about her.” “Don’t you believe me?” Lucia threw the file of documents she was holding at him. “Take a look at this, and you’ll know what I’m talking about!” Mortimer glanced at the papers. His eyes flashed with anger. Tiffany was resting in the villa, completely tired out by last night’s events. Even breathing was tiring for her. Right then, all she wanted to do was empty her mind and get some peace and quiet. Suddenly, the door opened, and a couple of security guards entered. Tiffany was scared. “What are you doing?” “Sorry, ma’am, we’re just doing as we were told.” With that, they carried her into the living room. Mortimer was sitting in the living room with his legs crossed. His expression was calm. When he saw her, he just glanced at her briefly. Tiffany was scared to see him like that. “What… what do you want from me?” she asked tremblingly. Mortimer’s lips curved in a cruel smile, but his eyes were cold. “I want to get rid of that bastard you’re carrying.” Tiffany’s eyes widened. How did he know that she was pregnant? As if knowing what she was thinking, Mortimer threw the report into her lap. “Take a look yourself!” Tiffany opened the envelope. Inside was the personal details form that she had filled in at the hospital. Her name was written at the top, along with her condition: four weeks gestation. The father of the baby was… Seth Campbell. When Lucia had given him this file, Mortimer had doubted the truthfulness of the document at first. He’d called the hospital to confirm the authenticity of the document. When he realized that it was true, he was livid. He almost destroyed his office out of anger. He knew that his brother had always been eyeing his power and riches, but he had never expected that Tiffany would be another one of his tools used to trick him! And he almost fell for it! This feeling of betrayal made Mortimer recall some of his past. Even though it had been many years since it happened, he still felt hurt. Tiffany blanched as she held the document. She had written Seth’s name on the form because Mortimer had threatened her and forbade her from getting pregnant in the first place. She hadn’t expected this to cause such a big misunderstanding. “It’s not what you think,” she sobbed. “My child isn’t a bastard. This is your child!” “Save your tears and your bad acting!” Mortimer looked down at her condescendingly. “I know what you’re planning. You’re hoping to use this child to get the Campbell family inheritance when I die, aren’t you? You just didn’t expect me to wake up before you could carry out the plan.” Tiffany was crying bitterly. She could only shake her head desperately and tug on his sleeve, begging for his pity. Mortimer shook off her hand in disgust. “No wonder you refused to get divorced. It’s all because of this child. You really love Seth, don’t you? You love him so much that you’re willing to stay with me for his sake. Tiffany Niles, you disgust me!”