Mr and Mrs. Fletcher took the pregnancy test report puzzledly.
After reading the contents clearly, they frowned and said expressionlessly, "She's pregnant, but why show us the result?"
Samantha looked puzzled. She didn't know who Mrs. Fletcher was referring to.
Justin's handsome face sank, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Just then, his phone rang from his pocket.
Seeing the call was from Karen's bodyguard, his expression darkened even more.
He answered the call and put it to his ear, "What's the matter?"
The bodyguard on the phone and the steward spoke simultaneously; “Sir, something bad happened. Miss Karen has been rescued.”
"Miss Karen was outside, she said the child in her belly belongs to the young master."
The two sentences were spoken at the same time, one on the phone and the other directly in front of him
Justin's face froze.
Samantha's face turned pale, and the spoon in her hand fell with a clatter.
Mr and Mrs. Fletcher were also shocked and pale, looking at their son in disbelief, unable to believe that their son would abandon his responsibilities.
Justin couldn't contain his anger. "Take her to the backyard and lock her up. I'll deal with her later."
Mr. Fletcher looked at his son with a complex expression and said in a deep voice, "Bring her here. Some things need to be clarified. If we don't clarify things today, what if she slanders the Fletcher family in the future?"
The steward was torn, not knowing whose orders to follow.
Mrs. Fletcher got up, exchanged a glance with the steward, and they both left together.
At the gate.
Mrs. Fletcher saw the exhausted Karen.
In just over a month, Karen seemed like a different person. Her once plump body had turned into a dry skeleton. Her rosy complexion now pale as snow. Dark circles formed under her eyes, as if she had been awake for days.
Mrs. Fletcher couldn't believe how Karen had changed.
Karen saw Mrs. Fletcher, clinging to the gate urgently, choked up, "Auntie, save me, save me and Justin's child. He wants to abort the baby, he doesn't want our child."
Mrs. Fletcher was shocked and displeased, asking, "What did you say?"
Karen said sadly, "The child in my belly belongs to Justin. I never expected him to be so heartless, wanting to abort our child. The doctor said 40 days of pregnancy is the best time for abortion, so he imprisoned me in the newly bought villa, waiting for the right time to abort the baby. Auntie, now only you can save me and the child. The child is my life. I can't watch him be cruelly killed by his own father."
Mrs. Fletcher calmed down and asked the steward to open the gate and let Karen in.
"Come with me!"
Karen thought she was believed and hurried to follow.
Not long after.
Mrs. Fletcher led Karen into the villa.
At this time, Mr. Fletcher, Justin, Samantha, and Charlotte had already moved from the dining room to the hall.
The four sat on the sofa.
Mr. Fletcher remained silent.
Justin played with Charlotte as if nothing had happened.
Samantha looked at Justin playing with Charlotte, feeling complicated. She was at a loss for a moment.
Karen watched Justin dote on Charlotte like his own daughter, flames of jealousy burning in her heart, and her hatred for Samantha reached its peak.
Mrs. Fletcher sat back next to Mr. Fletcher and whispered, "She keeps saying the child in her belly is Justin's."
Mr. Fletcher looked at Justin and asked, "Justin, is the child in her belly really yours?"
Justin denied decisively, "No..."
His denial sent Karen's heart sinking, feeling dizzy and weak. Tears streamed down her face.
"Justin, how can you deny it? For over twenty years, you've been the only man for me. This child was conceived during our time together."
Justin glanced at her indifferently and sneered, "I did have relations with you, but I took precautions. The child in your belly is not mine."
Karen's face drained of color bit by bit. Her chest grew colder inch by inch.
"How could you accuse me like this! The child in my belly is yours. If you don't believe me, we can do a paternity test!"
Mr. Fletcher, Mrs. Fletcher, and Samantha, all looked at Justin simultaneously. Wanting to see his reaction.
Justin responded calmly, "Alright, let's do a paternity test. If it's my child, I'll take responsibility. If it's not, then please never appear in front of me again."
His fearlessness made Mr. Fletcher, Mrs. Fletcher, and Samantha all breathe a sigh of relief.
Justin's willingness to say so proved that the child was indeed not his.
The results of the paternity test couldn't be lied about.
Karen was confused. She couldn't understand what Justin was planning.
He had agreed to the paternity test so easily.
Justin instructed the steward, "Prepare a guest room for Miss Karen!" Then he looked at his mother, "Mom, arrange for the doctor to see when and which month the paternity test can be done."
He deliberately distanced himself from the situation. This gave everyone the impression that the child was indeed not his.
Karen felt uncomfortable, as if she had swallowed a fly. Why was Justin's reaction so different from what she imagined?
Shouldn't he be panicking?
Shouldn't he vehemently deny it?
Why did his actions make it seem like she was really trying to take advantage of him? And was it true that he had nothing to do with her child?
Following Justin's orders, the steward prepared a guest room on the second floor for Karen.
Because her sudden arrival disrupted the harmony, Justin decided to send Samantha and Charlotte back first.
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher watched them disappear from view. Mr. Fletcher couldn't help but ask, "Do you think the child in Karen's belly belongs to Justin?"
Mrs. Fletcher shook her head, "I don't know! Given Justin's character, he wouldn't do anything to harm his own child. Moreover, since he dared to leave this matter to me to handle, it proves that he is guiltless. Otherwise, he could have intervened."
From the bottom of her heart, she leaned more towards her son. She believed her son wasn't the type to abandon his responsibilities.
Mr. Fletcher thought what she said made sense and sighed, saying, "If the child in Karen's belly is really Justin's, then the descendants of the Fletcher family must not be left outside."
Mrs. Fletcher nodded in agreement, "Yes, if it really is Justin's, no matter what, we must protect it. This is the eldest grandson of the Fletcher family."
Little did they know, every word of their conversation was heard by Karen.
Standing at the staircase on the second floor, after hearing their conversation, she swept away her previous gloom and smiled smugly.
Ethan's predictions were correct.
To protect the child, she could only rely on Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher.
With their protection, she could smoothly marry into the Fletcher family.
So, no matter what, she must protect the child in her belly and ensure nothing happens to him.
***