BILLIONAIRES: Father or Son

Chapter Thirty-Four

MELISSA'S POV

I sat on the bed, tears silently rolling down my cheeks, my head bowed like a child caught breaking a precious vase. And just like a child, I was being scolded—but for something far worse than a clumsy mistake.

My father was standing before me, and I could practically feel his anger radiating off him like heat from a furnace. He had always been disappointed in me, and, once again, I was proving him right.

"I'm so disappointed," he bit out, his voice like a whip. "You had one job, Melissa. Just one!" His words were sharp enough to cut glass. "But what did you do? You messed it up again, as you always do."

"I'm sorry," I muttered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Sorry? Is 'sorry' going to fix this?" He gestured toward my stomach, where the weight of my effort rested. "Is that going to take out that child from your womb? You couldn't even keep him with a pregnancy, and now, you're hiding in this hotel like a coward!"

"I tried!" My voice cracked, desperate. "But his mind is stuck on getting his wife back."

"Of course, it is! And why wouldn't it be? You still let that girl beat you! She is better than you in every way, and you let her take everything from you. Again!"

His words felt like daggers, each one stabbing deeper. My fingers clenched the bed sheets, my knuckles turning white. The mere mention of Flora sent my blood boiling. How could my own father say that? How could he compare me to her?

I had been holed up in this hotel ever since Jayden threatened to have me arrested if I didn't leave his estate. I hadn't left the room except to grab food, and even then, I disguised myself, too ashamed and too scared to face my father or let him find out about my condition. I had lied to my father and told him I had left the country, but that lie was wearing thin, and he was getting suspicious. Knowing my father, he had his men find out where I was. It didn't take long for him to track me down, and today, he showed up, furious.

When I finally came clean and told him about the pregnancy—he was livid.

My father paced back and forth, fists on his hips, frustration pouring off him. If he wasn't so hard on me, maybe I wouldn't be this desperate to begin with.

"The plan still stands," he said finally, his tone clipped. "But now, you're going to marry Jayden Kensington."

I looked up at him, finally meeting his eyes for the first time. "Jayden doesn't even want to see me."

"He doesn't have a choice," my father snapped. "You're carrying his child, and no daughter of mine is giving birth out of wedlock. It doesn't happen in this family, and it sure as hell won't start with you. We're traditional people, Melissa. You knew that."

"I thought it was the easiest way to trap him..."

"You foolish girl," he barked, cutting me off. "Do you honestly believe a pregnancy will keep a man?!" He sighed deeply, clearly exasperated. "As I said, the plan stands. You will go back to that estate and make sure Jayden marries you."

Before I could respond, he whipped out his phone, his fingers moving quickly across the screen. His face darkened with each tap. After a few seconds, he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Lisette Kensington," he said, his voice cold. "Nothing about today is pleasant. Your son knocked up my daughter and now wants to toss her aside. Do you think I'm going to stay silent if that happens?" He paused, listening. "That's not enough. She needs to be wearing his ring before that baby bump starts showing. You know how these things work." Another pause. "Of course, I don't want that. But I'm not going to consider our long-standing friendship if the right thing isn't done. This evening? Good. She will be there."