Chapter 355

Marcia knew Bradley was the one of Frank's friends who disliked her the most, and she was well aware of her own intentions for being there. Suppressing her anger, she went out and found a waiter to help.

Once in the car, Marcia glanced back at Frank, sleeping peacefully in the back seat, and drove directly to a nearby five-star hotel.

The next day at noon, Frank awoke with a splitting headache. As he tried to rub his temples, he realized his arm was pinned down.

"Bradley, get the hell off me..."

He trailed off as he turned his head and saw Marcia lying next to him. Both of them were nearly naked.

Marcia's eyes fluttered open, full of affection. "Frank..."

Frank shoved her away, sending her tumbling a few feet across the bed. He scrambled out, grabbing his shirt and pants. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled.

Marcia, nearly falling to the floor, looked utterly pathetic. "I-I came to the bar to pick you up. We were heading home, but you got sick on the way, so I had to find the nearest hotel."

Frank's temples throbbed. "*You* picked me up? Who told you to do that?"

"I..." Marcia's eyes welled with tears as she delivered a half-truth. "My friend saw you at the bar and said you were really drunk. She was worried something would happen, so she called me to check on you."

Frank laughed coldly. "So let me get this straight. You were worried something would happen to me, so you climbed into my bed?"

"No!" Marcia said, a mix of embarrassment and humiliation in her voice. "Y-You thought I was Elissa last night..."

It was the excuse she had prepared, the one that made the most sense.

A vein pulsed in Frank's temple. "So," he asked, his voice dangerously low, "we slept together?"

Marcia lowered her head. "Yes..."

"...Fine." Frank nodded, his jaw clenched. He buckled his belt, the usual warmth in his voice replaced by pure ice. "Then make sure you take a pill. I won't acknowledge any kid you might be carrying."

Marcia felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. She never expected him to so bluntly dismantle her scheme. When she recovered, tears streamed down her face as she grabbed his arm. "But if I were pregnant, it could only be yours! Why wouldn't you acknowledge it?"

Frank sneered. "You know exactly how filthy you are, don't you?"

If she was pregnant, who the father was would be anyone's guess.

The words were a brutal blow. Even Marcia broke down. "How am I filthy? For all these years, I..."

"Enough. Don't play the victim." Frank calmly fastened his watch, his voice chillingly detached. "You'd be wise to drop whatever little scheme you're cooking up. If you dare try to pin some bastard on me, I don't mind personally taking you to the clinic myself."

Seeing her stunned expression, he leaned in and patted her pale cheek, a faint smile on his lips. "Oh, and by the way, even if it were mine, I still wouldn't acknowledge it."

"And if you tried to have it in secret," he whispered, "I'd have no problem snuffing it out."

With that, he strode out of the room. Marcia instinctively reached for him, but he flung her hand away. Her legs, already weak from his threats, gave out, and she collapsed to the floor with a thud. The sound of the hotel room door slamming shut made her whole body tremble.

What was she going to do?

The baby in her belly...

She had orchestrated this whole thing so the child would be accepted into the Atwater family, allowing her to secure her position through motherhood once again. But Frank had seen right through her plan. Her hand slowly moved to her stomach.

It seemed she had no choice but to get rid of it.

There was no way she was going to carry the child of that monster from the Crest family.

***