Chapter 412

"Is she really any better than me? Frank, wake up! She's far more manipulative than I am!" If she wasn't, Marcia never would have fallen into her trap—a trap so deep she was still reeling. That bitch had dug a pit for her from the very beginning and just waited for her to jump in.

The thought made Marcia grind her teeth in fury. She was a conniving snake, yet Frank saw her as some kind of innocent saint. Men were all fools.

"Shut up!" Frank roared, shoving her into the car. He grabbed her chin, his voice a low, threatening snarl. "Say one more word, and you'll go through the procedure without any anesthesia."

Marcia froze, like a bird caught by the neck. The only sound was her desperate, silent sobbing. Ever since he had locked her in the basement, a deep-seated fear of him had taken root within her. Yet that fear had also shown her his power, making her desire the title of Mrs. Frank Atwater even more. She was certain that in his hands, the Atwater family would only grow stronger.

Her tears wet his fingers, but his expression held no pity, only revulsion. He shoved her away and was about to slam the car door when Carmela, who was supposed to be upstairs, rushed into the courtyard. "Where is Marcia? Where are you taking her?"

Carmela knew his feelings for Marcia and instinctively felt he was up to no good. Frank, in turn, knew what she was thinking. "She's pregnant," he said calmly. "I'm taking her to my place at Vistapeak Gardens. It will be easier to look after her. The doctor said prenatal care is very important."

His words left Carmela speechless. Just then, Marcia saw her mother-in-law and began pounding on the car window, frantically trying the door handle.

"Mom, help me! Frank is taking me to get an abortion!" she screamed, every word reaching Carmela's ears.

Carmela's face paled. She looked at Frank in disbelief. "Do you know that the fetus has already started to form? You'd have an abortion at this stage? Frank, this is your own child!"

"Whether it's mine or not remains to be seen," Frank said coldly. Done with the conversation, he walked to the driver's side and got in, starting the engine with a roar. He was determined to end this today.

"Frank!" Marcia was hysterical, her face a mess of tears. "Don't! I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please, spare the baby..."

Frank ignored her. He couldn't recall a single truthful word ever coming out of her mouth. From the very beginning, she had been nothing but lies.

As the car lurched forward, Carmela, in a desperate move, threw herself in front of

it.

Frank slammed on the brakes.

Carmela stood her ground, her expression resolute. "Frank, your grandmother and I have always supported you. But this is about the Atwater bloodline. Not just me your grandmother would never agree to this. If you are determined to kill this child, you'll have to run me over first."

If their family had been large, it might have been different. But compared to other prominent

families, the Atwater lineage wasnet

dangerously thin. As long as it was

an Atwater child, Carmela didn't care who gave birth to it They could always get rid of the mother later. It was a common practice in their world; what powerful family didn't have a few illegitimate children?

Frank's brow furrowed. He glanced at Marcia in the rearview mirror before getting out of the car. “I'm not even sure the child is mine, and you're already so eager to claim it?"

It was true that he had spent a night with Marcia. But whether he had actually done anything with her was another question entirely. And whether the child was his was an even bigger one.

Carmela had considered this. Even

after Hickey was born, she had

wanted a paternity test, but her

husband Spencer, had bee a

trusting foot. He'd argued it would

create a rift between them and

refused. This time, Carmela was determined to know for sure.

She walked to the car window and shot a glare at Marcia. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Her pregnancy is still high-risk. As soon as it's stable, I'm taking her for a paternity test."

After leaving the Murphys' earlier, she had taken Marcia to the hospital. She was indeed pregnant, and the timeline matched up. But she was at risk of a miscarriage, otherwise Carmela would have ordered the test today.

Marcia's heart leaped into her throat. In the entire Atwater family, Spencer was the only one she could fool. It wasn't fair. Just because the baby was in her belly, Frank refused to accept it. What if it had been Elissa?

At the thought, a crazed hatred flared in Marcia's eyes. She would make sure Elissa died a horrible death.

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