Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 99

Arthur clutched his chest, his fingers trembling as he spat the words.

Lucius had braced himself for a scolding, but the raw venom in those words still brought tears to his eyes.

The brutal reprimand struck his deepest, most agonizing insecurities, tearing him apart from the inside.

A deathly silence fell over the main hall.

He desperately searched the room for Madeline. In the past, whenever Arthur berated him for poor corporate performance, Madeline would always step in to defend him. Out of respect for her, Arthur would usually dial back his rage.

But now, Madeline's lips were sealed shut.

She wasn't going to say a single word to save him.

And why should she?

Lucius clenched his fists. What right did he have to expect Madeline to shield him from the consequences of his own infidelity?

But was he really that rotten?

He never imagined that Liliana—the woman who had always played the sweet, obedient girlfriend as long as the money flowed—would completely disregard his precarious position just to stage this selfish coup.

The woman he had sheltered and pampered for years had stabbed him in the back.

Lucius kept his head bowed in absolute silence.

Arthur wasn't finished. "From the timeline, this child was conceived right around the time Madeline had her accident. How could you betray her like this? Since the truth is out in the open, I am handling this right here, right now. Lucius, you call me your grandfather, and you are my successor. Are you going to submit to my judgment today?"

Lucius knew exactly what Arthur was implying. If he dared to defy him, Arthur would strip him of his CEO title and exile him from the family dynasty by morning.

He didn't have nearly enough leverage to wage war against the patriarch.

But submitting meant facing brutal physical punishment. He had seen it happen before. When Alastair had caused a massive scandal, Arthur stripped him of his wealth, had him strung up, and broke three of his ribs.

Lucius cast one final, pleading glance at Madeline, praying for a lifeline, but she simply stared blankly ahead.

Crushed by the oppressive weight of Arthur's authority, Lucius nodded.

"Step forward and take your punishment," Arthur ordered coldly.

Being disciplined like a child in front of all his relatives was incredibly humiliating for the newly established heir of the Whitman empire, but he had no choice.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify