Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96 Pushed Past the Breaking Point

The cold air of the grand foyer chilled my skin. I stood near the front entrance, my hands gripping the leather portfolio.

Arthur Vance remained in the shadows. He held out the thin, faded folder. His blue eyes watched my face, waiting for a reaction

My mind spun. My mother died in a public hospital when I was twelve years old. She worked early shifts at a local bakery. She came home smelling of yeast and burnt sugar. Her hands were rough from scrubbing baking sheets. She lived a quiet, hard life in the industrial district. The idea that her name existed in the sealed legal archives of the Johnston empire made no sense. It felt like a

sick joke.

“My mother held no connection to this family,” I said. My voice echoed in the empty stone space. She never stepped foot in the

capital. You are lying.”

“I have no reason to lie, Miss Hayes,” Arthur replied quietly. He did not pull the folder back. I am a lawyer. I deal in paper trails. I found the signature. I found the dates. They match.”

I reached out. My fingers brushed the edge of the old paper.

Before I could take the file, a loud, violent crash shattered the quiet.

The heavy timber doors of the dining hall banged against the stone walls. Harriet Montgomery marched into the corridor. Her face was a mask of fury. She held the legal injunction in her right hand. She crushed the paper into a tight, ruined ball.

The rest of the family trailed behind her like a pack of hunting dogs. Frederick Langley looked eager for blood. Beatrice Langford clutched her diamond necklace. Celeste Whitmore hurried to keep up, her pale blue dress swishing against the floor. Tristan brought

up the rear, his face pale and tight.

Arthur Vance saw the approaching storm. He pulled the folder back. He slipped it into his briefcase and stepped away, blending into the shadows of a side corridor. Before he vanished, he pressed a plain white business card into my open hand.

I closed my fist around the card. I shoved it deep into the pocket of my crimson blazer.

Harriet stopped five feet away from me. The vast foyer amplified the tension. The air felt thick and heavy, pressing down on my

shoulders.

“You think a piece of paper protects you,” Harriet snarled. She threw the crumpled injunction onto the stone floor. It bounced near my leather heels. You think you can dictate terms in my house.”

I stood tall. I kept my chin level. “It is a legal boundary, Harriet. You will respect it, or you will answer to a judge.”

Frederick let out a harsh, mocking laugh. He stepped up beside his mother. “A judge works for us. We fund their election campaigns. We play golf with their supervisors. That injunction will disappear from the court registry by Monday morning. You bought yourself a weekend, Minerva. Nothing more.”

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Chapter 96 Pushed Past the Breaking Point

Then I will file another one on Tuesday, I countered. I looked directly at Frederick And I will attach the transcript of this

conversation to the filing. I will let the press read about how the Johnston family bribes public officials.”

Beatrice gasped. “You little viper.”

Harriet raised her hand. The family fell silent. The matriarch realized legal threats were failing. She realized intimidation did not

break my posture.

Harriet took a slow step forward. Her gray eyes turned to flat, dead stone.

“Let us discuss the boy, Harriet said.

My stomach dropped. “Do not speak about my son.”

“He shares our blood, Harriet replied. “He is tied to this estate. He belongs in these halls. But you are tied to the dirt.”

I tightened my grip on my portfolio. I forced my breathing to stay even.

“You grew up with nothing,” Harriet continued. Her voice echoed off the high ceiling, sharp and cutting. “You ate cheap food. You

wore second-hand clothes. You survived like a stray animal in the alleys of the industrial district. You clawed your way into a

consulting firm, but you never washed the grime off your hands.”

“I worked for everything I have,” I stated.

“You labored, Harriet corrected. She made the word sound like a disease. “You built a little company. You wear a designer suit. But

you cannot change your DNA. You are common stock, Minerva.”

Celeste smirked from the back of the group. She leaned against a stone pillar, enjoying the execution.

“You will ruin that boy, Harriet said. She moved closer. The venom in her voice dripped with absolute certainty. You will teach him

to be common. You will teach him to survive, but you will never teach him how to rule. He will grow up smelling of the slums.”

My chest burned. The heat spread through my ribs, chasing away the cold.

“He will carry your cheap, filthy habits,” Harriet pushed. She aimed the knife and shoved it deep. He will learn to lie and cheat just

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