She Was Never Just the Wife novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7 A Father’s Warning

Inside the study, Tanner went behind the desk and sat down without turning on the light. Moonlight spilled through the window, leaving his features blurred in the dark.

Beckham remained standing in front of the desk. The silence stretched between them.

At last, Tanner spoke, his voice low and clipped. “Whose kid is that?”

Beckham paused for a few seconds before answering. “He might be mine.”

“Might?” Tanner looked up sharply. “You’re pushing thirty. Could you at least think before doing something this stupid?”

“Dad,” Beckham started to say.

Tanner cut him off. “Answer me. Laylah was gone for three years. How much contact did you even have with her? Do you know when she got pregnant? Do you know when the baby was born?”

Beckham had no answer, because he didn’t know.

Over the past three years, Beckham had barely been in touch with Laylah. Two years ago, she sent him one email saying she was fine overseas and that he didn’t need to worry.

At the time, Beckham was buried in the IPO. He replied with a brief message telling her to take care, and that was the end of it.

Then, three months ago, Laylah called out of nowhere to say she was coming back. And yesterday, the airport reunion exploded online.

Tanner’s anger was tightly reined in, but impossible to miss. “You didn’t know any of that, and you still brought her home?

“And after what you said in front of the media, where does that put Celia? What does that make this family look like?”

Beckham pressed his lips into a thin line and said nothing.

“I told you long ago that once you married Celia, you were responsible to her.” Tanner rose and walked to the window, his back to Beckham.

“For the last three years, Celia has been good to you and good to this family. You’ve seen it for yourself. And how have you treated her?” he asked.

“Dad, I—”

“You ignored her. You never once spent the night with her, and now you’ve brought the woman you used to love and her child into this house.”

Tanner turned back, his gaze hard. “Have you no conscience?”

The words drained the color from Beckham’s face.

“Celia is like her mother,” Tanner said, his voice dropping. “She’s gentle, but she’s stronger than she seems. She swallows the hurt and never says a word.

“But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel it. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt her. I know your mother never liked her. I also know this marriage never would’ve happened if your grandfather hadn’t insisted.

“But it did. And once it did, you should’ve done right by her. But now, you’ve really let me down.”

Beckham lowered his eyes. A heavy weight pressed on his chest and wouldn’t ease.

He could still see Celia’s face from that morning, the puffiness around her eyes, the unsettling calm in them, and the quiet finality in her voice when she spoke to him.

“Dad,” he said, his voice rough. “I know I handled this badly. But Laylah and Ricardo…”

“I’ll deal with them,” Tanner cut in. “Tomorrow, you’ll move them to the villa I have in the suburbs. It’s quiet there, and it’ll be better for the boy.”

Then he pinned Beckham with a stern look. “As for Celia, you’d better start thinking about how you’re going to make up for the last three years.”

Beckham opened his mouth as if to argue, but in the end, he only nodded.

“And one more thing,” Tanner said. “Find out who’s been stirring things up online. Somebody’s playing games behind the scenes, and I want to know who.”

That made Beckham’s heart skip. “Dad, do you think—” he began.

“I didn’t say anything.” Tanner brushed it aside. “Go. Take them and leave. I’ll handle your mother.”

When Beckham came out of the study, his steps felt unusually heavy.

Downstairs, Emily was still talking to Laylah, trying to amuse Ricardo with a toy.

The moment she saw Beckham coming down, she asked, “What did your father say? Did he finally agree that you and Laylah…”

“Mom,” Beckham cut in. “I’m taking Laylah and Ricardo out of here.”

“Out of here? To where?” Emily froze. “They’re staying here. I already had the room prepared.”

“It isn’t appropriate for Laylah to stay at my place,” Beckham said. “I’ll take her somewhere else.”

“What’s inappropriate about it?” Emily shot back. “If Celia says a word, then you can just—”

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