Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 27

Summer's heart ached as if it were being torn apart. She could accept Xavier not loving her, but she refused to tolerate him ignoring her son.

Her face was devoid of warmth as she followed Tessa toward the examination room.

Xavier grabbed her arm, his brow furrowed deeply. "What exactly is wrong with Leo? Does he have a fever?"

Summer turned her head, her gaze as cold as poisoned ice. "Cut the act. If you actually gave a damn about him, you would've seen how sick he was the second you laid eyes on him. But you were too blind to notice, and you didn't even bother to ask. You didn't even let my son finish his sentence before shutting him down. Let me make this clear, Xavier—my son doesn't want someone else's leftovers."

Xavier's frown deepened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Summer enunciated every word with razor-sharp clarity. "It means my son doesn't want your pathetic excuses for concern. Do you understand now?"

Lily stepped forward, playing the gentle peacemaker. "Summer, I know you're worried sick as a mother, and it's stressful when a child is ill, but you shouldn't snap at him without asking what happened. He was just—"

"Shut up," Summer snapped aggressively. "Who gave you the right to interrupt a conversation between my husband and me?"

"Waaaah!"

The boy in Xavier's arms started shrieking again. "She's so mean! Is she a witch? Is she going to hit my aunt? Bad woman! Bad witch!"

The kid's shrill, piercing wails grated on Summer's eardrums. She scowled. "Xavier, either make him shut up or let go of me."

The boy sobbed hysterically. "Uncle Xavier, let her go! The bad witch is crazy, she's going to hit us! I'm scared of her! She's so mean! I hate her!"

Summer was already agonizing over Leo's fever.

Summer scoffed. "I'm not trying to frighten him. Look, the police are right there."

Right on cue, Sebastian Stone walked over accompanied by two police officers.

The officers glanced at the group, their eyes landing on the wailing boy in Xavier's arms. "Is this the child?"

Hunter turned deathly pale. He buried his face in Xavier's neck, shaking his head frantically. "Not me! It's not me!"

Summer smirked. "That's him, officers. You'd better take him away and teach him some manners. He's screaming so loud it's noise pollution. His guardians seem completely deaf to it. You might as well haul him off and give him a lesson on how to behave in public. We're in a hospital, for god's sake. People need quiet."

Hunter trembled violently in Xavier's arms, still managing to shoot a venomous glare at Summer between his sobs. He cried out that he was in pain, begging Lily to take him to the doctor immediately.