The Best Revenge It Wasn't Even Your Child novel Chapter 262

The man at the desk leaned back in his chair, his white shirt hanging loose and wrinkled. He looked tense, his brows drawn together while a cigarette smoldered between his fingers. The ashtray on the desk was already crowded with butts, a few still giving off thin trails of smoke.

When Aaron walked in, the man tapped some ash into the tray and spoke in a rough, heavy voice. “Go on.”

“Catherine’s been doing well at the branch office. She’s on good terms with the higher-ups and—”

“Just the main point,” Lance cut him off, clearly impatient.

Aaron took a deep breath. “Catherine’s pregnant. Twenty-two weeks.”

Silence hit the room hard. It felt like even the air stopped moving.

Lance pressed out his cigarette, grabbed another from the pack, and stuck it between his lips. When he lit it, his hands shook just a little, the flame flickering in his eyes.

He took a long drag and let out his next words in a low, rough voice. “Who’s the father?”

Aaron kept his gaze down, eyes fixed on the floor. He had a pretty good idea, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Find out who the father is.” Lance’s voice was cold, his forehead tight with anger.

Aaron answered automatically, “Lance, you and Catherine are divorced. It’s normal for her to be pregnant. There’s really no—”

He didn’t get to finish. Lance’s eyes shot him a glare so sharp it felt like a warning.

Aaron shut up right away.

He tried to recover, putting on a more professional tone. “You’re right, we’ll check it thoroughly. Catherine is your right hand, and something this important should have been reported. She’s not respecting your authority at all.”

Lance’s voice was ice. “You have three days. If you can’t find out who the father is, you’re out of SilverLeaf Industries.”

Aaron had worked for Lance for years, but he’d never seen him like this—so unreasonable, so desperate to know the truth. It made Aaron’s chest feel heavy as he walked back to his own office.

They’d just finished their meal when Catherine’s phone rang. Amanda’s name flashed on the screen.

“Catherine, get to the hospital. They found a bone marrow match for Patty!”

Finding a donor was almost impossible for some people. Patty was lucky—it hadn’t taken long at all.

Lorinda handed Jasper off to the nanny and had her bring him home in a cab, then hurried with Catherine to the hospital.

The place was quiet in the afternoon. When they arrived, Patty was already checked in, but the room was empty except for her.

“Catherine, you’re here!” Patty’s face was brighter than usual. “Amanda went to the bathroom.”

Right on cue, a phone started ringing on the table next to the bed. It was Amanda’s.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the bathroom. The door burst open and Amanda rushed over, grabbing her phone and ending the call. She looked pale, her eyes wide with panic and guilt.