The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge novel Chapter 837

As the Mercer matriarch cried and pleaded, James’s resolve wavered. He knew his mother had indeed sacrificed a lot to raise him. He began to think more carefully. It seemed unlikely that his mother and the woman he’d chosen to bear his son—both of whom he considered rather simple-minded—could have orchestrated such a perfectly timed coup on their own.

He grew suspicious and looked intently at his mother.

“How did you come up with the idea to bring her here today, to force me to acknowledge her and the child?”

Today was supposed to be his triumphant day. The entire company was celebrating, and it was his moment to finally earn his father-in-law’s respect. The last thing he needed was a scandal, especially one of this magnitude. It had effectively blocked his path to the future. In the face of this drama, his multi-billion-dollar contract suddenly seemed worthless. When his abilities no longer served the Yeager family, all the excellence he had so carefully displayed for his father-in-law would become a weapon that could bring about Sallie’s ruin.

Everyone in high society understood this principle. It was why many wealthy men who only had daughters would secretly father sons with other women, to prevent the empires they’d spent their lives building from falling into the hands of someone with a different family name.

“It really wasn’t my fault! A person claiming to be your friend sent me a message. They said you had just landed a multi-billion dollar deal and could finally break free from the Yeagers’ control. They suggested that I bring the woman and my grandson to the company meeting today to make things public and secure their status. Look, I still have the text! You can’t blame me, really. I was just thinking about the future of the Mercer family line. I didn’t want the empire you built to fall into someone else’s hands. The Yeagers are already so rich, and Sallie can’t have children anyway. I thought asking her to accept a son wouldn’t be a big deal and that they would agree. How was I to know it would turn into this?”

James took one look at the message and was so furious he could practically breathe smoke. This wasn't someone looking out for him; this was someone trying to destroy him. Everyone knew about his company’s celebration today. They had almost managed to get Lanny to attend. Thankfully, Lanny had flown abroad; otherwise, the humiliation would have been broadcast directly to his most important client. If Lanny had been there to witness this family melodrama and the ensuing blowout with his father-in-law, the contract's terms would be up in the air. If the money didn't come through, his business would be dead. Lanny had only been so desperate to sign with him because of the Yeagers’ influence. Otherwise, he could have partnered with any number of firms in Greenvale.