10:43 Tue, Feb 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
We Want Mommy. Not You, Daddy!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 98\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLast time it was Selena causing a scandal, now it\u2019s Cedar with an illegitimate child. This family certainly knows how to stay in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
spotlight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, don\u2019t call the child illegitimate! The child must have a father!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease\u2013if the father were responsible, wouldn\u2019t he have married Cedar by now? Why wait until the child is six?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless, this adopted daughter has no class. Getting pregnant at college and having a child out of wedlock. In our social circle, such\u00a0<\/p>\n
things simply don\u2019t happen\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I listened to them callously referring to Oliver as illegitimate, my composure finally broke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up, my cold gaze sweeping across the room. Then I grabbed a nearby wine glass and smashed it forcefully against the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crash silenced the room instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on,\u201d I said with a cold smile. \u201cWhy has everyone suddenly gone quiet?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood there, radiating cold fury, my eyes like daggers cutting through the crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These people were merely gossips with loose tongues, not truly intending harm. Who would dare continue their mockery now?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selena, however, wore a satisfied smile. In her mind, my unwed motherhood far outweighed her previous embarrassment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened four or five years ago,\u201d she said softly. \u201cLet\u2019s drop it. It\u2019s Grandfather\u2019s birthday\u2014we should all be happy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo! This must be discussed thoroughly!\u201d Nathaniel struck his cane against the floor, his demeanor severe and imposing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar, come here this instant and tell me who this man is that fathered your child!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At seventy, Nathaniel commanded natural authority. With his words, the ballroom fell completely silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood among the crowd, stubbornly straightening my back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t need to explain anything about Oliver to anyone here!\u00a0<\/p>\n
So what if I had a child out of wedlock? What business was it of the Wright family? Why should I waste time explaining myself?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to leave, but the crowd had formed layers around me, blocking my exit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the temperature in the ballroom seemed to drop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:43\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tue, Feb 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 98\u00a0<\/p>\n
I noticed Jonathan Wright looking sharply toward Ridley\u2019s direction. Ridley stood there, his face cold as ice, every feature infused with\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trost,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Considering my current relationship with Ridley, Jonathan visibly tensed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My humiliation would reflect poorly on the Sterling Design Group\u2019s CEO!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jonathan quickly intervened: \u201cFather, the banquet is about to begin. We should take our seats-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStand aside!\u201d Nathaniel coldly interrupted. \u201cCedar was adopted because you and Elara insisted on it. You raised her poorly\u2013you\u2019re the root of this problem! Today I must know who this man is. Either the child goes, or the man marries Cedar. Do you want our Wright family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
to lose all dignity?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the birthday honoree had spoken, no one dared object.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Mr. Wright is so concerned with propriety, why did he allow Cedar to suffer at the Wright family\u2019s hands for so many years?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley Sterling stepped forward with long strides, his presence commanding as he positioned himself beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar is an adult now,\u201d he continued coldly. \u201cDiscussing her upbringing at this point seems rather absurd.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nathaniel appeared momentarily stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up at the man standing in front of me, my emotions impossibly complex.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was the first time anyone had ever stood between me and the Wright family\u2019s abuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This godlike man was actually taking a protective stance before me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shielding me from rumors and gossip. Protecting my heart from their cutting words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar Wright does indeed have a son,\u201d Ridley\u2019s voice resonated through the ballroom like thunder. \u201cHowever, he\u2019s not illegitimate. He\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
my son\u2013Ridley Sterling\u2019s son.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His declaration struck everyone like lightning. The entire gathering was stunned into silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him with wide eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was this man doing? Oliver wasn\u2019t his son, yet he claimed him without hesitation! Was he\u2026 trying to help me save face?\u00a0<\/p>\n
A warmth spread from my heart, making my eyes redden and my nose tingle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:43 Tue, Feb 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 98\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though Oliver didn\u2019t need Ridley\u2019s legitimization, the fact that this powerful man would go to such lengths surprised me deeply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For someone of his stature to suddenly acknowledge an unknown child\u2013this would surely cause a media explosion\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our UnfiAnished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 98 10:43 Tue, Feb 3\u00a0 We Want […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zero-stars-for-daddy-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30497\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}