I Raised My Husband's Love Child...Then He Shot Me

Chapter 19

I couldn't shake the words I had just heard.

Rachel, the heiress of Blake Empire?

As soon as those words left his lips, Maria and Susan burst into laughter.

Susan crossed her arms and smirked.

"Rachel? The heiress of Blake Empire? Come on, that's a joke."

I narrowed my eyes, watching her closely. This wasn't the Susan I knew. There was something different about her–something cold, almost malicious.

But Rachel, she didn't flinch. She didn't react to their taunts. Instead, she just grabbed her shopping bags and walked away without saying a word.

I clenched my jaw. None of this made sense.

"Let's go," I muttered, leading my mother and Susan back to the car.

That night, I sat alone in my study, staring at the glass of whiskey in my hand. My mind kept replaying the events of the day.

Who was the man at the mall? Why did he call Rachel the heiress? And why did Susan and Maria react like that?

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see Ivan standing in the doorway, his little hands gripping the frame.

"Dad..." he said quietly, his voice uncertain.

"What is it, son?" I set the glass down.

He stepped inside and hesitated for a moment, then, in a small voice, asked, "Is Rachel dead?"

My heart stopped.

"What did you just say?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

Ivan looked up at me, eyes wide with innocence. "Is Rachel dead?"

I took a slow, deep breath. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because Aunty Susan said that if Rachel dies, Mom can go to heaven."

My chest tightened as I tried to process his words.

"Susan told you that?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.

Ivan nodded. "She also said Rachel killed my mom."

I jumped to my feet, my pulse racing. "What else did she tell you?"

Ivan hesitated. "She told me to kill Rachel's cat... as punishment for killing my mom."

My stomach churned.

Ivan shifted nervously on his feet. "She also told me Rachel was the reason Mom died. If I wanted to make it right, I had to do something."

I froze, my mind racing. "What do you mean?"

Ivan's lip quivered. "Aunty Susan told me to shoot Rachel with an arrow... the day she was leaving."

My whole world spun.

I clenched my fists to keep from exploding with rage. "Susan told you to do that?"

He nodded slowly.

Without another word, I stormed out of my study, my blood boiling with fury.

I found Susan in the living room, casually flipping through a magazine, completely unfazed.

"Susan!" I shouted, my voice thunderous.

She looked up, startled. "Micheal, what's wrong?"

I stormed over to her. "Did you tell Ivan that Rachel killed his mother? Did you tell him to kill her cat? To shoot her with an arrow?"

Her eyes widened, then filled with tears. "Micheal… it's not what you think."

"Then explain it to me." My voice was low, simmering with anger.

She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Ivan's just a child. He misunderstood everything. I only told him stories to help him cope with his mom's absence. I never meant for him to take it seriously."

I stared at her, disbelief flooding me. "You poisoned his mind against Rachel."

Tears streamed down her face. "Micheal, please… if you want to be with Rachel, I won't stand in your way. I just want you to be happy."

I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. "I don't need your permission, Susan. I need the truth."

Before she could respond, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen–it was my assistant.

I answered quickly, "What is it?"

"Sir, you need to come to the office immediately. There's a board meeting happening right now."

I frowned. "A board meeting? Without me?"

The assistant hesitated. "Yes, sir. We assumed you already knew. The board called for a vote."

A chill ran down my spine. "A vote on what?"

There was a pause. "On your position as CEO."

My blood ran cold.

I nearly dropped my phone.

"I'm on my way," I said, ending the call. I grabbed my coat and stormed out of the house.

The moment I entered the boardroom, all eyes turned to me.

I didn't bother sitting down. "Would someone like to explain why there's a meeting without me?"

The chairman cleared his throat. "Micheal, we assumed you were aware."

I clenched my jaw. "Aware of what?"

One of the board members shifted uncomfortably. "You're no longer the major shareholder, Micheal. You've been voted out as CEO."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

I let out a bitter laugh. "This is my company. You can't just remove me."

The chairman sighed. "Micheal, you sold shares. Someone else bought them. It was all legal."

My patience snapped. "Who bought them?"

No one answered.

I took a deep breath. "I have a pending deal with Blake Empire. If you think you can push me out, you're wrong."

Before I could say another word, the door opened.

Everyone turned.

Xavier was wheeled into the room by his butler. Rachel stood beside him, her expression unreadable.

My stomach dropped.

I frowned, my eyes narrowing. "What the hell are you two doing here?"