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

Chapter 22

Rachel's POV

Susan's face twisted with fury as she jabbed a perfectly manicured finger in my direction.

"This is a scam! Rachel isn't the Blake heiress! She must've paid or blackmailed someone to say she is!"

Gasps rippled through the hall, murmurs rising to a buzz.

I smirked, enjoying the chaos unfolding. Susan was losing it, and I couldn't help but find it amusing.

My grandfather's expression darkened. He stepped forward, his voice cold and commanding.

"Are you calling me a liar, Susan?"

Susan hesitated for a moment, but quickly recovered, tilting her chin defiantly.

"I'm just stating the facts. This woman—" she sneered at me, "—was nothing but a housewife for eight years, waiting on Michael hand and foot. And now you expect us to believe she's some heiress to the Blake fortune?" She scoffed. "It's laughable."

My grandmother, standing stoically by my grandfather, crossed her arms. Her gaze was ice-cold.

"Watch your words, Susan. False accusations have consequences."

Susan barked a bitter laugh. "I'm only saying what everyone here is thinking! She's a fraud!"

My grandfather's patience snapped. "If you continue to slander my granddaughter, I'll have you arrested for defamation."

For a moment, the color drained from Susan's face, but she quickly masked it with renewed anger.

I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. "Oh, Susan," I said sweetly. "You're just mad because, for once, you're not the center of attention. Must be tough realizing that no matter how hard you try, you'll never be me."

Susan's face turned a deep shade of red. "You don't deserve any of this."

I raised an eyebrow. "And yet, here I am. Rachel Blake Crawford. While you? Still just a desperate woman clinging to whatever dignity you have left."

"You conniving little-"

"Aunty Susan, stop!" Ivan's small voice cut through the tension, his face scrunched in frustration. "Rachel's a bad woman, Aunty! She hurt Daddy! She lied to us all along! And she's bullying you!"

I turned my gaze toward the boy, expression neutral. "And to think," I said softly, "I wasted eight years raising you."

Ivan's face flushed with fury. "You pretended to love me!" he shouted, small fists clenched. "You made me think you cared! But you didn't! You're just mean!"

Before I could reply, a deep voice boomed across the hall, silencing everyone.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Heads turned as Gerald Russo stormed forward, face twisted in confusion and anger. His sharp eyes scanned the room, landing on me first, then shifting to Xavier. His brows furrowed, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"How is this possible?" Gerald demanded, voice rising. "How is my useless son walking? Speaking like a normal man? And how is the woman who wasted years on Michael suddenly an heiress?"

The room fell into hushed murmurs again.

I crossed my arms, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I don't owe you an explanation."

Gerald's nostrils flared. "Like hell, you don't!"

Xavier stepped forward, his presence dominating the room. "I didn't go crippled like the people who killed my mother intended."

Gasps erupted throughout the hall at his words.

"The accident three years ago…"

"Wait, was it really an accident?"

"Someone tried to kill Xavier?"

Gerald's jaw clenched as he realized the depth of what was unfolding.

"Enough," he snapped, voice laced with warning. "You're ruining the family name with these reckless accusations."

Xavier let out a low, humorless chuckle. "Oh? I thought the family name was already rotten."

Gerald took a step closer, his voice dangerously low. "You think you can just waltz in here and turn this into a circus? Drag our family's reputation through the mud?"

I leaned in slightly, my voice cool and chilling. "Oh, Gerald," I mocked, "I'm not here to cause a scene."

His glare sharpened.

I tilted my head, a smile tugging at my lips. "I'm here to destroy you."

For the first time that night, Gerald looked truly rattled.

Before he could respond, Xavier's phone buzzed loudly.

I felt the shift in him instantly. His grip on my hand tightened, his entire posture stiffening.

I turned to look at him, brows furrowing. "Xavier?"

His jaw clenched as he glanced at the screen.

Something was wrong.