NovelNext Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Justin Cooper flinched hard at the furious roar, the rope slipping from his sweaty hand.
He had always been terrified of his cold, ruthless uncle—the "Ice-faced Reaper"—and now, he didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
But when he spotted William Cooper stepping through the doorway behind Vincent, a surge of arrogance filled his chest.
He was the only legitimate grandson of the Cooper family—the golden boy, the pride of the old man's life.
"Grandfather!" Justin rushed over, latching onto the old man's arm, squeezing out a pitiful sob. "I missed you so much these past three years!"
Emily Cooper followed more cautiously, her every move careful and deferential. As an adopted daughter, she didn't dare act as bold as Justin. Instead, she stood off to the side, lowering her head. "Grandfather, Justin and I realized our mistakes. We came back to make things right, to finish the wedding. But then..."
"That bitch cheated on me!" Justin suddenly barked, pointing a shaking finger toward the bloodstained poolside. "She got herself knocked up and tried to pawn the bastard off as Cooper blood! But don't worry, Grandfather—I already took care of the trash!"
William shoved him aside with surprising strength, finally catching sight of the broken figure lying by the water.
Vincent Cooper was already at my side, his hands trembling as he frantically untied the soaked ropes.
When he saw the blood pooling under me, his voice cracked. "Sophia..."
I gazed up at him, tears streaming down my face. "Vincent... save our baby..."
"You monsters!" William roared, swinging his cane and cracking it across Justin's shoulder. "What the hell have you done?!"
Justin stumbled back, still pointing wildly at me. "Grandfather, you can't believe her! I never touched her—how could that bastard be mine?!"
"That's right, Grandfather," Emily chimed in quickly, her voice syrupy sweet. "The moment we came back, we saw how far along she was. It has to be someone else's—"
"Shut your mouth!" William snapped, bringing his cane down hard against Emily's leg. "That is Cooper blood!"
"Impossible!" Justin shouted, veins bulging in his neck. "I swear I never laid a hand on her!"
Vincent rose to his feet, lifting me into his arms, blood staining both of us. Without warning, he spun around and landed a brutal kick to Justin's chest, knocking him flat on his back.
The murderous gleam in Vincent's eyes made the room drop into a suffocating silence. "If anything happens to this child, I'll make you both pay—with your lives."
Without another word, he carried me out of the mansion, the heavy front doors slamming behind us.
Only after the growl of the engine disappeared into the night did Justin dare to lift his head.
He turned toward William, face full of grievance and disbelief. "Grandfather, has Uncle Vincent lost his mind? Over some slut and a bastard—"
Emily whispered under her breath, panic flashing across her face, "Could it be that Sophia and Uncle Vincent... conspired? But wasn't he supposed to be infertile?"
"Grandfather!" Justin pushed on, desperate. "The Cooper fortune has to stay with me! I'm the heir!"
"Idiot!" William roared, his cane cracking down on Justin's head with a sharp thud. "How did I raise such a useless fool?!"
He pointed a trembling finger at him, voice shaking with rage.
"That child... is Vincent's flesh and blood!"