Chapter 15
The moment the words left Yanna’s lips, my stomach twisted into knots. I stood frozen in place my mind racing. Jack was infertile? Then whose child was she carrying? Did she lie to him? To his entire family?
I should’ve walked away. I should’ve acted like I heard nothing. But before I could slip out unnoticed, Yanna stepped out of the dressing room.
Our eyes met.
She stilled, her grip tightening around the fabric of her gown. “How long have you been standing there?”
I forced a smile, keeping my expression neutral. “I just got in. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Yanna studied me for a long second, her posture tense. “Did you hear anything?”
I tilted my head, feigning confusion. “Hear what?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Good.” But then her eyes darkened, and her voice dropped lower. “Listen, if anything happens to this wedding, I’ll know exactly who to blame.”
I returned her stare, unflinching. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Yanna.”
She scoffed, clearly not convinced, but I didn’t give her a chance to press further. I turned on my heel and left.
When I returned to Ryan, my heart was still pounding.
He noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”
I hesitated. Should I tell him? Would he even believe me without proof? Would he believe me if I just told him what I heard? But this was so confusing knowing that their family might be ruined. I might have ruined a wedding–but it was never okay to lie.
What should I do?
I sighed. Not now. I need proof because Ryan might have attacked his brother and Yanna immediately–that was something I wouldn’t want to happen, for them to fight against each other. Even with competition between them, they were still family.
Instead, I shook my head. “Nothing. Just a long day.”
Ryan frowned but didn’t push. “I see. If you’re done with the gowns then we should go home so you can rest.”
But I couldn’t. I needed to be sure. Over the next few days, I secretly gathered information. Using a few connections, I had Jack and Yanna followed, tracking their every move. I needed proof before I said anything to Ryan. But I underestimated how it would look from the outside.
One evening, I returned to my room to find Ryan sitting on the edge of my bed. Spread across the mattress were photographs. Jack’s photos.
My heart stopped.
Ryan lifted one, his jaw clenched. “Explain this.”
I swallowed hard. “Ryan-”
“Are you cheating on me?” His voice was tight, controlled, but I could hear the hurt beneath it.
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“Or is it worse? Are you obsessed with Jack? Is that why you were stalking him and then Yanna? What’s all of this? Are you here to ruin my family?”
I flinched. “What? No! Ryan, it’s not what you think.”
His grip on the photo tightened. “Then tell me what to think, Kylie, because from where I’m standing, this looks like you’ve been stalking my brother… and I hate the idea of it.”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “I overheard something, Ryan. Something about Yanna’s pregnancy. I wanted to make sure it was true before saying anything.”
Ryan’s expression didn’t change. “And you didn’t think to tell me first?”
“I didn’t want to start a war between you and Jack unless I had proof. I’m sorry… I was just scared, okay? I learned a lot already from the mistakes I had done in my family… and I just…”
His shoulders dropped slightly, some of the tension leaving his body. “You should’ve told me Kylie. I could’ve helped you. I’m going to be your husband. There shouldn’t be secrets between us, especially when it comes to my family.”
I sighed, stepping closer. “I know. I’m sorry.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, Ryan exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I was scared,” he admitted. “I thought you were starting to like Jack, then eventually left me.”
I reached for his hand, squeezing it. “That’s impossible, Ryan. It’s always been you.”
His gaze softened, and before I could say anything else, he pulled me into a kiss. A deep, lingering kiss that made my head spin. We pulled away, breathless.
Ryan smirked. “Then let’s deal with this together. I won’t let Yanna ruin our family. If it wasn’t Jack’s child, then he has the right to know before it’s too late.”
“Jack might get mad at you.”
“He sure would but then he’s my family. Even if I hated him, he doesn’t deserve to be lied to. And that Yanna seemed to be a gold digger.”
With Ryan’s help, we gathered the final piece of the puzzle. Jack was truly infertile. He didn’t know. But Yanna did. When they struggled to conceive, she sought out another man to get pregnant, ensuring she would secure her place in the Smith family.
Ryan didn’t want a direct confrontation. Instead, he sent an anonymous package to their house. Inside was proof of Yanna’s affair–photographs of her with the real father of her child. And the package was scheduled to arrive during their family dinner.
The dining hall was filled with quiet chatter and the soft clinking of silverware against fine china. The atmosphere was deceptively warm, the kind of forced politeness that came with high society gatherings.
Ryan and I sat across from Jack and Yanna. At the head of the table sat their grandfather, Janno and beside him, their father, James. It was a night to discuss the inheritance, to finalize who would be the heir to the Smith empire.
Jack, looking more confident than ever, rested a hand on Yanna’s stomach. “With my child on the way, I think it’s safe to say the future of the Smith family is in good hands.”
Yanna smiled sweetly, though I noticed the slight tension in her jaw.
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Ryan leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “So, the final decision is made?”
Their grandfather took a slow sip of his wine before nodding. “Jack has proven himself. A stable family is a strong foundation for leadership. Once the baby is born, the inheritance will be his. You’ll also get one, Ryan, but not that bigger, and Jack will be named CEO.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, glancing at Ryan. He was calm, his fingers tapping against his glass as if he were waiting for something.
And then, as if on cue, a maid stepped forward.
“Sir, a package has arrived for Mr. Jack.”
Jack frowned. “A package?”
The maid nodded, handing him a thick envelope. Silence fell over the table as Jack took it, his fingers hesitant as he ripped it open.
Photos spilled onto the table. Dozens of them. Images of Yanna in the arms of another man.
Jack’s expression twisted in confusion, his hands shaking as he sifted through them.
“What the hell is this?” he muttered.
The room darkened with tension.
Janno and James exchanged glances before James cleared his throat. “Explain this, Yanna.”
Yanna’s face turned pale. “I–I don’t know what this is.”
One of the photos slipped closer to Jack, an undeniable image of Yanna wrapped around another man, their lips inches apart.
Jack’s grip on the table tightened. “Who is this?”
Yanna opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
I watched as realization dawned in Jack’s eyes. His hands curled into fists, his breathing sharp and uneven. Then, his grandfather’s voice cut through the silence.
“Is this true, Yanna? Whose child is that?”
Yanna didn’t speak and turned to me–she knew I heard her that day.
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