Chapter 90

Chapter 90:

“I-I’m still your father!” Erik stammered, his anger faltering. Faced with Brayden’s cold stare, the rest of his protest died in his throat.

Just then, Dewitt Becker, the old butler, appeared by the doorway. He inclined his head politely. “Mr. Kevin Stanley requests everyone’s presence in his living room p>

“Understood,” Brayden replied with a curt nod. He cast one last hard glance at his father before turning to Valeria. “Mom, come on—say as little as possible in front of Grandpa p>

All color had drained from Valeria’s face. Though her poise remained impeccable, her spirit seemed hollow, her steps slow and mechanical—like a finely dressed ghost drifting through her own home.

From her seat in the corner, Gracie finally stood. She’d seen more than enough of the melodrama and wanted no part in the next act. Meetings like these were minefields, and she preferred to stay out of the blast zone.

But as she turned to leave, Dewitt’s composed voice cut through the tension. “Gracie, your presence is requested as well p>

Gracie’s steps faltered. She inclined her head politely, masking the flicker of reluctance in her eyes, and followed them down the corridor.

While walking, her mind spun through scenarios. Kevin possessed far sharper instincts than Valeria ever did. In a household as immense as the Stanley estate, he had his hands on every lever of control. There was no chance he hadn’t heard about the clash between her and Valeria three days earlier. It wouldn’t take much for him to piece together who had started it—and once that happened, the situation would slip out of anyone’s grasp.

When the group arrived, Kevin was already in his seat, waiting, his presence calm and commanding.

Valeria sat off to the side, her usual poise stripped away, leaving only a bleak, hollow expression.

When Gracie entered, she quietly took the chair beside Valeria, her posture polite and measured in Kevin’s presence. A brief flicker of approval crossed his eyes as he nodded to her.

M𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓊𝓅𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓃

Across the room, Brayden and Erik had settled into their seats, both wordless and tense.

A few minutes later, Theo and Ellie appeared at the doorway, completing the assembly.

At last, the entire Stanley family faced one another in the same room.

“Since everyone’s here, let’s get started,” Kevin declared, his voice carrying the weight of command. “The blood of our family should never be left unacknowledged. I turned a blind eye before, but now that Valeria knows the truth, there’s no point in keeping it secret p>

His gaze shifted toward Brayden, a silent cue.

Brayden straightened and cleared his throat. “Grandpa and I have been aware of this for some time. We chose to stay silent—both to spare Mom’s feelings and to preserve the family’s reputation. Mom, how did you discover the existence of Dad’s illegitimate child p>

Valeria lifted her tear-streaked face. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “An anonymous message came to me. I looked into it and found every word to be true p>

Brayden’s tone stayed level as he explained, “If someone sent that message, it means the matter’s already public knowledge. Since we can’t hide it any longer, it’s better we acknowledge it ourselves. Bringing him home is far wiser than letting outsiders expose the scandal p>

He then glanced at Valeria and asked, “Mom, can you accept that p>

Valeria’s hands balled into trembling fists. Her lips parted, but no words came. She stood frozen, caught between pride and humiliation.

Watching from the side, Gracie couldn’t help but admire how deftly Brayden had defused the situation. He had turned what should’ve been a family catastrophe into a tolerable compromise.

Lowering her voice so only Valeria could hear, Gracie murmured, “Remember what you said three days ago—nothing matters more than the family’s reputation, right p>

Valeria’s head snapped toward her, fury flashing through her reddened eyes. But with Kevin seated at the head of the room, she had no choice but to swallow it down.

“Fine,” she said through clenched teeth. “I agree p>

Kevin gave a single approving nod. “Good. Then that settles it. Gracie, come to the study—I’d like a word p>