Chapter 31
Liam’s voice trembled with rage.
He glared at Rachel with pure hatred.
“You killed my mother,” he accused.
Rachel’s blood ran cold.
She stared at the boy, her heart aching.
“Liam, no,” she whispered. “I would never—”
“Lies!” he screamed, cutting her off. “Everyone says it! Grandmother says it! You were jealous! You wanted my father back!”
Tears welled in his eyes, but anger held them back.
Rachel took a careful step forward.
He flinched, stepping away from her.
The rejection was a physical blow.
“Your mother was my sister,” Rachel said softly, her voice thick with emotion. “I loved her. I would never hurt her.”
“You’re a liar!” he shouted again, his small fists clenched. “You ruined everything! I hate you!”
Alexander chose that moment to arrive.
He strode into the room, his expression dark.
“What is going on here?” he demanded, his voice echoing in the tense space.
He saw Liam’s distraught face.
He saw Rachel’s pale, shaken expression.
His eyes narrowed.
“Liam, what happened?” Alexander asked, his tone slightly softer as he addressed his son.
The boy ran to his father, burying his face against his leg.
“She was here,” Liam cried, pointing a shaky finger at Rachel. “She was trying to talk to me.”
Alexander’s gaze snapped to Rachel, cold and accusing.
“I told you to stay away from him,” he said, each word like ice.
“He’s my nephew, Alexander,” Rachel argued, her own frustration rising. “He believes I killed Isabella. He heard it from Victoria. You have to tell him the truth.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened.
He looked down at his sobbing son.
He looked back at Rachel.
The silence was heavy, suffocating.
“Leave,” Alexander commanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Now.”
Rachel stood her ground for a moment longer.
The injustice of it all burned inside her.
She had lost her sister.
She had lost the man she loved.
Now she was losing her nephew to a vicious lie.
She turned and walked out.
Her steps were measured, but her heart was breaking.
She could still hear Liam’s crying as she left.
The sound followed her down the hall.
It echoed in her mind.
She leaned against the wall, taking a deep, shaky breath.
This had to stop.
She couldn’t let Victoria poison the boy’s mind any longer.
She needed a plan.
She needed to prove her innocence, once and for all.
Not for Alexander.
Not for Victoria.
But for Liam.
For Isabella.
And for herself.
She pulled out her phone.
Her fingers moved quickly across the screen.
She sent a text to Christopher.
I need everything you can find on Isabella’s accident. Everything.
She put the phone away.
A new resolve settled over her.
The game had changed.
She was no longer just fighting for her company.
She was fighting for her family.
She would clear her name.
No matter the cost.
Liam suddenly spoke as we drove to finalize the divorce. "You and Christopher..."
"Not your concern," I cut him off sharply.
He let out a bitter laugh and went quiet.
The car radio crackled with a breaking news alert. "Emergency report - a woman threatens to jump from Sterling Enterprises headquarters. She claims the family used her daughter and abandoned her."
Liam's face went pale instantly.
"The woman states her daughter is pregnant with heir Liam Sterling's child..."
I turned to see Liam staring at his phone screen.
His secretary had sent photos from the scene. Eleanor stood dangerously on the rooftop edge, her face contorted with rage.
Sirens wailed in the background. The area swarmed with police and reporters.
The moment Liam stepped out, camera flashes surrounded him.
"Mr. Sterling! Is it true about Ms. Sophia's pregnancy?"
"Will the family recognize this child? Have you divorced already? Or is this a mistress situation?"
Liam pushed through the crowd with a dark expression. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the elevator.
His palm felt sweaty but his grip remained tight.
"Release me," I said coldly.
He seemed to awaken from a trance. His voice came out hoarse. "Apologies... I merely..."
"A life hangs in the balance. I comprehend." My tone dripped with sarcasm. "No explanations required."
Upon hearing about Eleanor, he'd immediately ordered the driver to turn around.
I felt no patience for these repeated divorce delays. My expression showed no warmth.
During the brief elevator ride, Liam's phone rang three times.
He finally answered the last call. Even I could hear William's furious咆哮. "Control this now! The media is live-streaming! If she jumps, our stocks will crash tomorrow!"
A bitter wind whipped across the rooftop. Eleanor stood at the edge, her makeup streaked with tears.
Spotting Liam, she screamed instantly. "Liam! You heartless monster! My daughter carries your child and you choose to remarry this slut?"
Every reporter's camera swung toward me.
Liam instinctively moved to shield me. "Eleanor, step down please."
"Never!" she shrieked hysterically, waving her arms wildly. "Swear you'll marry my daughter today! Vow it publicly! Or I'll jump! Let the world see how the Sterlings torment us helpless women!"
As police tried approaching, Eleanor took another half-step backward. The crowd gasped collectively.
Liam's back showed dark sweat patches through his suit. He glanced back at me, conflict swirling in his eyes. "Promise her," I stated calmly.
"Isabella..."
"I said promise her." My voice turned icy. "We were divorcing regardless."
This disaster wasn't of my making. I refused to be labeled as the woman who drove a mistress's mother to suicide.
Liam's Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly. Finally he turned to Eleanor. "Very well. I promise. Now please come down."
Eleanor smiled triumphantly. With police assistance, she climbed shakily back over the railing.
Reporters surged forward instantly. Microphones and cameras engulfed Liam.
I turned and walked toward the elevator. Behind me, Liam's anxious voice called out. "Isabella! Wait!"
But the elevator doors already closed between us.
Sophia rested weakly in bed, morning sickness leaving her exhausted.
Her phone buzzed suddenly. A live-stream link from her best friend made her sit upright instantly.
"Mother?" She stared at the screen, face paling as she watched her mother's hysterical performance.