Because in our last life… he’d wronged me just like this. He’d sentenced me to death for Shannah’s sake.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
But he didn’t care. His voice stayed hard. “Playing the victim won’t work anymore, Zareena. Even if you gave birth first, it wouldn’t matter.”
He scoffed. “I already had the doctor give Shannah labor-inducing medication. She’s definitely delivering before you. Whoever gives birth first—that’s the real heir. Your kid? It’s worthless.”
I gave a bitter, broken laugh and gritted my teeth. One hand pressed against my belly, the other between my legs trying to stop the bleeding.
My voice came out low and shaky.
“I already took labor inhibitors… I delayed my labor on purpose. I stepped aside for your perfect little family. So why? Why won’t you even let me give birth to my baby? Why drug me? Why try to kill my children?”
He stiffened. His brows furrowed in confusion.
“That’s nonsense. Your due date was last night. I already asked the doctor. You should’ve given birth already.”
Cold sweat broke across my skin as the pain spiked. Gasping, I grabbed his hand and pulled it toward my still-high belly.
“Look—look at me! I haven’t given birth!”
But he didn’t even glance down. Instead, he yanked his hand away like I’d burned him and gave me a disgusted look.
“Cut the act. If you want people to believe you didn’t try to hurt Shannah, then tomorrow at the press conference, admit you couldn’t conceive. Admit it was you who begged Shannah to carry the child for you.”
“Then hand over all your shares, all your assets, to her and her baby. From now on, you’ll serve them—and serve them well.”
He leaned in, his words colder than ever.
“And if you so much as try anything—if you touch even a single hair on her head—then I won’t just take care of you and that bastard in your belly. Your father, rotting in that VIP hospital room? Don’t count on him making it through.”
I stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief. My voice cracked as I screamed, raw and furious.
“Sullivan! You bastard! My dad’s in a coma—because of you! He saved your life, and now you’re threatening mine with his?!”
He let out an impatient sigh. “As long as you behave and take care of Shannah during her recovery, I won’t lay a hand on him.”
With that, he turned to Shannah, wrapped an arm around her, and walked off without looking back.