Chapter 146

Chapter 146

“Come on, kiddo, greet your grandpa,” Rhett tousled Summer’s hair, his voice a deep rumble.

The silence in the treatment room was palpable. Everyone was taken aback.

Rhett’s gesture was more than a claim of authority, which was a declaration to the Haywood family about where Summer stood in his heart.

Particularly to Holcomb, he was acutely aware of the actual ‘marriage‘ between Kristin and Rhett.

Holcomb darkened his face further as he spoke with a chilling tone, “Outside, now!”

“Grandpa…” Summer’s timid call was met only with a frosty glare from Holcomb.

Feeling slighted, Summer turned and buried his face in Rhett’s shoulder, whispering, “Mr. Rhett… Grandpa doesn’t seem to like me.”

“Just call me Dad,” Rhett said again.

Stunned, Summer looked up into Rhett’s eyes, searching for confirmation. “Could I really call this man Dad?” he thought.

After a long and intense gaze, Summer hugged Rhett tightly and called out with a shy voice, “Daddy…” His joy was unmistakable.

Summer liked Rhett.

Rhett felt a lump in his throat, his grip tightening around Summer involuntarily. He was surprised by how much he had come to care for this child.

Hertha’s eyes welled up with tears as she confronted Rhett. “Do you have to humiliate me like

this?”

Adopting a wild child as his son and letting that unknown kid call him dad in front of the Haywood family was an immense disgrace to Hertha.

“Humiliate? Where is this coming from?” Rhett asked calmly.

“Rhett, the FitzGerald family has already agreed to a merger with the Haywood family. Here your are, in front of Hertha, having some random kid call you dad. What are you playing at?” Richter pressed, clearly struggling to maintain his composure. “Holcomb, what is Rhett’s intention here?”

Holcomb was also a mask of barely concealed anger, signaling a warning to Rhett that he better know his place.

“Dad…” Adrienne was still on the ground, being comforted by a crying Abigail.

“Richter, look at our daughter and look at how they are bullying her. It’s outrageous! There’s no way the Haywood family is going to let Kristin get away with this!” Abigail cried out. “Kristin,

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Chapter 146

you’ve gone too far.”

Kristin kept her head down and her hands clenched tightly.

“What does this have to do with Kristin? Adrienne was my doing.” Melissa greeted Holcomb with a nod. “Mr. FitzGerald, long time no see.”

Only then did Holcomb notice the Lawrence family was present.

“Melissa? It has been a while.” Holcomb acknowledged with a nod.

He had to show some respect to the Lawrence family, after all, Melissa now had full control over the Lawrence family’s international business.

“To not discipline your child is your failing as parents. Adrienne lacks manners. If you don’t teach her at home, then someone else has to do it in public. Don’t thank me too much. I did my best, but some are just beyond help,” Melissa declared with a proud face.

Richter and Abigail turned stormy. “This is…”

“Melissa Lawrence.” Holcomb whispered an introduction.

“The Lawrence family?” The Haywood family grew even darker. “Isn’t this a bit too much for my daughter?”

“Why don’t you ask Adrienne what she did first?” Melissa replied, shocked. “I was thinking on my way over, maybe the Haywood family only had one uneducated member, but it seems like the whole lot of you are cut from the same cloth. Adrienne and her bodyguards trashed my boyfriend’s place and even hurt my kid. We haven’t even settled that score yet.

Garner looked up sharply. Melissa could lie with such ease.

Since when had he become her boyfriend?

Kristin was also shocked by Melissa’s words, then glanced at her brother blossoming?

Kristin felt a surge of excitement, her eyes rimming with tears.

Was

he finally

Over the years, due to her and Ruby, Garner had faced controversy, enduring as much slander and defamation as she had.

Kristin felt for Garner, hoping that a woman who loved him would be willing to accompany him

for the rest of his life.

“It hurts, really,” Adrienne cried out in pain. “Dad, I don’t care who she is. You have to teach her a lesson today.”

Richter was stern as he grunted. “It seems like you’re all ganging up on my daughter.”

Melissa rolled her eyes. It was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

“Talking sense to the senseless is like teaching a mute how to speak,” Melissa mused as she stepped forward and kicked Adrienne right in front of Abigail. “Come on then, I’m waiting for

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you to teach me a lesson. Today I want to see what the Haywood family can do to me.”

After that Melissa dragged a chair over and sat beside Adrienne. “Hurry up, I’ve got places to

be

Adrienne was terrified and cried as she hid behind Abigail

“My goodness, what kind of upbringing is this to raise such a bandit? Who would dare marry you? You’re nothing but a bad seed. Abigail said shaking with anger as she held Adrienne close.

“Whoa? But I’m a tough cookie, you know? Cross me, and you’re toast. Melissa said with her usual brazen ease.

All the while, those words were the same ones that had been slung at her online and the spiteful gossip that swirled through Silvergrove City.

Yet she could füp them around and wield them like a weacon with such breezy confidence.

Kristin looked on with envy, knowing deep down that she’d never be able to pull that off and live with that fearless flair.

“Absolutely outrageous!” Abigail fumed, clutching Adrienne as they stepped aside. “Doctor! Tend to my daughter’s wounds immediately and call the cops if you must.”

‘I’ll be calling them too.” Connor said coolly, medical kit in hand as he approached Adrienne. “Adrienne’s bodyguard is guilty of unlawful detention, causing a public disturbance, interfering with medical treatment, harming a child, and vandalizing property. Isn’t she still on probation?”

Threats aside. he was a doctor first and foremost, committed to his duty.

“Mom! I don’t want him treating me. He’s in cahoots with them.” Adrienne cried out in panic, her voice reaching a fever pitch.

Connor shrugged. “If she’s not cooperating, there’s nothing I can do.”

Abigail turned ashen. Adrienne couldn’t afford to stir up more trouble.

“Why the hell did you leave the house to make this mess?” Abigail hissed at Adrienne, well aware that the Lawrence family was not one to be trifled with.

But Adrienne, spoiled as she was, wailed for her mother to take her side.

‘Rhett…” Hertha’s voice broke as she looked at him, eyes welling with tears. “Adrienne is my sister, and I apologize for whatever she’s done wrong. I’m also fond of Summer. It hurts to see him like this. But please don’t use this incident to punish me. It’s not fair. We’re about to get engaged and you promised to take care of me. You know I can’t handle this…”

Hertha was known to everyone as someone battling severe depression. Rhett pushing her like this was something she couldn’t bear. Clearly, Hertha was much smarter than Adrienne.

Her words might not have seemed forceful, but they sent a chilling message to everyone that if they pushed Hertha over the edge, she might just end it all and they were all to blame.