Open Marriage, Broken Promises: When Love Turns to Ashes novel Chapter 23

Then he lifted his gaze to Emily.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Emily stared at them.

Then, in a slow, measured voice,

"James, you really screwed up this time."

Pregnant?

What?

James looked down at Lily, confused.

Lily gripped his shirt, tears streaming down her face.

"James, I'm having your baby! And Emily—she tried to kill me because of it!"

Her words rang out, loud and clear.

A challenge.

A declaration.

The partygoers weren't even trying to be subtle now.

Forget the dull dinner—this was way more entertaining.

James felt his whole body go cold.

He looked up.

Emily was standing above them, watching.

Not angry.

Not crying.

Just… detached.

Like none of this had anything to do with her.

Like he was just another stranger.

His grip on Lily loosened slightly.

For the first time, an uneasy feeling settled deep in his chest.

He was losing Emily.

For real.

James' fingers twitched.

Lily nearly slipped from his grasp.

Panicked, she clung onto him.

Her voice wavered, desperate.

"James, you've always wanted a baby, haven't you? What does it matter if it's me or her?"

Emily tilted her head slightly.

"Oh, yeah," she mused.

"Anyone can have your kid, right?"

A simple sentence.

Soft. Careless.

And yet—

Even if he didn't want to deal with it, he had no choice.

He gave Emily a deep look, clearly catching her暗示.

Was she trying to get his attention? Or did she really not care anymore?

After a long pause, Emily stayed silent.

James clenched his jaw, picked up Lily in a fit of frustration, and carried her out of the venue.

With the drama gone, Emily was ready to leave too.

After tonight, she'd be the talk of the town.

But before she could take a step, Alex approached and extended an invitation. "The gala's starting, and I'm short a date."

Emily froze, glancing down at her stained dress, her refusal obvious.

Alex took her hand. "Don't worry. The stain just looks like part of the dress's design."

Right.

Who wouldn't give the Browns face?

By his side, even a stained dress would be seen as a unique feature.

This was the first time Emily felt the allure of power.

And power was the best tonic for a woman.

A strong one.

At the charity gala.

Many donated items to raise funds for the cause.

Among them was a set of carved gold scepters, their surfaces glowing with a warm, translucent green—clearly top-tier pieces.