Patrick's gaze sharpened. He'd caught the start of the assistant's question and was about to press further.
The assistant looked apologetic. "Oh, you really should rest properly then. Mr. Harding is so good to you, always worried you'll overwork yourself."
I smiled. "He is."
Patrick watched me, and only when he saw nothing out of the ordinary did the tension leave his face.
I walked out without looking back.
When I got home, June was lounging on the couch eating fruit. The moment she saw me, she sauntered over with a smirk.
"Hey, sis. See? Patrick's willing to give me anything I want."
"And did you really think what happened a year and a half ago was an accident? I slipped the drug myself. Those men were hired by me. I wanted him to rescue me. I wanted to seduce him."
"Why should he care about you so much? Why should he be willing to hate me for your sake? I won't allow anyone to love you. I'll take everything from you. Mom and Dad's love, our brother's love, and Patrick. So what if you're the real heiress?"
She laughed, mocking and cruel, her red lips curled like a wound.
"You know what? After your miscarriage, Patrick thought you were disgusting. Tainted. He couldn't even stand to touch you."
"But with me? Oh, he was so eager. Kept me in bed for three whole days..."
Crack.
I couldn't hold back any longer. My hand connected with her face so hard my palm went numb.
The sting radiated all the way up my arm.
"As long as Patrick and I aren't divorced, you'll always be the other woman. The mistress everyone spits on!"
June clutched her cheek, stunned for a few seconds. Something vicious flashed through her eyes, and she raised her hand to strike back.
The next second, Patrick and Carl walked through the door.
Her face transformed instantly. Tears poured out like a faucet had been turned. She dropped to her knees in front of me and started slamming her forehead against the floor.
"Please, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong! Don't expose what happened between me and Patrick, I'm begging you. I don't want my reputation ruined. I won't fight for Mom and Dad's love anymore, or Carl's. The baby is yours. You're the only true daughter of the Fox family. I'll leave, I'll disappear..."
Patrick's pupils contracted. He shoved me aside and snarled.
"Serena, why do you keep dragging this out? Apologize to June right now. Tell her she's not the other woman."