Chapter 497

Eleanor's voice cut through the air like a whip as she turned on Victoria. "How dare you speak to me! You seduced your late husband's brother and betrayed your own daughter! You and Isabella are two of a kind. Today, I'll settle this with both of you!" Her cane struck Victoria with a sharp crack.

The blows rained down mercilessly, each one like a thunderclap. Victoria and Isabella writhed in pain, their cries filling the room. Neither could hold back their tears.

Rosalind stood nearby, watching the scene unfold. She nearly clapped.

Eleanor truly was something else—she knew exactly how to handle things with force.

Exhausted from her outburst, Eleanor finally paused and turned to Nathaniel. "Do you realize what you've done?"

Nathaniel's voice was ice. "Grandmother, if you want to hit me, just say so. No need for excuses."

Eleanor was speechless.

Rosalind stepped forward, pressing Nathaniel. "Do you know what happened to Harrison?"

Harrison?

Nathaniel's tall frame stiffened instantly. "What could have happened? We saw her earlier. She was fine."

She had been fine.

She'd yelled at him, scolded him—full of fire and life.

How could anything be wrong now?

Eleanor's words sliced through the air. "She's in the hospital!"

Nathaniel's voice sharpened. "The hospital? Which ward? What happened?"

Eleanor's eyes burned with disbelief. "She's pregnant. Did you know that?"

The word pregnant hit Nathaniel like a punch to the gut. His hands, hanging at his sides, slowly clenched into fists.

"I know," he muttered.

"You knew she was pregnant, and you're still here with this shameless woman?" Eleanor's voice rose in fury. "Do you have no conscience? Harrison is carrying a child—she's not alone anymore! She needs someone to care for her!"

She couldn't believe Nathaniel could be so cold.

Nathaniel's lips curled into a bitter smile. "If she needs care, she can find someone else to provide it."

Eleanor's finger trembled as she pointed at him. "What are you saying? That child is yours! Is this how you plan to act as a father?"

Nathaniel met her gaze, his own dark and unreadable. "Did she tell you the child was mine?"

"She's unconscious—she hasn't said anything. But that's not the point! What is wrong with you? Do you honestly believe that baby isn't yours? Who else could the father be?" Eleanor snapped.

Nathaniel said nothing, his expression shuttered.

Rosalind narrowed her eyes. "Are you implying you don't think it's yours?"

Eleanor gasped, horrified. "Is that what you think? You actually suspect Harrison is carrying another man's child?"

Nathaniel looked away, silent.

Then—crack!

The sound of a slap echoed through the room.

Eleanor had struck Nathaniel across the face, the force snapping his head to the side.

The room fell into heavy silence.

Victoria and Isabella exchanged uneasy glances, their thoughts unspoken but loud.

Dominic, frozen in fear, didn't make a sound. Eleanor and Nathaniel had always been close—this was the first time he'd ever seen her strike him.

Eleanor pointed at Nathaniel, her voice shaking with rage. "You ungrateful boy! How dare you think that? That child is yours!"

Nathaniel slowly turned his face back, his expression colder than ever. He had always been composed, refined—a man of control.

He was certain the child wasn't his. But he hadn't said it outright.

Not yet.