bChapter /bb23 /b

Charlotte bhad /bbnot yet /bbe /bto her bsenses/bb, /bbJaxson /bbunprecedentedly /bbsent /bher ba /bbtext /bbmessage/b:b“/bbI /bbcan /bfind ba /bbwyer /bbfor /bbyou/bb, /bbut it bdepends /bbon /bbyour /bbperformance/bb./bb” /b

She bwas /bbstunned/b.

bPerformance/bb? /b

What bdid /bbshe /bwant bto /bbexpress/bb? /b

bDoes /bbit /bbmean /bto quickly bvacate /bbthe /bbseat /bfor bCaroline /band bher /bbson/bb? /b

bCharlotte /blooked at the bmessage/bb, /bremained bsilent /bfor a long timeb, /bband /bbthen /bbreplied /bbwith /bba /bbsimple /b“okay.”

bHere/bb, /bbafter /bbJaxson /bbreceived /bCharlotte’s reply, he bturned /bto instruct bCynthia /bto binvestigate /bthe breason /bwhy Charlie bwas /bbdetained/b.

Cynthia bagreed /band bhad /bjust left when Mrs. Hamilton, Victoria bHamilton/bb, /bstormed in with bher /bLV bbag/bb, /b“bJaxson/b, bdo /byou bhave /bba /bblove /bchild?”

He bloosened /bhis btie /bband /bshrugged, “What billegitimate /bchild?”

You bwere /bstill hiding it from meb!/b” Victoria mmed ba /bphoto on the table, the photo on the table bwas /bthe bscene /bwhen he and Caroline went to the bkindergarten /bto pick up Collin bat /bthat btime/b.

bJaxson’s /beyes dimmed slightly.

The matter has now bspread /bto Instagram! Everyone knows bthat /bbyou /bhave ba /bblove /bchild! Even Mrs. Whitford’s bgrandson /bsays that child’s bfather /bbis /bbyou/b!”

Victoria’s bface /bturned bpale/b, “You…you bare /bhaving an affair within the bmarriage/b!”

Although she bdidn’t /blike Charlotte, Charlotte was still the bdaughter/b–in–bw /bof the Hamilton bfamily/b.

Now bthe /billegitimate child scandal has been bexposed/bb, /bbthat /bbis /bbthe /bb“/bscandalb” /bbof /bthe bHamilton /bbfamily/b!

bJaxson /btook off his cap, signed the document with divided attention, “He is not bmy /bson.”

“bIsn’t /bitb?/bb” /b

Victoria was half–believing and half–doubting.

He lifted his eyelids, “No.”

Victoria had nothing bto /bbsay/b.

After all, she still knew her bson/b.

The son bwas /bforced to bmarry /bCharlotte. If he breally /bhad ba /bson with another woman, bhe /bwould have acknowledged him long bago/bb, /band she wouldn’t bhave /bspent ball /bbthese /bbyears /bwithout even holding ba /bgrandson.

Thinking for a moment, Victoria said earnestly, “Since byou /bbdon’t /blike Charlotte anyway, why bdon’t /bbyou /bbjust /bbdivorce /bbher/bb! /bI’ll bintroduce /bhigh–borndies in the bcircle/b, bthere /bmust bbe /bone you like.”