CHAPTER 270: RAW AND UNSTOPPABLE (4)

"Vicky!" Benjamin’s voice thundered through the office as his palm crashed against the wooden desk. The sound echoed like a gunshot, silencing the room. Everyone flinched—Georgia’s breath caught, Sarah froze, and even Nick straightened in his seat.

Sarah’s voice trembled when she finally spoke, "V-Vicky... I never wanted to ruin your family, I swear to God. I just—" she swallowed, her eyes glistening—"I just want someone to love me, and with Reagan, it feels right. Can’t you at least give me a chance to prove that?"

Vicky’s glare cut through her like a knife. "Liar," she spat, her voice breaking into a furious tremor. "You’ve lied many times before—why should I believe a word you say now? Tell me, why would you marry the brother of the man you’ve loved all your life?" Her voice rose, cracking with bitterness. "Do you really want to sit at the table every family dinner and remember how you slept with Nick? Is that what you want, huh? To remind us of your filth every time we look at you?"

"That’s enough, Vicky!" Benjamin barked, his tone slicing through her words like a whip.

But Vicky spun toward him, her fury unrestrained, her tears already streaking her face. "Enough? No, you don’t get to tell me what’s enough, Dad! I have been an obedient daughter to you, but not this," she snapped. "If you let her into this family, consider me dead to you. I’ll change my last name to Carter—like it should’ve been all along! Because let’s face it, Nick and I? We’re your illegitimate children, remember?"

The words hit like blows. Even Reagan’s jaw tightened, and Nick’s eyes darkened.

Vicky’s voice cracked as she pointed at Benjamin, shaking. "Enjoy your perfect little family with your good-for-nothing daughter-in-law. But don’t you ever show your face to me or to my ’real’ Mom again!"

She turned and stormed toward the door, tears falling freely.

"Vicky! Don’t you dare walk out on me!" Benjamin roared, but she slammed the door behind her. The echo of it hung in the air like the aftershock of an earthquake.

"I’ll talk to her," Liam said quietly, already heading for the door. Benjamin only nodded, shoulders slumping.

When the office finally fell silent again, Benjamin sank into his chair and ran a hand over his face. "Why is she being like this?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone. "She’s not even the one getting married..."

"This was supposed to be a happy night," Benjamin began, his voice heavy with exhaustion as he leaned back in his chair. "Oliver finally took my advice and opened his own firm. That boy is like a son to me, you know..." He let out a deep sigh, his gaze distant before lowering it back to his children. "And with the engagement announcement, it should’ve been perfect."

No one dared to speak. The tension in the room was thick like walking on glass barefoot.

"I just wanted my children settled before I die," Benjamin said quietly, his tone softer but marked with fatigue. "I’m getting old... and all I ever wished for was to see each of you with your own family before my days are over. Is that really so hard?"

Reagan straightened, guilt visible in the slump of his shoulders. "I’m sorry, Dad. Sarah and I should’ve thought things through before suddenly announcing it."

Benjamin waved a tired hand. "No, no... you’re both adults. You’re entitled to make your choices." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked between Sarah and Nick. "But there’s one thing I need—if both Sarah and Nicholas swear that they’ll leave everything in the past, then this issue ends here. Do you swear?"

Nick let out a short laugh, rolling his eyes. "Dad, seriously? I think I’ve already proven my stand when I signed that prenup and married Georgia. But fine, if you need to hear it—yes, I swear. My life belongs to Georgia, end of story. Is that enough?"

Benjamin gave a brief nod before shifting his gaze to Sarah.

"Yes, Chairman Knight," Sarah said, her voice steady but her hands clasped tightly on her lap. "I swear. Reagan and I already talked about our plans. Once I finish my certifications and training, I’ll return to sailing. We won’t rush the marriage. Not until Nick and Georgia have theirs this year."

She looked down for a moment, gathering courage before continuing. "I’ll stay at sea until I make captain. That’s when I’ll settle down and work for our company. So I swear, I’ll cause no trouble. Vicky was right about one thing though: feelings don’t change overnight. But time does heal. That’s why Reagan and I won’t announce our engagement yet. We’ll wait, quietly... until the right time."

Benjamin’s expression softened slightly, though the lines on his face told of the weight he still carried. The silence that followed wasn’t peace—it was restraint.

"I think this is the time that I should tell Vicky about that ’other’ matter we talked about earlier," he told Reagan and Nick and added, "It’s up to you if you want to keep or not, but you know my stand on that. I’ll let you decide," he said before standing up and walking out of the office.

Reagan stood up, pressing the cold compress lightly against his cheek. His voice was calm but clipped. "I’ll go to my old room and clean up. Sarah, stay with your parents for now—I’ll join you in a bit," he said before walking out. Sarah followed quietly, her eyes darting nervously between the brothers before she slipped out after him.

The office door clicked shut, leaving behind a heavy silence.

Georgia let out a slow sigh, the tension still clinging to the air like static. She turned toward Nick, whose jaw was clenched, the anger still simmering beneath his bruised skin. "You alright?" she asked softly, reaching for the first aid kit. "Come here, let me treat that."

Nick didn’t move right away. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor, his fists tight. "The audacity of that bastard..." he muttered under his breath, his tone low and shaking with restrained fury.

Georgia dabbed a cotton ball against his split lip. "It was... intense," she said carefully. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Nick let out a harsh breath and finally looked at her. "Yeah, you should know. I’m done pretending around him. I’ve reached my limit." He paused, the words heavy on his tongue before spitting them out. "Reagan’s not my father’s son. He’s Violet’s son—from another man."

Georgia froze, her hand still hovering in mid-air. The scent of the antiseptic from the cotton lingered in the air, sharp and cold, as her mind struggled to process what she’d just heard.

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. The revelation hung between them. She was too shocked that she didn’t know what to say or how to even react to such news.