From a Wrong Turn to Mr. Right novel Chapter 305

As soon as those words left his mouth, Carmen Gates felt the sting of irony even more sharply.

Every sentence out of his mouth was just an excuse, a deflection. He hadn’t once given her a straight answer.

She let out a cold laugh. “You care about your kid? If you really cared about Lavinia, you wouldn’t have gone and fathered a child with someone else. Today was Lavinia’s wedding, and if you’d kept your nose clean and stayed away from that woman, none of this would’ve happened. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? Do you know how long Lavinia’s been dreaming about this day? You ruined what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.”

As Carmen spoke, Lavinia Bennett felt a tightness in her chest. She looked at her father, eyes brimming with accusation.

Mason Bennett shrank under their words, but he refused to let it show. He was the head of the family, after all.

He waved his hand, voice raised in anger. “I told you, this is all a setup—someone’s trying to frame me.”

“If you hadn’t done it, no one would have anything to use against you,” Carmen shot back, the words tumbling out unchecked, fueled by nothing but rage.

“You—” Mason glared at her, so angry his breath came unevenly.

Lavinia stepped forward, her tone sharp. “Dad, this really is your fault. Anyone with eyes can see what’s going on with that woman and her kid. And you’re still trying to wriggle out of it? Still trying to blame Mom? You owe her an explanation—a real one.”

Seeing his wife and daughter standing together, united against him, Mason felt his irritation surge.

Carmen pressed a hand to her chest, as if steadying herself. Something in her gaze hardened; her eyes, red-rimmed, bore into Mason. “Don’t forget—you were the one who said having just Lavinia was enough. I’m not going to force you to talk, but hear me now: you’ve got only one option left. Deal with that woman and her kid.”

Daniel Gill, who’d been quietly watching, glanced back and forth between the two of them. He knew Mason well enough by now—Carmen’s threat had landed, and Mason knew it.

Sure enough, Mason’s anger seemed to deflate. The tension in the room lessened; his whole demeanor changed.

He looked down, his expression shadowed. After a long pause, he finally spoke to Carmen. “That kid was never supposed to happen. I was drunk, it was a mistake. I paid that woman off, thought it was over. I never dreamed she’d actually have the baby. She’s been using the kid to blackmail me ever since. I just didn’t want you to get hurt, Carmen. I didn’t want you to know and get upset.”

He frowned as he spoke, his words chosen carefully, presenting himself as the victim caught in the middle—doing it all, supposedly, for Carmen’s sake.

But Carmen just looked at him, her face cold and unmoved—her eyes filled with nothing but anger and contempt.