Chapter 371 A Lie Worth Killing For
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Even as Nathaniel spoke gently, Naomi didn’t dare let her guard down. Who knew if he’d rip her open the next second just to see whether she was really pregnant?
Then, without warning, Nathaniel stood up and smacked Matteo across the face.
The sound echoed through the hall, shocking everyone.
Matteo didn’t make a sound. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t complain.
“What the hell were you doing? How could you not know Naomi was pregnant? If you’d scared her and lost the baby, I’d have had every one of your men executed.”
“Yes,” Matteo said quietly, head bowed.
Naomi took the opportunity to speak up, her voice trembling. “It wasn’t my fault. Your men were out of line. They laid hands on me, threw me in the back of a filthy van like I was trash. I barely escaped with my life. If I hadn’t gotten away when I did… who knows what they would’ve done to me? Please, you have to stand up for me.”
She collapsed into Nathaniel’s arms, sobbing.
No one had expected Naomi to be pregnant. That changed everything. Matteo’s men had crossed a line.
A handful of them had already fallen to their knees, trembling as they begged for mercy.
“Boss, please! We didn’t know! We’re innocent!”
None of them dared admit to anything. Touching Nathaniel’s woman? That was suicide.
Naomi doubled down. “I swear I’m not lying. They didn’t just hurt me–they recorded it. They said if I told anyone, they’d release the footage!”
The pleading stopped. Silence fell over the room.
Before, Naomi was worthless to Nathaniel. Pregnant, she became valuable. That meant someone had to take the fall.
And it wouldn’t be her.
Nathaniel’s face darkened. “Matteo, take a good look at the men you’ve been keeping around.”
“I failed to supervise them. I take full responsibility,” Matteo said at once, head still bowed.
“I shouldn’t have to tell you what to do next,” Nathaniel growled.
“Yes, Father.”
The room turned icy. The men on the ground realized too late what was coming.
“No, Mr. Matteo! Please! We were wrong! We’ll never do it again–please spare us!”
Matteo didn’t even blink. Right in front of Nathaniel, he dealt with every last one of them.
Blood soaked the Hartwell family’s elegant marble floor.
Chapter 371 A Lie Worth Killing For
When it was over, Matteo stood silently, his expression unreadable.
+8 Pearls
Nathaniel scowled. “Must you always make things so messy? Clean this up. Naomi doesn’t need to see it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Without another word, Matteo turned and walked out of the house.
Naomi watched him leave, satisfaction curling through her chest. So this was the great Matteo? Even he bowed to Nathaniel like a beaten dog.
The moment Matteo was gone, she turned to Nathaniel and whispered sweetly, “Father…”
Nathaniel smiled down at her. “You must be exhausted. I’ll have someone take you to rest.”
He waved over a servant, who helped escort Naomi upstairs.
But the second she disappeared around the corner, Nathaniel’s smile vanished.
The bodyguard at his side leaned in. “Boss, want us to take care of Naomi now?”
Everyone close to Nathaniel knew–he’d been told years ago he was infertile. No sperm, no chance of ever fathering a child. That was why, despite his many women, he’d never had a single heir of his own.
So Naomi’s claim? Impossible.
Still, Nathaniel waved a hand.
“No. Keep her alive. I have plans for that baby.”
The entire world whispered about how he’d never had a child of his own, how Matteo was only an adopted son. That rumor had been a stain on his pride for years.
Now, Naomi had handed him a weapon.
Let her fake the pregnancy. Let her lie.
He’d play along. And when the time came, he’d use that child to silence every critic who doubted his legacy.
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