The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 142

“For you.”

Without a second thought, Winnie handed the folder directly to Griffin.

Normally, Griffin hated being interrupted during a meal, but he was in a rare good mood today. On a whim, he accepted the folder and opened it.

The moment he saw what was inside, his face fell.

Inside the folder was a document, and stamped across the top in bold letters were two words: "Marriage License."

A sense of dread crept up his spine. He shot a quick glance at Jotham, then slowly opened the license. But within seconds, he slammed the table and sprang to his feet.

“Unbelievable!”

“Dad, what’s going on?”

Jotham was startled. He stood up, about to ask for an explanation, but before he could get a word out, a loud slap echoed through the dining room.

Griffin was older now, but his hands had lost none of their strength. Furious beyond measure, he struck Jotham so hard that blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Winnie and Liliane both gasped, their faces blanching.

Instantly, Winnie rushed to shield her son, pulling Jotham behind her.

“Griffin, what are you doing? There’s no need for this! Can’t you talk things through instead of raising your hand?”

Shaken, Liliane’s voice turned hoarse as she tried to intervene. “What is going on here? Am I invisible to you all? Can’t we talk before this turns into a brawl?”

“See for yourselves!” Griffin’s face was thunderous as he tossed a small booklet onto the table.

The moment everyone realized what it was, the entire dining room seemed to freeze, even the air heavy with shock.

Recognizing the document, Jotham’s eyes widened in horror. Suddenly understanding, he lunged for it.

But Winnie was quicker. She snatched up the booklet first and, after glancing at the photo inside, stared at Jotham in utter disbelief.“Is this true?”

Hearing her question, Liliane’s hands shook as she took the booklet from Winnie. When she saw the names inside, she was stunned into silence.

It was Brianna and Jotham’s marriage license.

Winnie hurriedly rifled through the rest of the folder’s contents. As expected, there was more—Milo’s birth certificate, complete with date and time, and even a paternity report linking Milo to Jotham.

Brianna, always cautious, had prepared for this the moment Milo was born, making sure there was proof in case the Holt family ever refused to acknowledge him.

He hadn’t expected Brianna would actually go this far, but now that the secret was out, he almost felt relief.

Winnie and Liliane were both left reeling, struggling to process the revelation.

Griffin, on the other hand, gave a bitter laugh. “Well done. You really are my son, lying to us all these years without a single slip. The Holts really are blessed with a son like you, to drag the family name through the mud.”

“Grandfather never approved of Brianna and me. I knew I was going against his wishes. Punish me however you want, but Brianna and Milo are innocent. Milo is my son, he’s a Holt, through and through.”

No sooner had Jotham finished speaking than another slap landed. This time from Winnie.

“You’re hopeless! Innocent? How is Brianna innocent? She was your advisor, and she seduced her student—shameless! She knew full well our family wouldn’t accept her, but she still clung to you with no self-respect!”

Winnie was shaking with rage, her face flushed, and for the first time, tears spilled from her eyes.

She felt as if her world had collapsed. The woman she’d despised for so long was, in fact, her real daughter-in-law; the child she’d wanted gone was her own grandchild. And Ramona, who she’d always disliked, was nothing more than a stranger.

Liliane sat numbly in her chair, at a complete loss. In the past, they could have simply disowned Jotham if it came to that, but now there was a child involved, and a scandal like this could ruin the Holt family’s reputation, even threaten the company itself.

Just then, Griffin’s phone rang. He checked the caller ID; it was an unknown number. His heart sank, but he answered anyway.

“Mr. Holt, it’s Brianna. I imagine you and the others have seen everything by now, haven’t you?”