chapter 152
Fiona's POV:
The voice cut through the ceremonial hall like a blade through silk.
My arms tightened instinctively around the baby. The crowd's murmur died instantly, replaced by a suffocating silence that made my pulse thunder in my ears.
A man stood in the doorway—tall, disheveled, his chest heaving as if he'd run a marathon. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my wolf recoil.
Zane.
No. No, this couldn't be happening. Not now. Not here.
"Security!" Elizabeth's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Remove this man immediately!"
But Zane was already moving, pushing past the stunned security guards with surprising strength. His gaze never left me, never left the bundle in my arms.
"That is my child, Fiona!" His voice cracked with raw emotion. "You can't let the Grayson family pay for another man's bloodline!"
The hall erupted. Gasps rippled through the crowd like a physical wave.
I felt hundreds of eyes turn toward me—calculating, judging, hungry for scandal.
My legs trembled. I stepped backward, clutching my son—my son—closer to my chest.
"You're insane," I managed, but my voice came out thin, reedy.
I forced myself to stand straighter, to project the confidence I didn't feel.
"Don't listen to him! This man has been stalking me for months. He's delusional—obsessed! Security, please remove him before he causes more of a scene!"
"I have proof." Zane's hand shot into his jacket.
He produced a manila envelope, holding it high above his head like a banner of war.
"Blood test results from Moontouch Medical Center," he announced, his voice carrying to every corner of the room. "This child shares my wolf lineage. Not Grayson blood. Mine."
No. No, no, no.
My mind raced. The blood test. How had he—
"This is absurd," I said, louder now, forcing steel into my tone. "This man is clearly disturbed. "
Elizabeth swayed suddenly, her hand flying to her chest. For a terrifying moment, I thought she might collapse right there on the platform.
"Mother!" Lucas moved swiftly to her side, steadying her.
"I'm... fine," Elizabeth gasped, though her face had gone ashen. Her breathing came in short, sharp bursts as she gripped Lucas's arm.
The crowd murmured with concern, several guests half-rising from their seats.
It took a full minute before her color began to return. When she finally straightened, releasing Lucas's arm, her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my blood run cold.
"Explain yourself." Her voice was dangerously quiet, each word precisely enunciated. "Explain to me, right now, what is happening here."
"Mrs. Grayson, I—" My voice cracked.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet her gaze. "Yes, I knew Zane. He was... he was my boyfriend before. But I swear to you, I never betrayed Ethan. Never! This child is your great-grandson. Zane is just—he's bitter. He can't stand to see me happy!"
I turned toward the crowd, my voice rising with desperate conviction. "Someone put him up to this! Someone who wants to destroy me, who wants to ruin this family's reputation. Can't you see? This is all a setup!"
Zane's cold laugh cut through my words like a knife through silk.
"A setup?" His voice dripped with contempt. "Is that really the best you can do, Fiona?"
"You're the one who messaged me before the wedding, Fiona. You asked me to run away with you. You said your fiancé was cold and distant, that you wanted revenge. You planned to get him drunk on your wedding night and sleep with me instead."
Zane's voice grew harder, more bitter. "You used me and then threw me away like garbage. "
"That's a lie!" I burst out, my voice shrill with panic. "I never sent you any messages! "
"A lie?" Zane's smile was cruel. "I have evidence on my phone. Photos of us together. Messages. Everything. Do you dare let me connect to that big screen and show everyone the proof?"
My eyes darted to Ethan. He stood at the edge of the platform, his face a mask of stone.
I reached for his sleeve, my fingers trembling. "Ethan, please. You have to believe me. I never betrayed you. The baby is yours—"
Ethan's gaze was ice.
"He sounds pretty damn convincing," Ethan said, his voice deadly quiet. "How am I supposed to believe you?"
Around us, the whispers grew louder. I caught fragments—"bastard child," "affair," "cheating"—each word like a physical blow.
My face burned with humiliation.
If I refused to let Zane show his so-called evidence, everyone would think I was guilty. Even if we later proved the baby was Ethan's, my son would grow up with this scandal hanging over him. He'd be mocked, whispered about, forever tainted by today's accusations.
I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let them destroy my baby's future.
I glared at Zane with pure hatred. How dare he ruin my son's ceremony? How dare he try to destroy everything I'd built?
"Fine!" I spat. "I have nothing to hide. Connect your phone. Show everyone your 'evidence.' I want to see what lies you've fabricated!"
Zane's smile widened. He pulled out his phone and began tapping at the screen.
The crowd fell silent. Every eye turned toward the massive screen behind the ceremonial table.
I held my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs, as I waited to see what nightmare Zane had prepared for me.
The screen flickered to life.
At first, there was only darkness. Then came the sound—a woman's breathy moan, unmistakable and intimate, echoing through the ceremonial hall's premium sound system.
My stomach dropped.
The image sharpened. A bedroom. Moonlight streaming through gauzy curtains. And there, on the screen in horrifying clarity—me. My face. My body. Tangled with a man who wasn't Ethan.
No. No, this can't be—
Gasps erupted throughout the hall. Parents rushed to cover their children's eyes and ears. The moans continued, obscene and damning, as the video played on.
"Turn it off!" I shrieked, lunging toward Zane. "Turn it off right now!"
But security held me back. The baby wailed in my arms, sensing my panic.
"This is fake!" I screamed over the sounds still emanating from the speakers. "It's doctored! Zane, how could you—why are you doing this to me?"
"Why?" Zane's voice was cold, satisfied. "Because you're mine, Fiona. You were always mine. That child is mine. And I have plenty more videos where this came from—all backed up, all very, very real."
Alexander suddenly charged forward, his fist connecting with Zane's jaw. "You bastard!" He grabbed for Zane's phone, managed to yank it away, frantically trying to stop the video.
But the damage was done. Even as the screen went black, the images were seared into everyone's minds.
"Ethan, please." I turned to him, desperate. "That's not— I swear, I love you. I would never—"
But Ethan's face was a mask of disgust. When I reached for him, he jerked away as if my touch burned.
Around us, the whispers had become a roar. I caught Elizabeth's expression—pure devastation mixed with fury. Richard looked ready to commit murder.
"How could you?" Alexander's hand cracked across my face before I even saw it coming. The slap echoed through the hall, sharp and final. "You've completely embarrassed me."
I staggered, my cheek burning. Hannah rushed forward—not to comfort me, but to stare at me with horrified recognition.
"No," I sobbed. "No, you don't understand. None of you understand! Why won't anyone believe me?"