Chapter 851 To Be the Shield

Chapter 851 To Be the Shield

Isabella understood Nicole's meaning instantly.

She stopped protesting and accepted the gift, her fingers closing gently around the pendant. Her voice was warm and sincere. "Thank you, Nicole. But…"

She hesitated, glancing toward Thomas with a faint, teasing smile. "I have a feeling that the next time we meet, I might have to change how I address you. Aunt Nicole?"

Nicole's face flushed crimson in an instant. She opened her mouth to protest, but when her eyes met Thomas's across the room, the words died in her throat. After all, she had already made her feelings and her resolve clear moments ago.

This trip back home would be the moment they told her parents the truth. And as for a proposal… well, she was hoping.

Afraid her blush would be noticed, Nicole gave a quick nod and started toward the seating area.

Halfway down the steps, Thomas intercepted her. His gaze dropped to her face, catching the deep red in her cheeks. 

He blinked. "Nicole, what happened? You went to give Michelle her gift—did Isabella say something to you? Why are you so red?"

With so many eyes around them, Nicole felt cornered by his directness. She shook her head quickly, tugging at his hand. "It's nothing. The gift's given. Let's just sit down."

Thomas didn't press, letting her lead him back to their seats.

Just as everyone thought the gift-giving was over, Atticus stepped forward under the full attention of the room. In front of everyone, he slipped the Wilson family signet ring from his finger and placed it in Michelle's tiny hand.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even Isabella froze.

She had the same ring herself and knew exactly what it meant. But Michelle was a Brown by blood. Why would Atticus—

"Atticus, what are you doing?" she asked, her curiosity outweighing her caution.

He gave her a reassuring nod before turning to the guests, microphone in hand.

"Today, I want to make an announcement," he said, his voice carrying easily across the hall. "From this moment on, little Michelle is not only a child of the Brown Family—she is also a child of the Wilson Family. She is one of us. Everything the descendants of the Wilson Family are entitled to, she will have. And she will be the precedent."

A stunned silence swept the room.

No one looked more alarmed than Stella, standing just beside Michelle. She trusted Isabella and the Wilsons, but Atticus's sudden declaration sounded dangerously close to claiming the child as his own.

She remembered the night at the hospital when Atticus had hinted at something similar. Stella knew she had no real standing to challenge the Wilsons—especially given the Brown Family's share of responsibility for the complications during Isabella's delivery. She already carried guilt, both as a mother-in-law and for the role her family had played.

But hearing Atticus say Michelle was part of the Wilson Family made her pulse spike. Michelle wasn't just the first Brown child—she could one day inherit the Brown Group. If the Wilsons took her, how would Stella ever explain it to the family? To Aiden, who had dreamed of a great-grandchild for years?

She tugged at Michael's sleeve, speaking in a whisper only he could hear. "Michael, what does he mean by this? He's not trying to take Michelle from us, is he?"

Michael, in contrast to her panic, was calm. He adjusted the baby in his arms, who was drifting toward sleep. "Mom, it's not what you think. Atticus isn't that kind of man."

"But why say it here, in front of everyone—"

A deep, steady voice cut her off.

"Of course, I don't want anyone to misunderstand," Atticus said, addressing the room again. "Michelle is a Brown. She carries the Brown bloodline. Her connection to the Wilsons is one of family, not custody.

"The reason I'm making this public is simple. Isabella is the treasure of the Wilson Family, chosen by my father himself as the heir to the Wilson Group. That will never change. And so, her child will also have the right to inherit everything the Wilson Family offers. This is not my father's decision—it is mine."

His tone left no room for doubt. In that moment, he was not just speaking as Atticus—he was speaking as the current head of the Wilson Family.

Isabella stood frozen, her throat tightening. For a fleeting second, she saw Daniel in him—the same stubborn, fiercely protective man who had once carried the weight of her world on his shoulders.

When Daniel was alive, he had always planned for her future in ways she never saw, clearing the path so she could simply live as she wished. Now, with Daniel gone, Atticus had stepped into that role, holding up the sky above her once again.

Her vision blurred. A handkerchief appeared in front of her, and she looked up to find Olivia watching her.

Beyond Olivia, her uncles were all listening with calm expressions—too calm. They had known. Every one of them. And they had kept it from her.

Olivia's eyes flickered with guilt under Isabella's gaze. She cleared her throat lightly. "I knew you'd cry. Here—wipe your eyes. Don't ruin your makeup on a day like this."

Isabella took the handkerchief, dabbing away the tears before they could fall. "Olivia… you knew what Atticus was going to do, didn't you?"

Atticus might have claimed it was his personal choice, but there was no way he had hidden it from the family. And certainly not from his wife.

"You could have stopped him," Isabella said.

Olivia's lips twitched, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "I didn't know all the details. And you heard him—he's the head of the Wilson Family now. I can control my husband, but not the family's patriarch."

Isabella almost laughed at the absurdity, shaking her head. "You mean you didn't want to stop him."

Olivia's smile turned knowing. "I think it's a good thing. After what happened with your kidnapping, they've been terrified of losing you. Now that Michelle's here, she's a vulnerability. Better to make it clear to the world that she's the treasure of both the Brown and Wilson Families. Let's see who dares to touch her now."