Chapter 3 - The Hostage Situation
Panic immediately swept through the backyard as the guests realized they were trapped.
A few neighbors tried to run toward the house, but the security guards physically blocked the doors.
"Everyone please remain calm," my father announced over the mounting chaos.
"If you leave your phones in the basket by the gate, you may exit one by one."
The guests were too terrified to argue and quickly surrendered their devices to escape.
Within ten minutes, the lush backyard was completely empty except for my twisted family.
I clutched Ariel so tightly against my chest that she stopped crying and buried her face in my neck.
"Dad, what are you doing?" I asked, my whole body shaking with fear.
Richard walked over to the patio table and casually poured himself a glass of iced tea.
"I am cleaning up a very messy situation," he replied smoothly.
He turned to look at Glen with a mixture of pity and intense disgust.
"You were paid handsomely to keep this secret, Glen, and you failed."
My brain struggled to process the horrific words coming out of my father's mouth.
"Paid?" I gasped, looking at the man I had loved for five years.
Glen refused to meet my eyes, staring intensely at the wet concrete by his feet.
"I knew about their pathetic little affair long before you did, Maya," my father admitted.
He took a slow sip of his drink and smiled a chilling smile.
"In fact, I orchestrated the entire thing because my beautiful wife wanted a child."
Clara crossed her arms, looking completely unbothered by the monstrous revelation.
"I am completely sterile, Maya, as you well know," Richard continued.
"So I paid your husband a million dollars to sleep with my wife and give her a baby."
I felt the contents of my stomach rise into my throat.
"But the text message said Glen isn't the father," I yelled back at him.
Richard's confident smile instantly vanished from his face.
May you like
He pulled a silver handgun from his tailored jacket and pointed it directly at Glen's chest.
"I know," Richard whispered dangerously. "And I am going to find out whose baby I actually bought."
