The room erupted.
Gasps. Whispers. Someone dropped a glass.
Victoria made a small, choked sound.
Arthur stood up, his face turning an alarming shade of red.
“This is outrageous,” he said, his voice shaking with rage. “Security! Remove this woman immediately!”
“I would not do that if I were you,” I said calmly. “Because the moment your security touches me, I will have my lawyers file a paternity suit that will be front-page news by tonight. Is that really how you want to start your son’s marriage?”
Arthur froze.
I turned to Julian, who still had not spoken.
“These are Ethan, Oliver, Lucas, and Sophia,” I said, gesturing to each child. “Your children. Conceived during our marriage, born seven months after you paid me to disappear. They are five years old now. They are brilliant, healthy, and utterly uninterested in your approval.”
Julian’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“You never told me,” he finally managed.
I laughed. It was not a kind sound.
“I tried,” I said. “I spent three days working up the courage to tell you I was pregnant. But before I could, your father handed me a check and told me I did not belong in your world. So I left. And I built my own world.”