Chapter 153
The tension in the room grew heavier. Wyatt sank back into his chair immediately, falling silent. His earlier outburst still hung in the air like smoke no one could brush away.
“So,” John continued, his tone sharpening, “as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted-Anna Finley is no longer a part of us. She is now history. I hope that I will receive your support as I work to bring love, unity, and sanity back into this family.”
Gabriel nodded firmly. Landon and Mia did as well. Isla squeezed her husband’s hand in agreement.
Wyatt, however, sat stiff and unmoved. For reasons nobody needed to guess, he was far from satisfied.
Sia’s tense posture revealed she shared her husband’s discomfort.
“Now that we are clear about my divorce,” John continued, “I would like to call the legal team inside.”
Murmurs of shock rippled around the room. Once again, the air thickened.
“Father,” Isla said suddenly, rising to her feet, “I would like to use the restroom. But please continue with the meeting. I will catch up.”
Gabriel stood immediately. “Please continue,” he said to John. “I’ll go with her.”
Landon smirked, instantly understanding why Gabriel stood.
John simply nodded. “Very well. We shall wait for both of you.”
But before Gabriel and Isla could leave the sitting room, the door opened and the legal advisor, Mr. Stewart, walked in with his team.
Gabriel and Isla greeted them politely before stepping out.
***
As they walked down the hallway, Isla turned to Gabriel with narrowed eyes.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she asked.
“Protecting what’s mine,” he replied simply. “You don’t think that after everything that happened, I’ll make the same mistake again?”
Isla shook her head, unable to decide if she wanted to laugh or roll her eyes. She began walking again without looking back. “I’m not pregnant, Gabriel. So relax. I’m safe.”
“How can you be sure about that?” he asked quietly.
She stopped abruptly and turned to face him fully. “What do you mean?”
Gabriel closed the distance between them in a single step. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her close until there was barely space between them.
“I know what I’ve deposited inside you,” he said in a low voice. “And by my calculations, you should be pregnant already.”
Isla rolled her eyes so dramatically it was almost comical. Her hands slid up his shoulders. “No one gets pregnant in just a week, Gabriel.”
“Trust me,” he murmured, tightening his hold, “a day is enough.”
Before Isla could respond, two maids walked past. They greeted the couple politely and continued on their way. When they disappeared around the corner, Gabriel leaned in again.
“And even though I’m still grieving my grandfather,” he continued slowly, “don’t think for a moment that we’re done. Because tonight, I will make sure you are pregnant.”
He pressed his lips to hers.
Isla pushed him away immediately and kept walking. Gabriel chuckled softly and followed her.
Back in the sitting room, the tension remained. Landon sat calmly by crossing his legs and relaxing his posture. He had long removed himself emotionally from the Wyndham wealth. He had built his own success. He wanted nothing more.
Wyatt, however, was the opposite. His silence was not calm-it was calculation. His eyes darted occasionally, his jaw clenched. Something in him was brewing, and no one needed prophecy to know it wasn’t good.
The door opened again. Gabriel and Isla returned to their seats. The moment they settled down, John addressed the legal team.
“Mr. Stewart, please let’s get this done.”
Mr. Stewart nodded respectfully and cleared his throat. The room grew silent.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted. “And once again, accept my deepest condolences.”
His voice was calm, but sadness lingered underneath.
“I am here to read Alfred Wyndham’s last instructions. However, before I proceed, and in case there is any doubt, we have a recorded video message from your late father-your grandfather-so you can hear directly from him.”
The room went still.
Mr. Stewart pressed a button, and the projector illuminated the wall.
Alfred Wyndham appeared on the screen.
The moment Isla saw him, her heart broke all over again. Tears spilled instantly down her cheeks. Mia and Sia also began crying. The emotions in the room were overwhelming.
Mr. Stewart paused the video to allow everyone time to breathe.
Even the legal team looked away with heavy hearts.
Once everyone steadied themselves, the video resumed.
Alfred’s voice filled the room. And it filled their hearts with pain.
“By the time you are watching this, it means I did not get to tell you all I wanted you to know before I passed, I have instructed my lawyers to do the needful. My only son, John, is aware and will guide you appropriately.”
Everyone leaned forward.
“I want you all to know that even though only one of you is my real grandson… I did not love the rest of you any less. You are all my children. And I love you.”
Wyatt swallowed hard. Landon closed his eyes.
Gabriel held Isla’s hand tighter.
“I have made a special provision for each one of you. So do not worry. But I have given all my shares-everything I have-to my great-grandchild. And that is if Gabriel and Isla give birth to a child. It does not matter if it is a boy or a girl. That child will be the future of this family. The future of Wyndham.”
Silence swept the room.
The words fell like heavy stones.
“I urge you to cooperate with my lawyers and listen to my son-your father-for guidance. Once again… I love you all.”
The video ended.
Mr. Stewart paused it, letting the weight of Alfred’s final wishes settle into their hearts.
The tension was no longer just thick-it was suffocating.
And the real storm had only just begun.
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.