Ophelia turned to her nephew in shock.

If Larkin was truly tangled up with this girl, didn’t they have an obligation to warn Regina?

If they kept quiet and she found out later, she would definitely be furious that her own family sat on the information and let her look like a fool.

“Regina might already know everything.”

Karla felt it was best not to interfere and call Regina just yet.

Even though Regina had boldly claimed at the family banquet that they had an open marriage, talk was cheap.

If she actually discovered her husband’s mistress was pregnant, wouldn’t she still be livid?

And if her own relatives were the ones to break the news, the humiliation would only make her lash out harder.

“Stay out of it,” Padgett commanded, slamming the gavel on the debate.

“We don’t even have concrete proof the child belongs to Larkin yet.”

If it really was his niece’s husband’s child, why would Jocelyn have the sheer audacity to try and frame Owen?

Did she have a death wish?

Jocelyn’s reckless, suicidal framing attempt reeked of sheer desperation and panic.

Unless Larkin was secretly pulling the strings, using her to scheme for the Churchill family fortune?

But a plan that stupid would never survive contact with reality.

Even if Owen was considered the least ruthless member of the Churchill family, there was no way a cheap trick like that would ever force his hand.

Besides, even if Owen’s reputation took a hit, no one could ever force him to marry a woman against his will.

Whatever Jocelyn’s grand master plan was, she had miscalculated on every single front.

However, before anyone could even debate calling Regina, she marched right through their front doors, dragging Larkin behind her.

“Uncle Padgett.”

Regina greeted the patriarch first.

Larkin offered a strained, awkward smile and echoed the greeting.

Then they greeted Ophelia and Karla.

“Regina, it’s quite late. What brings you and Larkin here at this hour?”

Padgett didn’t mince words.

Thankfully, dinner was officially over, and the family was comfortably gathered in the expansive living room.

Since the younger generation was present, Regina felt a brief flash of embarrassment about airing her dirty laundry in public.

But reminding herself that she wasn’t the one who caused this catastrophic mess, Regina immediately regained her icy composure.

“We saw the absolute circus online today. Did someone actually try to set Owen up?”

Regina shot Larkin a lethal glare.

When he refused to speak, she took it upon herself to detonate the bomb.

“That girl, Jocelyn Thorne, is a mistress Larkin has been keeping on the side.”

“Everything was fine until recently,

when Larkin started losing interest in

her. That’s probably why she

panicked and tried to secure a new meal ticket.”

“So, is the baby his?” Owen, acting entirely like a gossiping teenager, leaned forward with zero filter.

Regina aggressively smacked Larkin right between the shoulder blades, hitting him

so hard he nearly coughed up blood.

Larkin: *…This violent woman!*

“You’re the one who caused this

mess There is absolutely no reason

your

should be the one cleaning mistress’s radioactive fallout, right?”

Regina was fuming.

We

Seeing Larkin still keeping his mouth shut, she glared at him again.

Fine!

He had to speak.

Larkin stammered, “The kid isn’t mine.”

“I didn’t even know she was pregnant until Owen’s scandal blew up online today.

That was the first I heard of it.”

“But I swear on my life, that child is absolutely not mine.”

Larkin mentally cursed his own

stupidity

Yes, he had engaged inet

casual fun but he had p

fun but he had paid her

generously for her time.

Who knew this little brat was playing such a dangerous game, stringing him along

while getting knocked up by some other guy?

She probably had no idea who the father actually was, which was why she didn’t try to extort him directly.

Instead, she aimed for the absolute jackpot and tried to frame Owen.

After a panicked strategy session with Regina at home, Larkin realized he had to come to the Churchill estate in person.

He desperately needed to clarify that he had absolutely zero involvement in the plot to frame their nephew.

He would rather die than provoke the wrath of the Churchill family.

His entire empire was built on their backing. Why would he deliberately burn his own kingdom to the ground?

Did they think he had a death wish?