"What... what do you mean?"


    Melissa honestly felt lost.


    Lottie''s eyes narrowed. "Ms. Norton, you know, I''ve seen a lot of women try to y games in front of me over the years."


    Especially back when Ste and Ronald hadn''t made anything official.


    Melissa couldn''t even begin to count how many women in all of Ferrond had tried to cozy up to her, and Lottie was frankly tired of it.


    Some of them came in with the whole innocent act, saying they wanted to be like a daughter to her; others were far less subtle, iming they''d devote their lives to herfort.


    She''d seen it all-even at the Quinn family''s garden parties, there was always some woman pulling out a new trick.


    But Melissa? This was a first.


    Melissa felt a surge of irritation, but she wasn''t about to snap at Lottie. The Norton family wasn''t nearly as powerful as it used to be, after all.


    Taking a deep breath, she said, "I''m sorry, but I really don''t know what you''re talking about, Lottie."


    Pretending?


    I''ve been out of the country, she thought. I haven''t even been keeping up with Ferrond''s gossip.


    Sure, there was that incident at thest party, but that was ages ago—and everything had been sorted out. Even if she had been pretending back then, so what?


    Seeing Melissa''s nk expression, Lottie''s gaze only grew sharper, more dangerous.


    It was making Melissa squirm. "Wait, Lottie, what exactly do you think I did?"


    "What did you do? The evidence is right in front of your face, isn''t it? You''re a clever woman, Melissa. There''s no running from the consequences of your actions."


    Melissa''s mind spun.


    Evidence? What evidence?


    She nced down at her feet-and saw a pregnancy test. Oh, God.


    Wait, what? I''m not pregnant.


    A positive test? Seriously? Even if she were pregnant, how the hell would her test end up here?


    It was obvious she had no clue what was going on.


    Lottie''s stare grew even colder.


    Ste wasdooking at her too, and the


    intensity in both their eyes made


    Melissa feel<fne146> Find the newest release on ?ovelFind</fne146>


    they were about to


    rip her in two.


    s


    Especially Lottie-her look was downright terrifying. Melissa


    swallowed hard "If just don''t get it. What''s going on?"


    to s


    Ste spoke, her tone icy: "So you''re saying this wasn''t sent to me by you?" "Huh?"


    Lottie cut in, "Drop the act and tell us the truth. Now."


    Melissa''s voice shook. "It''s not mine. Seriously, this has nothing to do with me."


    Even if it was hers, why on earth would she send it to the Quinn family?


    Under Ste''s icy stare and Lottie''s intimidating presence, Melissa''s mind was a total mess.


    She racked her brain but couldn''te up with a single exnation.


    "This really isn''t mine!" she practically wailed.


    Lottie''s re was intense-her words about Melissa "ying dumb" still echoing in the room.


    "I swear, I''m not pretending!" Melissa insisted, almost on the verge of tears.


    Wait...


    It hit her. Ste and Ronald were


    engaged now, with a baby on then et given their blessing. Contos ad


    way The whole Quinn family


    belongs to s


    So why had this pregnancy test suddenly turned up here?


    In an instant, the pieces clicked. Melissa finally understood what was at stake.


    And suddenly, she was more panicked than ever.


    "Lottie, I swear, this isn''t mine. I would never do something so disgusting."