"You men have shown me your true, calcting faces for the first time. You''re all scum."


    Patti couldn''t resist lighting a cigarette, her long, manicured fingers a stark, bloody red against the white stick.


    Hawthorne didn''t try to stop her. It was her body; she could destroy it if she wanted. You can''t reason with someone determined to self-destruct.


    "Let''s get back to the point. If you really showed your hand to James, you should probably stay indoors for a while."


    Patti shot Hawthorne a venomous look and took a deep drag from her cigarette, the smoke stinging her eyes and making them water. She hadn''t touched a cigarette or a drop of alcohol since bing pregnant.


    "What are you afraid of? I''m not. Besides, we were never really together. What right do you have to restrict my freedom?"


    Pattipletely dismissed his warning. Hawthorne said tly, "Your business is not my concern. I''m just giving you a friendly reminder." Then he gave her another long, searching look. "You didn''t say anything you shouldn''t have, did you? Like threatening him or something?"


    Patti, of course, wasn''t going to tell him what she''d said to James. She just snorted, took another drag of her cigarette, and ignored him. Seeing her attitude, Hawthorne didn''t bother saying anything more. After the maid finished cleaning, he left, instructing her to move all the valuable items in the house to the basement.


    As Hawthorne''s car pulled out of the courtyard, Patti could no longer contain her rage. She hurled the wine ss in her hand from the balcony, and it shattered on the ground below. The trail of exhaust from Hawthorne''s car quickly vanished from her sight.


    "Go to hell, Hawthorne! And you too, James! You can all go to hell! Don''t think I can''t live without you!"


    Patti drained an entire bottle of wine. She didn''t care about anything anymore. If James didn''t want the baby, then there was no point in her having it. This child had kept her from drinking, from going to bars, from partying at clubs. She was sick of it.


    After finishing the wine, Patti was too unsteady to walk properly. She stumbled down to the garage to get her car. A maid saw her and rushed out to stop her.


    "Miss Yale, you''ve been drinking! You can''t drive!"


    Patti shoved the woman aside forcefully. "Get lost! Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"


    Ignoring the protests, she forced the car out of the garage. The maid, seeing her frantic and drunken state, quickly called Hawthorne. But Hawthorne was already on the main road, his phone on silent vibrate beside him unnoticed. After seeing Patti, his only thought was to get back to Gwh. Ever since Butler Parham had updated him on Gwh''s condition, he had been on edge. His mind waspletely upied with her; he had no time


    for other people''s drama.


    Patti drove drunk, soon losing all


    sense of direction. A wave of nausea churned in her stomach, and she pulled over, stumbling out of the car to vort against a tree She remembered downing the whole bottle. Besides the burning in her


    stomach, a dull ache started in her lower abdomen.


    Feeling that something was wrong, she squatted down dizzily. Suddenly, several figures appeared and grabbed her.


    "Who are you? What are you doing? Let me go!"


    Patti was too weak to resist. They dragged her into a van and sped away. The alcohol had taken its toll, but she still managed to shout curses.


    "Who are you people? Did Hawthorne send you? Or was it that bastard James? I''m warning you, you dare touch me, and you''ll see what happens! I''m carrying James''s child! If you do anything to this baby, James will never let you go!"


    Patti kept screaming threats, but she had no strength. They dragged her into a vi.


    "What are you doing? Trying to pull the same stunt asst time? What''s so great about McNeil Langford? You think I''m scared? What''s sq great about you rich people? My family used to be a big name in Greenvale! Haven''t you ever heard of Mr. Yale? I''m his daughter! If youy a single finger on me today, I swear I''ll call the cops and have you all arrested! Ugh..."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!