Everything she said came from the bottom of her heart; she was holding nothing back.

When Leon Lynch heard this, he suddenly realized he wasn’t as happy as he thought he would be.

He loved her dearly, even though she was about to have a baby.

Even though he wasn’t the baby’s father.

He just loved her. Nothing else mattered.

Love is a mysterious thing. Sometimes, even when you know you might not be fated to be with someone, you can’t let go, and you don’t want to give up.

"I’ll stay by your side," he said seriously. "At the very least, even though he’s the biological father, it seems like he’s not getting treated very well right now—not as well as me, anyway. I’m the baby’s godfather, so I can openly let the kids call me Dad. But it’s different for him. I wonder what it would be like, the day he knows they’re his kids but can only watch helplessly as they call me Dad. That must feel as awful as being constipated, right?"

Nora Ainsworth nodded and popped two orange slices into her mouth. "I can get behind that," she said, chewing. "Let’s piss him off."

Leon Lynch pressed his lips into a smile. "I don’t know if he’ll be angry enough to die, but if he knew what you just said, he’d definitely be fuming."

The thought made Nora Ainsworth burst out laughing. She had a beautiful laugh, with two shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks.

Her joy was infectious, and his mood lifted as well.

A warm and tender feeling suddenly filled the room.

*

Marlon Marshall spent a long time in the hospital, followed by several months of recovery at home. He had only recently gotten back on his feet.

Every time he remembered what Jean Grant had done to him, he seethed with rage.

The last time he had leaked photos of himself and Jean Grant on forums, the scandal died down quickly. It was clear that approach wouldn’t work. With a brother like Quentin Grant and the Grant Family’s extensive network, it was a losing battle.

Marlon Marshall racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a better plan.

Security at her residence was bound to be tight now.

He had no opportunity to get close to her. A few days ago, he had gone to scout the area and noticed she was always accompanied by bodyguards.

Seeing him lazing around all day, Mrs. Marshall urged him to plead with the school to let him re-enroll so he could graduate and get a job at a hospital.

But by now, he was completely obsessed. He was used to spending lavishly and had no interest in earning a meager salary of a few thousand a month.

All he wanted now was a chance to get close to Jean Grant and extort a huge sum of money from her.

It would be his revenge for his broken leg.

That evening, after tailing Jean Grant for a while, he finally saw his chance.

After dinner, Jean Grant went shopping at a mall. She bought a few things before heading to the clothing department.

Marlon Marshall saw her browsing the clothes and slipped quietly into the nearest fitting room.

’If she comes in here to try on clothes, her bodyguards definitely won’t be able to follow,’ he thought.

He got into position, ready to clamp a hand over her mouth the moment she entered.

As it happened, Jean Grant’s bodyguards stood waiting outside the fitting room area while she picked out three outfits to try on.

The moment she closed the fitting room door, Marlon Marshall lunged, viciously clamping a hand over her mouth and giving her no chance to scream.

Jean Grant never imagined he would be here.

She was shocked and terrified.

She now saw Marlon Marshall as a complete lunatic, a madman who had lost all reason.

"Jean Grant, surprised to see me?" he whispered, staring at her. "I’ve waited a long time for this moment. I’m going to make you pay!"

She didn’t struggle. She was afraid that in his madness, he might actually kill her.

Her eyes asked him what he wanted.

He understood her unspoken question. "I don’t want to do anything to you. I just want a little spending money, that’s all."

She used both hands to open her wallet, took out a card, and offered it to him.

But he didn’t take it. "Do you take me for a fool? Before I can even withdraw the cash, you’ll have already frozen the card and reported it stolen."

That was, in fact, exactly what she had been planning.

"Wire the money to my account. Now. And, of course, I won’t let you go until you do." He lifted her skirt and leaned in.

He ground against her.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

He then began to violate her.

Jean Grant tried to struggle, but he had her pinned by the waist, unable to move.

He released her mouth and whispered, "Hurry up and give the order. Or you can scream, if you want. Let your bodyguards come in and get a look."

Of course, Jean Grant wasn’t going to do that, so she had no choice but to obey.

She passed her bank card to a bodyguard and instructed them to transfer money to Marlon Marshall.

One million was transferred.

To Marlon Marshall, such a large sum was still not enough.

He was still unsatisfied, but considering that he wouldn’t get away unscathed if he pushed Jean Grant too far, he let her go.

Pulling up his pants, he grunted, "Get out."

Shaken, Jean Grant nodded and quickly left. Marlon Marshall waited a few minutes before emerging himself. When he stepped out, he was dumbfounded.

Jean Grant and her bodyguards hadn’t left. It seemed they were waiting for him.

"Seize him and take him to the police station! I’m pressing charges for extortion!"

The four bodyguards moved in at once. Marlon Marshall had nowhere to run and was taken to the police station. The million he had just swallowed was instantly returned.

Now, Jean Grant would finally have some peace and quiet for a good long while.

She knew Marlon Marshall would definitely go to prison.

Extortion involving such a large sum would certainly lead to a prison sentence. As for how many years, that was for the judge to decide. All she had to do was wait for the news.

On September 28th, the prosecutor’s office filed a public indictment against him. Because of his former status as the Grant Family’s son-in-law, the media eagerly reported on every development.

At the first trial, Marlon Marshall was convicted of extortion due to the large amount of money involved.

However, because he had not caused the victim any financial damages, had returned the money in full, and had shown a cooperative attitude by pleading guilty, he received a lighter sentence: three years in prison.

The defendant declared in court that he would not appeal.

Upon hearing the news, Jean Grant felt that, at the very least, she would have three years of peace.

But she didn’t know that going to prison had only deepened Marlon Marshall’s resentment. His madness would be on full display the moment he was released.

The following January, in the middle of the night, 24-year-old Nora Ainsworth was hit by a sharp pain in her stomach, and she cried out for Leon Lynch.

The two of them prepared to go to the hospital, but Nora Ainsworth couldn’t move. Lying in bed, she felt something surging out from between her legs, an unstoppable flood that made getting out of bed impossible.

"Nora, deep breaths. Like this, follow me." Leon Lynch coached her using techniques he’d read about in books, demonstrating for her.

Nora Ainsworth tried to copy him, but the pain was unbearable.

"Leon, I can’t... I think the baby’s coming out!"

Leon Lynch’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

He squatted by the bed and gripped her hand tightly. "Is it really coming? I can’t look, but you can do this, Nora! Push!"

The contractions were so intense she could barely speak. She gasped for air, drenched in a cold sweat, gritting her teeth to endure.

After about half an hour of pain, Nora Ainsworth felt the baby start to slide out of her body. She knew she had to push hard, or the baby could suffocate.