Chapter 302

Damian Cross seethed with humiliation.

Being berated by a woman was a first for him.

And patience had never been his strong suit.

"Vanessa, who the hell do you think you are?" His voice dripped with venom. "Just some worthless trash I've already tossed aside, and now you dare raise your voice at me? You’ve got some nerve!"

Vanessa’s face paled instantly at his crude words.

Her grip on the phone tightened. "Shut your mouth! Don’t you dare spew that filth!"

"Filth?" Damian scoffed. "Oh, but you didn’t seem to mind when you were—"

The door swung open.

Richard Hayes and Margaret stepped into the room, their presence cutting through the tension.

Richard’s sharp gaze landed on Vanessa, who was clutching her phone like a lifeline. "Vanessa, who are you shouting at?"

Her breath hitched. "N-No one. It’s nothing."

With trembling fingers, she ended the call before he could press further.

Richard studied her for a moment but said nothing more.

The silence that followed was deafening.

His gaze instantly dropped to Vanessa's rounded abdomen. "You're expecting?"

Vanessa gave a small nod.

The Harts had rushed over at dawn after hearing about the kidnapping incident.

Richard's face lit up with genuine joy. "This is wonderful news!"

"Make sure to rest properly. Once this baby arrives, you'll command real respect in the Whitmore family."

Vanessa chewed her lower lip, the weight of her secrets pressing down on her.

She hadn't breathed a word to her family about the divorce turmoil with Ethan.

How could she possibly tell Richard that Ethan had shown no excitement about the pregnancy? That he'd even coldly suggested termination?

Margaret, ever the observant woman, noticed what her husband missed.

Her sharp eyes scanned the conspicuously empty space beside Vanessa. "You're carrying Ethan's child. Why is this place so deathly quiet? Where is he? Shouldn't he be here with you?"

Vanessa tilted her head downward. "He... had urgent business to attend to."

Richard's brows knitted together. "What could possibly be more urgent than being with his pregnant wife?"

"Even if he's tied up, where's the rest of the Whitmore clan?"

The unspoken question hung heavily in the air - why wasn't Alexander here either?

Vanessa's fingers twisted the edge of her blouse, the fabric stretching taut under her nervous grip. The grandfather clock in the hallway ticked ominously, each second amplifying her discomfort.

Margaret reached out, placing a comforting hand over her daughter's trembling ones. The warmth did little to melt the ice forming in Vanessa's chest.

Outside, a car door slammed.

Vanessa's head jerked up, hope flashing across her face before she could school her features.

But the footsteps approaching weren't the confident stride she'd recognize anywhere.

The disappointment tasted bitter on her tongue.

Richard exchanged a loaded glance with his wife. Something was very wrong here.

Vanessa swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry.

How much longer could she keep up this charade?

The baby kicked sharply, as if sensing her distress.

She placed a protective hand over her belly, making a silent vow.

No matter what, she would protect this child.

Even if it meant standing alone against the entire Whitmore dynasty.

Margaret's sharp eyes scanned the empty hallway. "Where's your mother-in-law? And why haven't I seen a single servant in this entire mansion?"

Vanessa nervously chewed her bottom lip. "I... I enjoy solitude. I dismissed all the staff."

The explanation didn't convince Margaret for a second.

Her maternal instincts screamed that her daughter was concealing something painful.

"Vanessa," Margaret's voice softened with concern, "are the Caldwells mistreating you?"

Tears immediately pooled in Vanessa's hazel eyes, confirming Margaret's worst fears.

Richard needed no further explanation.

His face darkened with paternal fury.

"This is unacceptable! The Caldwells dare treat my daughter this way? Do they think the Hayes family is beneath them?"

Richard turned on his heel, ready to storm Whitmore Manor and demand answers.

A lazy drawl stopped him mid-stride.

Oliver leaned casually against the ornate doorframe, his smirk dripping with disdain.

"Vanessa's just the side piece. What exactly did you expect from a family like the Caldwells? They'd have to be insane to give her any real status."

"Don't you dare speak about your sister that way!" Richard's voice shook with rage.

Oliver barked a humorless laugh.

"Sister? That gold-digging social climber is no sister of mine. The Hayes bloodline doesn't mix with kept women."

Richard recoiled as if struck.

"You—"

Oliver Hayes, with his usual arrogance, curled his lip in a sneer and flipped Vanessa Hart off.

Richard Hayes clenched his jaw, irritation simmering beneath the surface, but he couldn’t bring himself to snap at his son.

Surprisingly, Oliver’s crude remark had a strange effect—it cooled Richard’s temper slightly.

He knew better than to provoke the Caldwell family right now.

"Vanessa, don’t mind your brother’s foul mood," Richard said, forcing a calm tone. "He’s just being an idiot. Don’t take it to heart."

Vanessa’s face twisted with fury and frustration, her stomach knotting painfully from the tension.

Secret Longing: A Second Chance at Love After Betrayal (Evelyn)