The words rolled off my tongue so casually, but they landed in the room like a bomb. For a moment, silence swallowed everything. The only sound was the faint crackle of fire in the hearth, the smoke curling above my grandfather’s cigar as he froze in shock. His hand, usually steady and firm, trembled slightly as the ash fell onto the desk. His sharp eyes locked on mine, widening first in disbelief, then narrowing with unbridled fury then, his entire body stiffened, his jaw clenching so hard I could hear his teeth grinding from across the desk. "What did you just say?" His voice was low and guttural, like a beast struggling to stay chained. I leaned back in the chair, meeting his stare without flinching. My lips curved into a faint smirk. "You heard me clearly, Grandfather. That child isn’t mine, It belongs to Raymond." I repeated without any emotion. The name cracked the room like thunder. Grandfather slammed his palm against the table, the force rattling the crystal ashtray and sending a pen rolling across the polished wood. His voice boomed in the quiet study, it echoed so loudly. "That useless bastard!" he growled furious. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his face darkened with raw fury. He stood up abruptly, pacing around the study like a caged lion. "I turned a blind eye to his stupidity, his laziness, his reckless spending and his endless scandals, because he was my daughter’s husband. Because I wanted to honor her memory and protect the Black family name!" His voice was shaking with rage. "And this is how he repays me? By shaming us with Celeste? By planting his filth in the very girl meant to secure this family’s future? He didn’t even think of the impact his actions will have on the Black family name" he said furiously. I stayed silent, watching him explode. This was the first time I had ever seen him unravel . My grandfather was a man of composure, a man who rarely raised his voice. But now, he was consumed by anger so deep it made his hands tremble. He had always turned a blind eye to all of my father’s actions and always advised me to try and get along with him. "Ungrateful bastard!" he roared, his face turning red from anger. "He has mocked me and the entire Black legacy. I accepted him into our family despite the fact that he was just an orphan. I gave him a home to stay in and he even married my precious daughter. After all I have sacrificed to preserve our honor, he spits on it like dirt!" he roared again. He slammed his fist into the wall so hard that a crack split through the wooden paneling. His breathing turned heavy and his eyes turned bloodshot. For the first time in decades, he looked his age, but it wasn’t a weakness, it was extreme rage that has been pent up for years. "Drive me," he snapped suddenly, spinning to face me. "Drive you where?" I asked with a calm tone. "The hospital," he growled. "I will confront him myself. I will face that ungrateful bastard and rip the truth out of his filthy mouth. If I don’t, this anger will consume me tonight." he said while trying to control his rage. I studied him for a moment, then stood up calmly, adjusting my cufflinks. "As you wish, Grandfather." I said before heading out of the study. He followed closely behind me as we made our way to the car. His driver was already prepared and immediately started the car as soon as we got in. The ride to the hospital was suffocating. He sat beside me in the backseat, silent but seething. His hand gripped the head of his cane so tightly his knuckles turned white. The air between us was thick with unspoken rage. Outside, the city lights blurred into streaks of gold and red, but inside, the silence was extremely heavy. I didn’t speak and I didn’t need to. His fury filled every corner of the car, and I could feel it pressing against my chest. When we arrived, he didn’t wait for the driver to open his door. He shoved it open himself and stormed into the hospital lobby, his presence so commanding that even the nurses and security guards froze when they saw him. We didn’t need directions. The noise guided us. Down the hallway, a commotion erupted like thunder. Voices clashed, sharp and shrill. I quickened my pace, my grandfather striding beside me with a cane that struck the floor like a gavel of judgment. When we reached the ward, we were shocked by the scene in front of us. . Celeste lay pale and fragile on the hospital bed, she looked like she had narrowly escaped death . A bandage wrapped around her arm , and her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. She looked like a doll on the verge of breaking. Beside her, Raymond was holding Raina back, his arms locked around her shoulders as she screamed and thrashed like a local market woman. "You disgusting slut!" Raina spat, her voice hoarse from screaming. "My best friend? My sister in everything? And this is what you were doing behind my back? Sleeping with my father like a cheap whore?!" she yelled insults while trying to struggle out of her father’s hold. Celeste whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched her stomach protectively. Her voice came out weak and trembling. "Raina... please... it’s not... it’s not what you think..." "Don’t you dare!" Raina screeched, trying to lunge at her again, her fists trembling with fury. "Don’t you dare say it’s not what I think! You betrayed me, Celeste! You betrayed me in the worst way possible!" she yelled angrily and struggled even more furiously. "Enough!" Raymond barked, pulling Raina tighter against his chest. "She’s pregnant, for God’s sake! You’ll kill her if you don’t stop!" he said to Raina, who kept trying to get out of his hold. "Good!" Raina spat viciously, her voice breaking. "Let the bastard die with her!" she said with a vicious tone. Grandpa and I just watched as everything was happening and they didn’t notice our presence either. Some other patients and nurses have also rushed over to watch the drama. Celeste broke into sobs, covering her face with her hands, her entire body shaking. "Please... I didn’t mean to... I just..." Her words broke off into wails. Raymond’s face twisted in panic as he cupped Celeste’s cheek with one hand, his voice urgent, desperate. "Don’t cry, please. The doctors said you need to rest and you can’t get upset , Celeste. The baby.. our baby.. needs you to be calm." he comforted her with a gentle expression. The words made my grandfather freeze at the doorway. His chest heaved, his grip tightening on his cane until it looked like it might snap in half. I could feel his anger as we were standing close to each other. The phrase echoed through the room like poison. I glanced sideways at him. His eyes blazed with fury, his lips trembling as though he was seconds away from spitting fire. Raina’s cries cracked again, her voice shaking with both rage and heartbreak. "How could you do this to me?" she screamed at her father. "How could you? With her of all people? She was my best friend, Daddy! My best friend! And you... " Her voice broke into sobs, her words dissolving into raw pain. Celeste sobbed harder and curled up on the bed, making the entire scene look like she was the victim instead of the one who had caused everything. I stood silently at the doorway, my arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold. It was a theater of betrayal and pain, and every actor played their role perfectly. Raymond turned, noticing us finally, his eyes widened in horror when he saw my grandfather. His grip on Raina faltered as his entire body froze. "Father..." he stammered, his face paling instantly. "I... I can explain..." he said in panic. "Explain?" My grandfather’s voice was thunder. His cane struck the tiled floor with a sharp crack that echoed through the room. Newest update provıded by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁 "You dare to speak of an explanation?" he questioned angrily. Raymond stumbled forward, releasing Raina, his hands raised in frantic desperation. "Please, Father, listen to me. It’s not what it looks like, I never meant for this to happen.... "He tries to explain frantically. "Silence!" Grandfather roared, his voice shaking the very walls. Everyone froze. The nurses in the hallway stepped back in fear and so did the others, who were here to watch the drama. Even Raina’s sobs went quiet as she turned her tear-streaked face toward the old man who looked ready to kill. Raymond opened his mouth again, but before he could utter another word, Grandfather’s cane slammed down against the floor once more, the sound cutting him off like a blade. His voice was a whip of fire. "Shut your filthy mouth, Raymond!" And just like that, the room plunged into deadly silence.