Even so, Abigail shook her head. “I’m not lying to you. Go abduct Kathy York yourself and threaten him–he’ll pay you anything to get her back. You’re barking up the wrong tree here.”
“That’s fine with me. I like you anyway, and having you as my wife suits me fine even if it doesn’t upset Diarmuid.”
Harvey seemed to cool off at the thought, and he lowered his voice as well. “I’ll advise know your place if you want to see your boy again. You have one day to make up your mind before you come to me tomorrow.”
you to
With that, he strode outside, but Abigail promptly ran up to him, begging, “Please, just give Tommy back to me-”
“Marry me.” He cut her short with a determined tone.
Abigail’s temper flared again. “Why? I don’t love you, and I won’t be an obedient wife even if I marry you. And you also know that I had a child with someone else I’m not worth your attention.”
“That’s not up to you to decide, and you having someone else’s child doesn’t matter. I want you, and that’s it.” With that, he pried his hands off her. “I’ll await your goodness, and make it fast so that your son won’t suffer.”
“I’ll kill you if you hurt him, Harvey Gooding!” Abigail cried, grabbing his shirt so hard she clipped her own fingernails—however, she felt no pain, and all she could think about was getting Harvey to return Tommy to her.
“I won’t hurt him for now, but I wonder if that stays the same if you don’t agree to marry me, “Harvey replied.
He was not relenting at all–not until he got what he wanted!
“Give Tommy back, or I’ll kill you! Believe it!” Sheryl shrieked.
She had taken a cleaver from the kitchen, and was aiming it straight at Harvey!
She was putting everything on the line–Lionel was dead, meaning that she, her daughter, and her grandson only had each other.
And she would protect them!
Abigail had never seen her mother acting so rashly. “Mom…”
“We know he has Tommy, and that’s enough for me! I’ll kill him if he doesn’t release Tommy!
As Sheryl clenched on the hilt of the cleaver, her veins were bulging and her hands shaking.
After all, she was nervous too.
Sheryl knew that her weakness had caused her daughter many problems in the past, so she must not be weak now.
She would stand before her, and shield her from everything!
Abigail’s eyes were red.
“Mom,” she sniffled. “Please calm down.”
Murder is a crime–Sheryl would be imprisoned if Harvey Gooding died, and she did not want that.
Harvey then added, “I won’t hurt the child, woman. I love your daughter, and will be a better husband to her than Diarmuid Althoff when she marries me.”
Sheryl, however, was not so easily fooled. “Don’t bother sweet–talking me–you wouldn’t coerce Abigail if you loved her, let alone threaten her with her child. You only see what you want, and you call that love?”
Harvey was taken aback–he actually had no comeback for Sheryl.
Hence, he simply gave up on defending himself. “Kill me, and you’d be in prison. You’ll never see your grandson again, but your daughter will be worse off because she’ll lose you and her son. Who knows if she’d lose her mind from grief?”
Sheryl stiffened, but Harvey was right–what would happen to Abigail if the worst happened to her and Tommy?
Abigail went up to her and held her hand then, assuring her, “There will be a way, Mom. Just calm down for now.”
Sheryl’s eyes welled with tears as she turned to her daughter. “I’m so sorry… I failed to protect you and Tommy.”
“It’s not your fault,” Abigail told her as she carefully took the cleaver off Sheryl’s hands. “And I’d rather you and Tommy both be fine.”
Then, turning to Harvey, she said, “My answer is yes, Harvey Gooding, but you either promise that Tommy will be fine, or it won’t be my mom–I’ll kill you myself!”
“Don’t worry I’ll take good care of him, since I’d rather you not hate me. Once our wedding is done, you’ll see him again,” Harvey said, straightening his collar. “I’ll decide on a date tomorrow, and I’ll grant any requests you have.”
“I won’t ask for anything. I only said yes because I don’t want any harm to come to my child, not because I love you. That’s why I’m fine with the wedding, however it goes.”
As she spoke, her eyes were glaring fixedly at Harvey, while her tone was cold and stiff.
Harvey thought nothing of it–he was the one who coerced her in the first place.
“Nothing matters, as long as I have you.”
With that, he left Bernstein Mansion.
Sheryl held Abigail’s hands then. “If you don’t love him, you won’t be happy after you marry him… Moreover, you haven’t divorced Diarmuid, have you?”
Abigail now understood what was going on.
Moneypenny had sided with Harvey, either by coercion or the lure of riches!
“Mom, stay at the mansion and don’t go anywhere,” Abigail told Sheryl just then. “I need to go somewhere.”
“Where?” Sheryl was worried.
“Don’t worry. I can look after myself.” Abigail started toward the front gates, and ran headlong into another person who was entering.
Abigail saw him, but was going to quietly walk past him when he caught her wrist!
She scowled. “What are you doing?”
Ricky Bernstein did not release her, however. “I know that your son was kidnapped. Is there anything I can help with?”
“No,” Abigail replied. “Just stick to your lessons on managing the company.”
“Tommy is my nephew even if you won’t admit it. I’m actually worried that he has been taken away, and I just want to help.”
Ricky’s tone was sincere, making it awkward for Abigail to brush him off.
“No, I’m serious,” she said patiently. “It’s a great help if you’ll do your best to learn how to manage Bernstein Holdings.”
Something changed in the way he looked at her then. “I will do my best,” he replied.
“Good. I have something urgent to do, so please let go,” Abigail said urgently.
Ricky did, and Abigail hurried outside when she suddenly stopped and turned toward him again. “Listen–the reason our father did not pass down Bernstein Holdings to you directly was because he knows that you’re not ready to lead yet. He may have entrusted Bernstein Holdings to me for now, but understand that he loves and cares about you… As for your mother, there’s no question that she made many mistakes, and I hope you can let go of past grudges and concentrate on studying.”
“What are you saying?” Ricky smiled. “I know that Mom deserves what’s coming to her
“You may be the only one who knows what you are thinking, but don’t take others for idiots.”
With that, Abigail hurried off.
Ricky had always been well–behaved around her, even speaking harshly of Samantha White just to curry her favor.
She was not that naive, however.
She understood that Ricky was trying to bridge the distance between them, most likely to take control over Bernstein Holdings.
That was why she told him all that—the company would eventually be his anyway, and she had no intention of keeping it from him.
Furthermore, she would rather not have him hold Samantha’s imprisonment against her, and stab her in the back in retaliation.
She was already exhausted, and certainly did not need another person added to her list of enemies.
She hoped that Ricky would have a change of heart, even if it was for the sake of past sentiments.
Ricky, however, was left spacing out.
Samantha was his mother and the nicest person to him in the whole world. There was no way he would be unmoved to see her jailed.
Naturally, he was trying to win Abigail’s trust by being nice, after which he would take over the company and try to save his mother.
However, Abigail’s words made it clear that she knew what he was up to, and that he must now regard his stepsister seriously.
She was smart, and it was not surprising that the father trusted her so much.
Putting away those thoughts, he entered the mansion to find Sheryl sitting on the couch, and went over to assure her, “Abigail will definitely get Tommy back. You don’t have to worry.”
Sheryl was neutral toward the boy, even though Lionel wanted her and Abigail to take care of him, even passing down everything he had to them just for that.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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