Who is the father?
After a moment of heavy silence, Salomon's voice broke through, laden with concern. "Evelyn, who is the father of this child?"
Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest as she clenched her fists. This was the question she had feared most. Archie and Antonio had never voiced it, but the curiosity was always there in their eyes.
How could she admit that she didn't know who the father was? She had chosen a man at random that night, a blur in her memory. She didn't even remember what had happened. The one she could blame had slipped away because she didn't care about that night afterward. But now, as everything crumbled around her, the weight of the truth felt unbearable.
"Who is the father, Miss?" Brian repeated, pulling her out of her reverie.
Evelyn's fists tightened further, her nails digging into her palms. George smirked, rubbing his knuckles mockingly. "What? You don't know the father of your child, Miss?"
"George!" Brian almost yelled.
"Mr. Wills! How dare you speak to Miss like that!" Antonio bellowed, his face flushed with rage.
"Exactly, Mr. Wills. You've crossed the line. Who do you think you're talking about? This is our Miss," Garry added, his voice sharp with anger.
"Let's refrain from making assumptions, Mr. Wills," Brian said sternly, trying to restore order.
Despite the support from her people, Evelyn felt an overwhelming sense of shame. Their defense only made her feel more exposed. The thought of lying gnawed at her, but the truth was too painful. Admitting she had been tricked with such a lowly trick was unthinkable. She would be ridiculed, blamed.
Deciding to fabricate a story, she chose the lesser of two evils. Better to be seen as reckless than foolish.
"Everyone, please calm down," she began, her voice steady but her eyes avoiding theirs. She looked at George, no longer angry, understanding his skepticism. With a deep breath, she continued, "I know this is shocking news for everyone. Your questions are valid and understandable. The answer to who the father is—"
"I am the father." Archie's voice cut through the tension like a knife.
The room fell into stunned silence. Evelyn's eyes widened in shock as she turned to face Archie. His expression was firm, resolute.
"You?" George scoffed, disbelief evident in his tone. "You're the father?"
Evelyn herself wanted to ask. Squinting her eyes, she tried to remember the face of the man she spent the night with. For a moment, she believed Archie until she remembered that face again. 'Archie is definitely not the father! Wait, is he?' Evelyn blinked a number of times. 'No! He is not!'
Seeing Evelyn's reaction, Archie's lips twitched with helplessness. He could easily tell what she was thinking. But he had never thought his friend would be this reckless that she actually believed his words. That meant she really didn't know who the father was.
He sighed deeply. Somewhere he also felt proud and happy seeing Evelyn's recklessness. However, he had to take care of her from now on. He couldn't allow her to be this reckless again.
Earlier, when he saw her clenched fists and how she was not standing up for herself, he immediately knew something was wrong. But when she had no answer to the repeated question, he immediately understood the problem. Not wanting Evelyn to face the hurdle alone, he stepped forward and claimed responsibility.
"Yes, I am. Evelyn and I... we've been keeping it private for personal reasons," Archie said, his gaze unwavering.
Evelyn felt a whirlwind of emotions—relief, confusion, and a strange sense of gratitude. She wanted to speak, to protest, but words failed her.
Antonio's anger gave way to confusion. "Archie, why didn't you tell us? You've known about this for so long but still didn't bother to tell me? Why didn't you take responsibility before?"
Archie took a deep breath, his eyes softening as he looked at Evelyn. "It wasn't the right time. We didn't want to complicate things further. But now, with everything out in the open, it's better to be honest."
Garry turned to Evelyn, his eyes seeking confirmation. "Miss, is this true?"
Evelyn first looked at Archie. Seeing him smiling at her, she nodded slowly, her mind racing. "Yes, it's true," she whispered.
Brian stepped back, the tension easing slightly. "Well, if that's the case, then we must support you both in any way we can. We don't think anyone is better than Mr. Valc."
Archie wasn't just their equal in finance and family background; he was someone they trusted and were very close to. They had seen Archie with Evelyn since childhood. Archie had no one except Evelyn in his life. They had seen how much he cared for her. She was his everything.
George still looked skeptical but remained silent. The others nodded in agreement, their anger dissipating.
Evelyn glanced at Archie, a silent message passing between them. She didn't understand why he had lied for her, but in that moment, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could weather this storm together.