"I don't love her." Ben denied it instantly, adding, "Do you think I'm crazy? How could I ever love a gold digger?"

Mrs. Lucas narrowed her eyes. "If that's true, then why are you unwilling to give Summer a chance? She's everything I could hope for in a daughter-in-law. If you don't like her, then at least give me a reason."

Ben felt his irritation build. He could barely stand to make small talk with Summer, much less think about her flaws.

"I don't want to get married right now. Please, stop pressuring me."

Mrs. Lucas took a moment to reconsider. "Fine, you two only met tonight. I won't push you too hard. I'll allow you both to take things slow on one condition. You must cut all ties with that woman, and any other women who aren't worth your time."

As a mother, Mrs. Lucas wasn't entirely unreasonable. Once a grandchild was born, if Ben still didn't feel anything for Summer, Mrs. Lucas wouldn't mind if he kept a few "companions" on the side.

But Jamie? Absolutely not. That sick child of hers was a ticking time bomb. If it ever got out, the Lucas family would bring hell down on them, turning this union into a feud.

"Mom, if you're really that bored, why not pick up a hobby, like dancing or something? Just don't put all your energy into managing my life," Ben said irritably. "I have work to do at the firm. I'm leaving."

"It's late! What 'work' could you possibly have now?" Mrs. Lucas was not one to be brushed off so easily. "Are you planning to see her again? After all this time, are you really trying to rekindle things with that woman?"

"Mom," Ben replied, trying to stay calm, "I respect you, but I'm an adult now. I have my own life and my own privacy. Stop looking into my every move." He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

No one would enjoy being watched and managed like this, not even by family.

After he left, she sat with a hardened expression. The results of the paternity test would be in tomorrow, and once Ben saw them, he would see things more clearly.

Later, Ben returned home. Winnie was already asleep.

Jamie, freshly showered and

emotionally exhausted, lay on her bed, fighting back tears until she drifted of. Half-asleep, she heard the door open, followed by the weighty thud of footsteps. The sound grew closer until it stopped at her bedside.

"Sleeping soundly, are you?" Ben's hand suddenly gripped her arm, jerking her upright.

He was on edge, sick of being pushed toward marriage, angry that she could sleep so peacefully through it all. Why was she so unaffected when he was kept.

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every night, plagued by memories of her?

The more he thought about it, the harder his grip became.

"Ouch, you're hurting me," Jamie protested, jolted awake as she turned on the bedside lamp.

She stared at Ben's furious expression, confused about what she had done wrong. She had gone along with every unreasonable demand he had thrown at her tonight and pushed herself to her limits. Still, he seemed unsatisfied.

"Did you tell the other men to be

1.n

gentle with you too?" he sneered, voice thick with resentment. "Or is t only with me that you get picky about what you'll tolerate?" Be yanked back the covers, taking in her lace outfit.

He grabbed it, tearing it roughly.

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