Married On Paper To The Billionaire
Chapter 19: Here We Go Again

"Welcome back home, darling," said Elsie. She hugged Emilia warmly. "I am so sorry for everything that happened." "It's ok. Kane told me everything," she replied graciously.

"Now you know we're a bunch of crazies in this family. I hope you're still going to stick by us regardless," said Lillian.

"I vowed to love Kane through thick and thin, for better or worse. I'm sticking to my vows."

"Please..." Samuel scoffed.

"Seriously?" Jack asked him. "You're one to talk."

"Don't come for me, junkie. I'm not the one," he fired back.

"What did you say?" Jack asked, taking a step toward his brother-in-law.

"Ok, that's it, guys. Stop!" Kane ordered them. "You're supposed to be welcoming my wife home, not making her feel uncomfortable."

"It's ok. Family fights sometimes," Emilia said with a smile. Oddly enough, she liked seeing this side of the Beaumonts. It assures her that they're real humans and not a group of robots with impeccable manners. They heard footsteps on the stairs and everyone saw Crystabel and her nanny coming downstairs. The girl ran straight to Emilia and hugged her.

Emilia was surprised. Crystabel had never spoken a word to her or even looked in her direction before. But here she was, hugging Emilia as if she'd missed her.

"Welcome back Mrs Beaumont," said Nanny Rose. "She heard you were coming home today and she insisted on welcoming you too."

"Aww..." Everyone gushed. Lillian wiped away a tear from her eyes.

"Thank you, Crysie," Emilia said to the child softly. "Can I call you Crysie?"

The little girl nodded.

"I missed you a lot, you know. How about we go for a swimming race right now?"

Crystabel looked up at Emilia and grinned, then she nodded her head vigorously.

"You're on, Crysie!" Said Emilia. "I'll just go and grab my swimsuit. How about you go and get yours too with Nanny?"

She let go of Emilia and ran to her nanny, grabbing the woman's hand and leading her to the stairs. Her excitement was obvious to everyone watching.

"That was beautiful," Lillian gushed when Crytabel and Nanny Rose were gone. "Thank you, Emilia."

"Of course. What are aunties for?" Emilia replied.

"I don't approve of nicknames, but I'll make a concession this time," said Elsie. "Well done, Emilia."

She acknowledged her mother-in-law's compliment with a polite nod. She felt as if she had just been welcomed into the Beaumonts' inner circle. She was officially one of them now.

"Before I go upstairs to prepare for my swimming challenge with Crystabel, I have an announcement to make."

"Oh, boy," said Jack. "What have we done this time?"

Everyone laughed.

"The rest of you didn't do anything," Emilia clarified. "Kane and I did."

Elsie's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"Drum rolls, please," said Kane with a grin.

"We're having a baby!" Emilia announced.

The family erupted in cheers. There were hugs and laughter and happy tears. It was the perfect reunion gift for the family.

"This time around, I'll be personally responsible for taking care of you," Elsie promised. "I'll pamper you and make you feel like a queen."

"Sorry, Mother. That spot is already taken," said Kane. He swept her off her feet and carried her upstairs while the rest of the family cheered them on.

He laid her on the bed gently and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for giving us a second chance," he said softly.

She smiled at him. "I meant what I said downstairs. I'm in for the long haul this time. I'm not going anywhere anymore. You're stuck with me now." "And I'm not complaining."

"Come here. I need some sugar."

"Wait, what about the baby?"

"What about it?"

"I don't want to hurt our child."

Emilia laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. Baby is fine where it is. Come here."

"What do you think it is? Boy or girl?"

"Who cares? I just want a healthy baby."

"That's a very diplomatic answer. I like it."

She laughed. "Now, come here and top it up. Don't keep me waiting, I have a swimming competition to go to!"

****

"Please, tell me you had nothing to do with that."

"Are you kidding? You've been with me nearly all the time these past couple of months, if I was plotting something as sinister as this, wouldn't you have caught me already?" "I don't follow you to work."

"Emilia, please. I'm not a murderer."

"But at the hotel, you'd said

"

"I was bluffing," Kane said impatiently. "I don't have the heart to kill anyone. Besides, she died in a car accident with her boyfriend. What has that got to do with me?"

Kane was right. If Kendra had died under questionable circumstances, then it would be reasonable to suspect him or anyone else of foul play.

"I'm sorry, Kane. I shouldn't have questioned your innocence."

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! He smiled. "It's fine. I understand."

"I hate to say this, but honestly, I'm glad we won't have to deal with any of her drama anymore."

"Exactly. Now, we're certain that she wouldn't come back to demand more blackmail money."

Emilia felt like a bad person for feeling relieved that Kendra was dead, but that woman had tried to kill her twice. This was her Karma and it wasn't Emilia's fault.

As the day passed, they got more information about the accident that killed the former model. She and her boyfriend were returning from a nightclub after partying all night. Both of them were heavily drunk and Kendra was the driver. She'd run into a light pole, crushing the bonnet of her car and killing herself and her lover instantly. Neither of them stood a chance of surviving that heavy impact.

"Let's not continue the day on a sad note," said Kane, rubbing her growing baby bump.

"I feel look like an elephant."

"A sexy elephant..."

"Wrong answer. You were supposed to say - "

"Kane! You have to see this!" Lillian shouted as she ran into the Piano Room where the couple were lounging on a comfy loveseat.

"What?" He asked, noting how flustered his sister looked.

She showed him her phone. There was a news broadcast going on, and the reporter was talking about Kendra's untimely death.

"So? We already know about this," said Kane.

"Keep watching," Lillian told him firmly, holding the phone in front of his face.

"Banks' family has come up with surprising claims about KB's demise," the newscaster was saying. "They claim that she spiraled into an emotionally imbalanced state after the Beaumonts wrongfully accused her of shooting Emilia Beaumont." "You have got to be kidding me!" Emilia snorted.

"They also claim that Kane Beaumont allegedly threatened to murder KB if she attempted to sue his family or press charges against his wife who started the shooting rumors," the newscaster continued.

"This is bullocks!" Kane cursed. "Even in death, she's still trying to destroy us."

"Her family needs to be stopped. We can't just sit back and let them tell these lies to the press."

"What do you suggest?" Emilia asked.

"We issue a press statement to deny these wild claims and set the record straight."

"I'm not doing that nonsense again," said Kane. "Someone else should do it."

"You're the face of the family, Kane. You'll have to do it," Lillian insisted.

"Let's do it together," Emilia said, surprising the siblings. "It would be a perfect time to announce my pregnancy. That would earn us some sympathy bonus."

"Now, you sound like me and Mother. You're becoming a true Beaumont woman, always plotting clever ways out of trouble."

"When should we do it?"

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away!

"Let's see how far Kendra's family will push this narrative," Lillian said speculatively. "I'd say we wait for a week and if they're still on it, we'll do our thing."

"Fine."

"Serena will keep me updated on any new development and I'll pass it on to you guys."

"Who's Serena?" Kane asked.

"My new PA. You've met her a few times in the mansion."

"The petite brunette?"

"Yes. She's been with me for nearly seven months. Very hard working and discreet." "Lillian!"

"I'm not sleeping with her, I swear. I'm fully committed to Samuel this time."

"Good. We don't want any more unpleasant surprises."

"There won't be any, big brother. I promise."

"It's all settled then. Let's sit back and see what happens next."

What happened next was a total disaster. Kendra's family went to several talk shows to berate the Beaumont family. They claimed that Kane was a tyrant who bullied Kendra throughout their relationship and turned her into his puppet. They claimed she became depressed after she was released from police detention, leading to her abuse of alcohol. They even leaked an audio recording of Kane threatening Kendra.

The recording had probably been made on the day she went to his office to demand money for her silence. Her family had cleverly cut out the rest of their conversation where she blackmailed him but left his threats. It was damning evidence and the media ate it up.

"I think it's time for us to make our move," Emilia told Kane after one week of enduring the brutal smear campaign against them.

"You're right. They've had their time in the spotlight, now it's our turn."

They summoned all the media houses to assemble in front of the Beaumont mansion. As soon as both of them stepped out holding hands, the cameras began to click.

There was a mild 'aww...' from some of the press people when they saw Emilia's baby bump that was brilliantly displayed in a tight-fitting dress. She already had the second-trimester glow and her makeup was flawless. Side-by-side, they issued a joint statement on behalf of the Beaumont family. When Kane was done reading the statement, the reporters began to fire questions at him in rapid succession.

Emilia raised her hand to silence them. When she had everyone's attention, she addressed them calmly.

"We're not here to demonize anyone, neither are we here to answer your questions. We have spoken the truth and we have evidence to back up all of our claims."

She paused meaningfully and scanned the crowd, making sure to make eye contact with nearly everyone.

"If the Banks family does not stop this smear campaign against my family, we will have no choice but to release the evidence we have at our disposal. I assure you, we are not the villains of this story. Have a good day." She took Kane's hand and they returned to the mansion the same way they'd come out. Her warning to Kendra's family was clear. Now, all they had to do was wait and see if the Banks would back down or not.