Chapter 87

"Yeah, yeah, I'll call her right now," Raymond stammered, not daring to cross Nicholas in his current mood.

He quickly dialed Christina's number.

Nicholas, finding the study too cramped, headed downstairs to wait in the living room.

By the time Christina arrived, Gabrielle and her family had also shown up.

Gabrielle had been holding a grudge since the last incident, and now that she had a chance to strike back at Christina, she wasn't going to miss it. She brought Walter along, hoping he'd see the mess Christina had made and stay away from her.

As soon as Christina walked in, she was met with a furious shout, "You can't go a single day without causing trouble! Look at the mess you've made!"

Nicholas's eyes blazed with anger.

The entire internet was buzzing with gossip about her and William. Even if he managed to suppress the news, people would remember. Whenever William got married, Christina's name would inevitably come up.

He regretted not sending Christina abroad sooner.

"Dad, don't get so worked up. It's not worth it," Gabrielle said, moving behind Nicholas to massage his shoulders. She seemed to be calming him down, but her words were incendiary. "Since things have blown up, why not just let them get married? We could turn this into a celebration, like the internet says, one big happy family."

"Married? Do you think the Cavendish family has no shame? You have a son too. If those two end up together, they'll be a laughingstock. How will your son find a wife then?" Nicholas's eyes flashed with anger again.

William and Christina weren't even in the same generation. If they were, he wouldn't have been so furious last time.

He thought making Christina take birth control would end the matter quietly. But now, the scandal was everywhere.

The internet was full of people who loved drama, with some even blessing their relationship. He couldn't understand how anyone could support such an inappropriate match.

"Dad, I'm just thinking of them. The rumors are out there, and we can't clear them up. So why not..." Gabrielle trailed off as Nicholas's glare grew more intense.

She shut her mouth, realizing it was better not to push her luck. Nicholas's anger was directed at Raymond's family, and she didn't want to become his next target.

Gabrielle continued massaging Nicholas's shoulders until she noticed Walter's grim expression. Alarm bells went off in her head.

She had suspected something between Walter and Christina before. A mother's intuition is rarely wrong, especially when it comes to her own child.

"This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it," Nicholas snapped, clearly wanting Gabrielle and her family to leave.

Gabrielle, preoccupied with her own concerns, had no interest in watching Christina's downfall. Nicholas was adamant about keeping Christina and William apart, and now Walter seemed interested in Christina. If Christina ever shifted her attention to Walter, it would be chaos.

She needed to find Walter a girlfriend quickly and get him settled down.

Inside the house, Nicholas berated Christina before instructing the butler, "Prepare a room for her. She'll stay home and reflect on her actions. Make sure she gets her meals on time."

"Yes, sir," the butler replied, then turned to Christina. "Ms. Windsor, please follow me."

Christina understood Nicholas's intentions. He wanted to keep her confined at home to prevent further trouble.

But wasn't William more to blame for this mess? If he and Jennifer hadn't caused a scene, she would have returned to school after helping Mia, avoiding injury and the hospital encounter with William that led to the scandal.

Yet Nicholas only blamed her.

It made sense; William was his chosen successor and beloved grandson, while she was just an adopted daughter.

She didn't want to stay home, but she had no choice. She followed the butler to the guest room.

"Ms. Windsor, the sheets are freshly changed. Let me know if you need anything or have any meal preferences," the butler said politely.

Christina, feeling trapped, had no interest in making requests. "This is fine," she said curtly.

"I'll leave you then," the butler said, locking the door behind him.

Hearing the lock, Christina felt a mix of frustration and helplessness. She had no idea how long she'd be stuck there.

Elisa was still pleading with Nicholas to let Christina go. "Nicholas, if you trust me, I can take care of Christina."

"Why should I trust you? If you two could manage her, we wouldn't be in this mess," Nicholas retorted, refusing to let Christina leave.

Raymond, sensing Nicholas's firm stance, signaled Elisa to stop, but she was determined.

She took a deep breath and said, "Nicholas, Christina is pregnant."

The room fell silent, the tension palpable.

Nicholas stared at her in disbelief. "Elisa, repeat what you just said."

"Christina is pregnant," Elisa repeated, bracing herself for the fallout.

Raymond was shocked. He knew Christina had taken birth control after her encounter with William, so how could she be pregnant?

But Elisa insisted, "Nicholas, I wouldn't joke about this. Christina is my daughter, and I'm telling the truth. She's pregnant."