Chapter 586 Conflict
Juan was the one caught off guard this time.
He remembered Michael mentioning that Cordelia's baby was conceived through IVF, using sperm from a sperm bank.
But why was Cordelia so insistent?
Could she be telling the truth?
Did she somehow steal Michael's sperm without him knowing?
The thought seemed far-fetched to Juan, but he couldn't forget why he was here.
"Cordelia, is the baby really Michael's?"
Cordelia tilted her head slightly, her voice steady, "Of course! I'm not afraid to have Michael take a paternity test!"
Juan looked at her, "But Cordelia, you only have one child. Elizabeth has three kids calling Michael 'Dad.' You're at a disadvantage!"
Cordelia suddenly asked, "Mr. Stewart, do you not want Michael to stay?"
Juan was taken aback, then replied, "No. It's not just me. Kirk and Alfonso don't want him to stay either."
Tears welled up in Cordelia's eyes, "Why? Are you all helping Elizabeth?"
Juan scoffed, "We don't have that kind of relationship with Elizabeth. Cordelia, you're still so naive. You must have heard from your father about Michael's business acumen and ruthless tactics, right? If the Murphy family falls into his hands, there won't be a place for us in Majestic City."
He looked at Cordelia and said slowly, "Do you think we would let him stay?"
Cordelia was stunned, "Mr. Stewart, what if he wants to stay? Would you go against him?"
Juan laughed, "Silly Cordelia, do you even believe what you're saying?"
He gently patted her shoulder, "Even if Michael chooses to stay, we won't be friends anymore. Just like when your father took over Jake and Efrain's assets, we would be rivals."
He reassured her, "But don't worry, Cordelia. We promised Michael we wouldn't make things difficult for you or the Murphy family business."
Tears filled Cordelia's eyes, "Did Michael really ask you that? For me?"
Juan sighed, "Maybe he already decided back then that he might let you down someday."
Cordelia fell silent.
Juan stood up and straightened his clothes, "I should go. Cordelia, even if you know about Zander's ambitions, it's best not to show it. Until you become stronger, you should rely on him."
Cordelia nodded, "I understand."
Aurora Bay.
David returned home from work, and as soon as he opened the door, he was hit by the familiar smell of medicine. He covered his nose and frowned.
Lately, Sarah had been drinking herbal medicine every day to prepare for pregnancy. The house was filled with the strong scent.
David didn't turn on the lights. He slumped onto the living room sofa, irritably loosening his tie and kicking off his shoes, lying back.
The curtains in the living room were open. The evening light was fading outside, but there was still no sign of Sarah.
Since she took over the Martinez Group, she had been coming home late almost every day for the past two weeks, often reeking of alcohol.
David sat up, sighed softly, and took out his phone.
The screen lit up and dimmed again as he dialed the familiar number for the third time.
Sarah's voice came through, mixed with loud background music, "I'm not done here yet. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat without me."
"Have you been drinking? How are you going to take your medicine?" David tried to keep his anger in check. "This is the third time this week."
The sound of clinking glasses came from the other end, followed by Sarah's hushed voice, "I know, but they..."
"These people again!" David couldn't hold back. "The doctor has told you countless times that you can't drink while preparing for pregnancy!"
"I just took a small sip!" Sarah's voice suddenly rose, then she tried to lower it again, probably covering the phone with her hand. "Fine, bring the medicine here. I'm in the Golden Pavilion, room 888. If they see me taking medicine, they might not push me to drink."
David took a deep breath, hung up the phone, and walked to the kitchen with a stern face.
The kitchen was filled with the strong smell of medicine. Winifred, the housekeeper, was packing the thermos.
Seeing him, she couldn't help but complain, "Mr. Franklin, Mrs. Franklin's constant socializing isn't good for her health."
David replied mechanically, "It's for work."
Winifred scoffed, "Work? If Mrs. Jolin Franklin knew about this..."
"Winifred!" David suddenly raised his voice, "Is the medicine ready? Give it to me!"
Winifred quickly shut her mouth and handed him the thermos.
Before leaving, David turned and said, "Winifred, my mom asked you to come here to take care of Sarah and me, not to spy on us. If you say anything you shouldn't, you won't stay at the Franklin Villa."
Winifred immediately lowered her head, "Yes, Mr. Franklin. I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again."
Half an hour later, David stood at the door of the Golden Pavilion's private room.
He glanced at the room number. It was 888.
David raised his hand to push the door open, and the scene before him made his blood run cold.
A bald, overweight man had one hand on the back of Sarah's chair and was holding a glass of wine to her lips with the other.
David stood frozen, the thermos slipping from his hand and hitting the carpet with a dull thud.
"David?" Sarah seemed to snap out of it, hurriedly pushing the man away, her cheeks flushed unnaturally.
David took two steps forward, the strong smell of alcohol hitting him.
"This is what you call 'a small sip'?" His voice was icy. "Sarah, don't take me for a fool!"
With that, David stormed out, heading straight for the parking lot.
Sarah chased after him in her high heels, "David, don't be mad. Let me explain. That guy was drunk."
"Explain what?" David spun around. "Explain how you're getting close to so many men while we're trying to conceive? Explain how you're treating our plan like a joke? Does your family do business this way? Did your mom do this too?"
That was the last straw. Sarah's anger flared, and she slapped him hard. The sound echoed in the empty parking lot.
"David!" Her voice trembled. "When you drank yourself into a stomach ulcer for work, did I say a word? Now it's my turn, and this is how you react?"
David touched his burning cheek, feeling utterly exhausted. He opened the car door and drove away without looking back.
In the rearview mirror, Sarah's figure grew smaller and smaller.
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