Chapter 3 A Place to Stay, A Road to Break

"You're not going anywhere, Steffy."

"But... I don't deserve to stay here anymore, Dad," Steffy whispered, her usually gentle voice now filled with pain. "I'm no one. I'm not even a Willson by blood."

Hendry looked at her, his aging eyes reddened with restrained emotion. "You may not carry my blood, Stef... but you are my daughter. You're the only child who has ever made me proud. You have a big heart, and you're sincere."

Steffy bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

"And you..." Hendry turned toward David and Evelyn, his voice cold as steel. "You've brought shame to this family. You..." he pointed at David, "...are a disgrace. And you, Evelyn... you're carrying a child by your own sister's husband?"

"Dad, I love David..." Evelyn tried to defend herself.

"Love?" Hendry scoffed. "A love that makes you betray your own sister? There is no honor in betrayal. And the child you're carrying will not change that."

David opened his mouth to speak, but Hendry raised his hand, stopping him.

"There will never be a marriage between Evelyn and David. But I agree that David and Steffy should divorce!" Hendry declared firmly.

"Dad, this isn't fair! Your daughter is pregnant, and you won't let me marry him? I'm carrying the heir of the Willson bloodline!" Evelyn protested, unable to accept his decision.

Hendry's face flushed with anger. His fists clenched at his sides as he struggled to keep himself in check in front of Steffy.

Evelyn stepped closer. "Dad, I know this is wrong, but I-"

Hendry's sharp gaze cut her off, his voice booming.

"It is precisely because you carry Willson blood that I will never allow that man to stay in this house!"

David froze.

"Let that child be born without a father," Hendry continued without hesitation. "I will make sure you and your child still have a place in this family, Evelyn. But not that traitor!"

"No... Dad, please... don't do this to us..." Evelyn panicked.

"You don't need to defend him!" Hendry's voice rose again. "He is your sister's husband. Steffy lived with him for five years, and you-the daughter I raised with love-dared to stab her in the back?"

Evelyn fell silent. Her eyes began to glisten, but Hendry remained firm.

Meanwhile, Steffy stood quietly behind Hendry. Her heart was still shattered, but this time, a faint warmth crept through the cracks. Even if she wasn't his biological daughter, Hendry still stood up for her-when she herself had already been ready to leave.

"Dad... I don't know what to say," Steffy said softly.

Hendry turned and placed his hands on her shoulders. His gaze softened, completely different from the sharp look he had given Evelyn and David.

"You're not going anywhere, Stef. This house is still your home. I may not be able to take away your pain today... but you won't face it alone."

Steffy nodded, holding back the tears that were about to break free.

David stepped forward, trying to defend himself. "Mr. Hendry, I love Evelyn... I want to take responsibility..."

"If you were truly responsible," Hendry cut in sharply, "you wouldn't have betrayed your own wife-let alone with her own sister."

He took a deep breath, then turned to the guards standing nearby.

"Escort this man out. Starting tonight, he is no longer allowed to set foot in this house."

David stood frozen, but two household guards were already moving to lead him away.

Evelyn tried to follow, but Hendry stopped her with a calm yet firm voice.

"You stay here. You need protection, and your child is part of this family. But don't ever expect me to forgive what you've done."

Steffy stood there, still holding her suitcase. She turned to Hendry.

"Dad... may I stay at the villa for a while?"

Hendry looked at her for a long moment, then nodded.

"You may go wherever you need to heal. But remember, this house will always be open to you."

Steffy chose to leave. The villa would be her refuge-for now, at least, she wouldn't have to see Evelyn.

She drove away, leaving behind the chaos that might only grow worse.

But along the way, her head began to feel heavy, and nausea had been building for several kilometers. Steffy closed her eyes briefly, trying to steady her breathing while keeping her hands on the wheel.

"I need to pull over for a moment," she murmured.

She spotted an empty roadside area wide enough to stop. But just as she turned the steering wheel to the left, her vision blurred. Her stomach churned violently, and cold sweat trickled down her temples.

CRASH!

A loud impact echoed. Steffy's car slammed into the rear of a black SUV parked at the side of the road. The collision wasn't severe, but enough to dent the front hood of her car and jolt the SUV's rear bumper.

Steffy gasped. She pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead, trying to stay conscious.

Before she could fully gather herself, a tall, broad-shouldered man in a blue shirt jacket stepped out of the SUV with quick strides, his expression filled with anger.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" he shouted, knocking hard on her window. "YOU JUST HIT MY CAR!"

Startled, Steffy lowered her head. Her body still felt weak.

She rolled down the window.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"Didn't mean to?!" The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over her pale, trembling figure. "If you can't drive, then stay off the road! You could get someone killed!"

Steffy lowered her head even more, one hand clutching her increasingly unsettled stomach. She swallowed hard, trying to suppress the nausea rising within her.

"I'll pay for the damage... I just wanted to pull over... I wasn't feeling well..."

Her voice was barely audible.

The man scoffed, but his tone began to soften. He studied her more carefully-the pale face, the trembling hands, the cold sweat on her temples.

"You're sick?" he asked, his voice calmer now, though his expression remained tense.