Daddy’s billionaire step-brother
Chapter 45: Secrets to keep

The silence that followed was deafening. Richard's face drained of all color, his eyes widening in disbelief. For a moment, it seemed as though he couldn't comprehend what she had just said. "Adrian?" His voice was a whisper, as if he couldn't believe it. "My brother, Adrian?"

Clara nodded, tears spilling over again. "Yes, Dad. It's Adrian."

The shock on Richard's face quickly morphed into something darker, something dangerous. His eyes filled with rage, and before Clara could react, he slammed his fist into the wall with a thunderous crack. "Adrian?" he roared, his voice booming through the room. "You're telling me that my brother-my fucking brother-he is the one who got you pregnant?"

Clara sobbed, her entire body trembling. "Dad, please "

Richard's fury was uncontrollable. He stormed toward her, his face twisted in anger. "How long has this been going on? How long have you been sneaking around with him behind my back?" Clara flinched, curling into herself. "It wasn't like that-"

"Wasn't like that?" Richard spat, his voice venomous. "You're carrying his child, Clara! You let him take advantage of you, and now you're pregnant with his baby!"

"He didn't take advantage of me!" Clara shouted through her tears. "I love him!"

Richard recoiled as if she had slapped him. His eyes widened in horror. "You... love him?"

Clara nodded, her face soaked with tears. "Yes, Dad. I love him. And I know it's wrong and you have a reason to be mad, but it's true."

For a brief moment, Richard was speechless, as if trying to process the impossible. But then his face twisted into pure, unadulterated rage.

"I'll kill him," Richard growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I'll kill that bastard."

Clara stood up, panic rising in her chest. "No! Dad, please, don't do anything-"

But Richard wasn't listening. He was already grabbing his phone, dialing a number with shaking hands. "I should've known! I should've seen it. That bastard was always too close to you, always hanging around. I'm going to end this." Clara lunged forward, grabbing his arm. "Dad, stop! What are you doing? Who are you calling?"

Richard shoved her aside, his face red with fury. "I will fix this. You're my daughter! He had no right-he had no right to touch you, to ruin your life like this."

"Please, Dad," she begged, her voice breaking. "It's not his fault. No more than it's mine."

Richard's eyes were wild with rage. "You're damn right this your fault. And just so you know... you're never going to see him again, do you understand me?"

Clara shook her head, her chest tightening with panic. "What do you mean? You can't do that! I know he went back to Europe, but I have to tell him I'm pregnant... It's his baby after all."

Richard glared at her, his voice cold and final. "I will tell him myself."

He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, leaving Clara in the hospital room, broken and terrified of what would come next.

Richard's coldness was suffocating. Clara sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall as the days blurred together. It had been almost a week since her father had confiscated her phone and locked her away from the world. The excuses he made to her school about her absence "health issues"-felt like a twisted joke. In truth, her only real ailment was the overwhelming weight of shame and fear her father had forced upon her.

The silence in the house was deafening. Richard barely spoke to her, but when he did, his words were clipped, dripping with disgust. He couldn't even look at her for long, his gaze filled with disappointment so thick it felt like a physical blow each time their eyes met. Every interaction was a reminder of how she had let him down, of the invisible barrier that now existed between them.

Clara didn't know what her father was planning, and the uncertainty gnawed at her. He had promised he would contact Adrian, but she didn't know what that meant whether he intended to threaten him, bribe him, or perhaps something worse. The waiting, the not knowing, was driving her mad.

She spent her days pacing the room or lying on her bed, her mind consumed by a whirlwind of questions. What would Adrian say when he found out? Would he even care? Or would he simply dismiss her and the baby as another complication he didn't need? She had no way of knowing. Richard's silence was unbearable, his refusal to speak to her like a sentence being drawn out in slow, agonizing motion.

Clara stared out the window, longing for freedom, for answers. She pressed her hand lightly against her stomach, the life growing inside her an undeniable reality. Every day that passed, the truth became harder to ignore.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. Richard's voice came through, cold and firm. "Clara, I need to speak with you."

Clara sat up slowly, her heart racing. She wasn't sure she could handle another confrontation with him, but she knew she didn't have a choice.

The door opened, and Richard stepped inside, his face unreadable. He closed the door behind him and stood near the edge of her bed, arms crossed. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Richard finally broke the silence. "I've contacted Adrian."

Clara's heart skipped a beat. "What... what did he say?"

Richard's lips tightened into a thin line. "He didn't have much to say, other than he's staying in Europe for now. He's... not interested in being involved."

Clara's chest constricted, and for a second, she couldn't breathe. She had been expecting this, hadn't she? After everything, it wasn't surprising that Adrian had chosen to distance himself. But hearing it out loud, from her own father, made it feel like a punch to the gut.

"I told you," Richard continued, his voice icy. "He doesn't care about you. This is exactly why I'm taking matters into my own hands. You're too young to understand the consequences of your actions, but I do. And I'm not going to let you ruin your life over some pathetic fling."

Tears welled up in Clara's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "It wasn't just a fling."

Richard scoffed. "You think he loves you? You think he'll come back and be the father of your child? You're living in a fantasy, Clara. Adrian is gone. He's not coming back. I know him well enough! And now, you have to face the reality of what you've done."

Clara's blood ran cold. "What are you planning to do?"

"I've already told you," Richard said, his voice low and threatening. "I will do whatever it takes to protect you, to protect our family. whether you like it or not."