She put her car keys away, walked over, and greeted them.
“Dad, Mom.”
“Who are you calling ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’?” Mrs.
Hawthorne’s expression was harsh.
The dignified, elegant gown she wore did nothing to diminish her hostility.
Rowan Keller didn’t get angry.
She had always known that Mr.
and Mrs.
Hawthorne disapproved of her.
Throughout her marriage, she had rarely spent time with them.
This was partly because Zion didn’t want her to be mistreated by them, and partly because Zion’s own relationship with his parents wasn’t very good.
As a result, they had hardly spent any time together outside of New Year’s Eve dinners.
“Where’s Zion?” Mr.
Hawthorne asked, his expression stern.
Perhaps it was a rebellious impulse, or maybe she just figured she had nothing left to lose.
She replied with three words: “I don’t know.”
“I hear you’re talking about divorce?” Mr.
Hawthorne raised his eyes, his presence intensely intimidating.
Rowan Keller instinctively glanced upstairs.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Mr.
Hawthorne answered her unspoken question.
“Summer isn’t home.
I had someone take him out. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
He won’t be back for another hour.”
The moment he finished speaking, Rowan Keller’s phone buzzed with a message from Summer.
“Why bother telling her so much?” Mrs.
Hawthorne had no patience at all, her gaze toward Rowan dripping with contempt.
“I won’t beat around the bush.
We’re here today to settle one thing: who gets the child when you two divorce.”
Rowan’s hands tightened slightly.
‘So Willow Sterling was right after all.’
“He does,” Rowan said, not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble.
‘Given Zion’s relationship with them, he probably wouldn’t tell them the truth.
If I told them Summer was staying with me, they’d be relentless.
They might even stop me from picking him up, or worse, prevent me from seeing him at all.’
“Then take a look at this.” Mr.
Hawthorne produced a divorce agreement out of nowhere.
Rowan took it and glanced at it.
‘It was identical to the one they had submitted.’
‘How did it get here?’
“I don’t know what tricks you used to get Zion to give you custody of Summer, but you’re giving it back to us now,” Mr.
Hawthorne said forcefully.
“He is a child of the Hawthorne family; he can’t leave with an outsider like you.”
Rowan shot back, “If his mother is considered an outsider, then what does that make you?”
“Rowan Keller, don’t push your luck while I still have the patience to talk this over,” Mr.
Hawthorne’s voice deepened, his impatience starting to show.
Rowan truly despised their overbearing attitude.
I have every right to raise him.”
“You don’t even have a job.
What are you going to raise him with?” Mrs.
Hawthorne jabbed at her sore spot, the contempt in her voice blatant.
“I didn’t have a job before because my work was in the home, and nobody ever treated it like a job or deposited a salary into my account.” Rowan had been well-protected, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t think for herself.
“When I find a job, I’ll have someone paying me a salary.”
“And so what?” The scorn in Mrs.
Hawthorne’s eyes was plain to see.
Rowan lifted her gaze.
Mrs.
Hawthorne’s words were cutting.
“Whatever money you make won’t be enough to buy Summer a single outfit.”
“We’re taking custody of the child,” Mr.
Hawthorne said after a moment of silence, his voice laced with authority.
“Name your price.”
Watching them, Rowan was convinced for the umpteenth time that Summer could not be allowed to grow up in a family like this.
She fell silent for a moment.
She threw an impossible demand back at them, certain they could never meet her price.
“Give me all of Zion Hawthorne’s shares in the Hawthorne Group.”
“In your dreams!” Mrs.
Hawthorne was now certain Rowan was only after their family’s money.
Rowan replied calmly, “You’re the ones who were dreaming.”
Mrs.
Hawthorne was so furious her chest heaved.
Mr.
Hawthorne’s expression grew terrifyingly dark.