My Mute Bride

Blood spread through Rachel’s skirt as a stabbing pain came from her abdomen. She pressed a hand to it, her face pale.

My child, my child.

Justin shoved Frankie aside and scooped Rachel up. “What are you standing around for? Get driving to the hospital!”

It was then that Frankie snapped out of it, and the car sped down the streets of Riverdale while running several red lights.

After making it to the emergency room, Julian stepped out once Rachel had been checked over.

“How is she?”

Julian confirmed that the door had been shut tight before he allowed his expression to fall. At the same time, he stopped Justin from going in.

“Are you concerned about her?”

“Stop asking me things like that. What happened to her?”

“She’s pregnant!” Julian raised his voice, his low tones reverberating through the corridor, shocking the few medical staff nearby until they had looks of bewilderment on their faces.

Why was the usually even-tempered Dr. Peters so furious?

Instantly, Justin’s head was filled with a buzzing sound. “What did you say?”

“I said that she’s pregnant. She’s already more than two months along.” Julian’s expression was dark. “I wanted to tell you about it a few days ago, but you were busy taking care of Gloria. Not only that, you never asked once about Rachel. So, I thought that there was no difference whether I told you at all.”

Justin was still stunned. He stared dumbly at the door to the ward, seeming as though he hadn’t heard Julian.

Rachel was pregnant all along? Am I going to become a father?

“Justin Burton!”

At the thought of Rachel’s condition, Justin quickly snapped back to reality. “How is she now?”

“You’re only asking this now? What were you doing before you thought of that?”

is going on

The first three months of

heard that, Justin

she stared out the window. Just then, the door behind her

I know that you’re

long moment of silence, Rachel

you do to Grandpa

darkened slightly at the mention of the elder man. “That

me-whether it’s your resentment toward me or the Hudsons. Don’t hurt anyone who’s innocent! Now that Hans is in your

on the verge of a breakdown, her eyes completely bloodshot as though they would burst the next

you saying that he should avoid punishment just because he’s

She ended up letting out

a human trafficker? In

what you want, but I must have him

from 20 years ago, he couldn’t

and the gaggle of traffickers who sold him were the true culprits-none of them had better

More than 20 years had passed since then. Even if the police could find proof, the statute of limitations on the case had already been reached. Didn’t that

middle of his tirade when he got a phone call. After glancing at Rachel, he left

the door shut with a

clutched the bed sheets tightly, her face

“Yes?”

Burton.” Frankie’s voice rang out over the phone’s speakers. “I’ve gotten hold of some news. The man recently came to Riverdale. He said that he went to a friend for shelter, and that he’s an old acquaintance of

old acquaintance, you

had razed the forest around Somerset Mountain back then; Hudson Pharmaceuticals had seemingly bought

else did

boy for traffickers. The documents at the police station have long since been destroyed as well. We won’t be able to dig up anything from them.” Frankie’s tone was troubled. “Mr. Burton,

was eerily cold, and one could sense the iciness from

hot, and the loathsome old man who had locked him up cracked open a corner

he would let the boy

to see anything. All he

Katie hadn’t saved him back then, he would have

do with him now,