The Price of Mockery
The morning sun spilled into the mansion like a quiet witness to the chaos that had passed. Gabby stood in the kitchen, stirring oatmeal slowly, one hand resting on her growing belly. Four months in, and the baby was making its presence known—small kicks, fluttering life. Their baby.
Phil walked in, phone in hand, jaw clenched.
“She’s still in custody,” he said flatly. “They found drugs in his car. She claims she didn’t know.”
Gabby kept stirring. “Do you believe her?”
“I believe she didn’t care,” he answered, sitting down at the island. “She’s reckless, Gabby. Always has been. This just exposed it to the world.”
Gabby set a bowl in front of him. “I just want this baby to have peace. We owe it that much.”
He looked up at her, softer now. “This child… is a miracle. And so are you.”
Gabby smiled faintly, her heart aching with quiet longing. The child wasn’t just a medical transaction. It was hers. Hers and Phil’s. When Carina backed out of their last chance to save their marriage—and refused to provide her own eggs—Phil had made the decision. He’d chosen Gabby, not just for biology, but for hope.
That evening, it hit the headlines:
“Heiress Carina Gordy Arrested with Wanted Drug Lord Jose Hernandez”
“From High Society to High Risk: Gordy Scandal Erupts”
The world watched her spiral. And Phil? He received a call from a man just as legendary—John Gordy.
“I’ve seen the footage,” John growled. “This is worse than I expected.”
Phil sighed. “I told you. She’s been unraveling.”
John didn’t hesitate. “I want to meet Gabby.”
“You mean—”
“I want to meet the mother of my real grandchild.”
John Gordy was a storm in a tailored suit. When he walked into the mansion, Gabby rose instinctively, nerves tangled with curiosity.
He extended his hand. “Gabrielle, I presume?”
“Yes, sir.”
“John. No need for ‘sir.’” His eyes scanned her belly, then rose to her face. “So you’re the one with enough backbone to stand where my daughter crumbled.”
She flushed. “I never meant to come between anyone.”
John’s eyes twinkled with something close to amusement. “You didn’t. Carina stepped aside the moment she signed away the right to be this child’s mother.”
Gabby blinked. “You know?”
“I know everything. Phil told me. She wanted nothing to do with the process, and you gave him what she never could. Real family. That makes you Gordy legacy now.”
Phil stood behind her silently, arms crossed, his gaze protective.
John leaned forward. “You’ll have my support. Financial, legal, and personal. She gave up her right to be part of this. Don’t ever let her bully you into forgetting that.”