Irene was stunned.

“Yalena provoked Teresa, and Teresa went into premature labor. She’s been unconscious for three days, and the baby’s just been lying in the incubator. We have no idea when he’ll be able to come out."

“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these past three days?” Jonathan said, his voice tight with emotion.

Jonathan gripped Irene’s wrist tightly, and she trembled. “Jonathan, I didn’t know—”

“Didn’t know what? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? Does this make you happy? Are you only satisfied now that things have turned out like this?” Jonathan’s voice was laced with anger.

Irene kept shaking her head, feeling awful inside. And seeing her little grandson suffering in that incubator, hooked up to all those tubes, Irene just felt a mess inside. She couldn’t even put her feelings into words.

She never wanted Teresa to have a premature birth. She always thought Teresa was cold-hearted, so calm that nothing could ever touch her. “She’s carrying our Lynn family’s child. I never wanted her to go into early labor.”

“Oh, I bet this is exactly what you wanted!” Jonathan’s fists clenched so hard his knuckles cracked. The wound on his hand from punching the wall that day had already scabbed over.

But the pain in his body was nothing compared to the torment in his heart.

“The day she knelt in front of you, her pregnancy was already affected. I was terrified something like this would happen, so I decided to send her away.

“And now Yalena gave her the final blow. That’s the woman you chose, so vicious she nearly killed both Teresa and the baby!” Jonathan’s voice shook with anger and frustration.

Irene couldn’t get a single word out right now. She felt that Jonathan was so cold, so frightening. She had never felt him so much like a stranger before. She even caught a hint of hatred in Jonathan’s eyes.

Irene dropped to her knees, sobbing. “I swear, I had no idea Yalena was that kind of person. The baby’s innocent. I never meant to hurt him!”

“I’ve got nothing left to say to you.” Jonathan’s fists clenched, his knuckles audibly cracking.

He’d always been too soft on her. After all, she was his mother, the one who’d raised him and made sure he got a good education. For that, Jonathan had always felt grateful to Irene.

He’d even sent her overseas, made sure she lived in comfort with good food and everything she wanted, and even hired a bunch of male caregivers to look after her.

“I’m sending you to my grandma’s place right now. You’ll go live with her, and I’ll tell her everything you’ve done,” Jonathan said, his voice cold and unwavering.

“I’m not going!” Irene shouted, panic rising in her voice. She would rather die than be sent to that godforsaken place. But this time, it wasn’t her decision to make.

Jonathan hardened his heart. “I’ll take you to the airport myself. I’ve always been too soft on you, letting things slide because you’re my mother. But this time, I can’t go easy on you anymore.”

Miriam had been right that Teresa’s premature birth was, in large part, because of Irene. If he’d sent Irene away sooner, at the very least, he could’ve left Nareigh with Teresa the day she left.

It wasn’t until all this happened that Jonathan realized being soft-hearted had ended up hurting the ones he loved, including his own child.

“Jonathan, don’t. I just can’t handle living somewhere so tough!” Irene cried out, her voice full of desperation.

“If my grandmother can handle it, why can’t you? I can send a few housekeepers over to take care of both of you,” Jonathan replied, his tone unyielding.

“I’m still not going,” Irene protested. “I hardly even know your grandmother. We have nothing to talk about.”