Chapter 191
At first, Preston didn't respond; he just looked down and ate his beef. When Whitney kept piling food onto his plate, Preston finally snapped, saying, "Mom, I'm not a kid anymore. I can eat by myself."
An awkward silence immediately fell over the restaurant. The live chat room erupted in a flurry of comments:
[What? Mom? MOM!] [Why is Preston calling Whitney "Mom"? Could it be…?] [Don't wonder, here's the inside scoop: Preston is the only son of Whitney and her ex-husband, Aaron. He's a descendant of the two most prestigious families in Betrico—the Bennetts and the Sullivans—and the eldest grandson, making his status even higher than Jonathan's. He's in line to inherit both family fortunes.] [Why so tight-lipped, bro? How did you keep such a big secret for so long?] [Since you all called me tight-lipped, I won't share another secret.] [Come on, just say it! I remember you! If you don't tell me, I'll lose it!] [Oh my gosh, my dear Preston is actually a royal heir! And I thought he was just a regular college student!] [Does this mean if Preston slacks off in the entertainment industry, he might be dragged back to inherit the family fortune?] [What's the big deal if there's one more rich kid like me in the world?] [I've finally found you, my lord!] [Their fancy lifestyle really ticks me off. Sometimes I just feel like causing a ruckus.]
Jessie, about to eat a piece of meat, dropped it with a clatter onto her plate when she heard Preston call Whitney "Mom." Her jaw dropped.
Ethan, startled, quietly put down his fork, his gaze darting between Preston and Whitney. Cynthia and Jonathan remained unfazed, but Nina discreetly glanced at Whitney and then looked down, feeling uneasy and hoping dinner would end quickly. Only Abby seemed oblivious.
"Preston, are you out of your mind? You want to get close to Ms. Bennett, but that doesn't mean you should call her 'Mom.' Have some self-respect!" Abby exclaimed. From the moment she met Whitney, Abby had repeatedly wondered if Whitney would accept her as a goddaughter. Over the years, she'd acquired numerous godparents, often flattering her way into such relationships at social gatherings. She'd been contemplating how to approach Whitney when Preston unexpectedly called her "Mom"—not even "Godmother"! Abby thought, "Preston's audacity is unbelievable!" However, everyone else looked at Abby as if she were the fool.
Whitney chuckled, "Abby, don't my son and I look alike?"
10:57 Mon, Nov 11
Chapter 191
Upon hearing Whitney confirm it, Abby finally understood that Preston was indeed Whitney's son and heir to the Bennett Group. She was instantly filled with regret. Had she known his status, she would have treated him differently and tried to win him over from the start!
Her expression changed completely. "Preston, why didn't you tell us you're Whitney's son? No wonder we had so many misunderstandings!" Pouring herself a glass of wine, she added, "Let's not dwell on the past. It's destiny that brought us together, so let's toast and call it even, shall we?" Abby's flirtatious tone was obvious. Preston, accommodatingly, raised his glass. Just as Abby felt pleased…
Preston walked to Cynthia, placing a hand on the back of her chair. Bending slightly, he gently clinked his glass with hers. His voice was soft and tender, "Cynthia, I toast to you."
Cynthia, slightly awkward, raised her glass in return. Preston took a sip, then glanced at the now-sour-faced Abby. With an innocent expression, he said, "Abby, there's no bad blood between us, but on the first night of filming, you hid the king cobra egg under Cynthia's bed, almost getting her bitten. I think you owe her an apology. If she forgives you, then we're all square."
Abby's face flushed crimson. She'd almost forgotten the incident, having already paid dearly for her mistake. She never expected it to resurface.
The drone, perched nearby, swooped down and circled Abby's head, providing an exclusive close-up.
[Did Abby hide a snake egg under Cynthia's bed? Is she trying to harm Cynthia?] [That day, she brought back the king cobra egg. Cynthia mentioned the snake could track by scent, so Abby was probably afraid it would find her and deliberately used Cynthia as a scapegoat.] [Abby is so mean! No wonder Preston made her eat raw snake before. I even ranted about Preston online because of that.] [Now I'm a guilt-ridden fan of Preston.] [Where's Abby's fans now? Aren't you guys usually the loudest?]
Abby, shocked to see the drone, realized everything was being live-streamed.
"Preston, stop making false accusations without proof. How do you know Cynthia didn't hide it herself to draw attention and set me up?" Abby argued, believing that as long as she didn't confess, no one could blame her.
Preston replied, "We all know what's really going on here. If you didn't do it, why didn't you refuse when Jonathan asked you to swallow the snake egg?"
Cynthia, surprised, looked at Jonathan. "Did Jonathan really force Abby to swallow that snake egg?"
Jonathan's expression remained distant and indifferent. "Abby, think carefully. What did I say back then?"
Mon, Nov
Chapter 191
Abby mused, "What did he say back then? He said if I didn't eat the snake egg, he'd ensure I lost my reputation and ended up in jail."
Abby knew that even if she escaped moral judgment, Jonathan wouldn't let it go. Crushing her would be easy for him. Looking into his cold, intimidating eyes, her defenses crumbled. "You promised not to tell anyone, not to make it public. Haven't I been punished enough? Cynthia nearly broke my bones, I almost choked to death on that snake egg, and I got anorexia from eating raw snake, which nearly starved me. Isn't that punishment enough?"
Abby collapsed into a chair, tears streaming down her face. "You're just trying to ruin me."
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