Chapter 143

Mason’s POV Outside the room, Lucy and I exchanged a glance. Our daughter hadn’t consulted us about the custody issue… Though I disapproved, I understood that if the agreement wasn’t voluntary, Everett’s coercion would be futile. I shouldn’t have softened my heart and let her keep this child in the first place. Now, all the problems I had feared were unfolding one by one. The child’s existence was out in the open, and a remarriage felt inevitable. My face darkened, a lump rising in my throat—stuck there, unable to rise or fall. But then my daughter spoke from the hospital room, clearly defending Everett. I turned to Lucy, my voice strained with resentment. “You shouldn’t have persuaded me back then.” She shot me a glance. “As if not persuading you would have made her agree to terminate the pregnancy.” “…” “Scarlett is an adult. She has the right to choose her own path.” Lucy looked at Everett, then turned back to me with solemn earnestness. “You men are all the same. To you, a child is