Chapter 54: A Storm In The Nursery

Two voices rang out simultaneously.

One cold with fury. The other filled with shock.

Morgan and Kristine stared at Katherine in disbelief. Neither had expected her to go that far.

The sudden rise in volume startled Kristofer and Kirsten.

The twins’ happy expressions crumpled. Small whimpers filled the nursery.

The robotic puppy immediately stopped moving, its sensors detecting the babies’ distress.

Yet Katherine remained completely unfazed.

She merely shrugged.

"Am I wrong?"

Her gaze swept across the room with open defiance.

"Why are all of you looking at me like that?"

The arrogance in her voice was staggering.

Morgan’s jaw clenched. Kristine felt her stomach sink.

For the first time, she truly saw the cruelty behind her sister’s words.

And beside them, Isobel stood perfectly still.

She lowered her eyes, refusing to let anyone see the hurt threatening to surface.

But the trembling of her lashes betrayed her.

The nursery had suddenly become suffocatingly quiet.

Everyone could feel it. Katherine had crossed a line. But she wasn’t done.

Her eyes flashed with anger as she glared at Morgan.

"And you, my dear brother-in-law," she said sarcastically, "why are you so quick to defend her?"

A mocking smile appeared on her lips.

"Is it because she’s already climbed into your bed?"

The entire room froze.

"Or is feeding the twins just a convenient excuse for the two of you to spend time together?"

Katherine was furious that her reasoning was clouded. She couldn’t accept what she was seeing. In her mind, Morgan should have been defending her, not an outsider.

And with Kristine present, she felt untouchable. No matter how angry Morgan became, he wouldn’t dare do anything to his wife’s sister.

At least, that was what she believed.

A suffocating silence settled over the nursery.

Even the twins seemed to sense the tension.

Then—

SLAP!

The sound cracked through the room like a whip.

Katherine’s head snapped violently to the side. A red handprint instantly bloomed across her cheek.

For several seconds, nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Nobody spoke.

Katherine slowly turned back.

Her eyes widened. Disbelief filled her face.

"You..."

Her voice trembled.

"You hit me?"

Standing before her, Isobel’s hand remained suspended in the air.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

For the first time since entering the Foster household, the gentle and accommodating young woman was visibly angry.

Truly angry.

"I tolerated your insults about my surrogacy because they’re based on facts," Isobel said, struggling to keep her voice steady.

Her eyes burned with emotion.

"I endured your judgment. Your mockery. Your assumptions."

She took a slow breath.

"But I will not allow you to slander me."

The nursery fell silent again.

Isobel’s gaze didn’t waver.

"And I certainly won’t allow you to drag Mr. Foster’s name through the mud."

She turned briefly toward Morgan. The respect in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Morgan is my employer."

Her voice softened slightly.

"And my benefactor."

"If not for him, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunities I have today."

Then she looked back at Katherine.

"I respect him because he is a good man."

Every word rang with conviction.

"He loves your sister more than anyone else in the world."

Her voice grew firmer.

"So don’t stand there and invent lies that insult both his character and their marriage."

Kristine inhaled sharply. The shame she had been suppressing all evening suddenly came rushing back.

Only moments ago, she had entertained similar suspicions. She had doubted her husband. Doubted Isobel.

And now the very woman she had secretly questioned was defending her marriage more fiercely than anyone else.

The realization made her chest ache.

Meanwhile, Katherine finally recovered from her shock. Her hand flew to her burning cheek.

"You..."

Tears of humiliation gathered in her eyes.

"You actually hit me."

Her voice rose.

"My parents never laid a finger on me!"

She pointed accusingly at Isobel.

"But you—"

"Katherine."

Kristine’s voice rang through the room. Loud. Sharp and authoritative.

Katherine instantly stopped talking.

She knew that tone. It was the same tone their grandmother used whenever they had crossed a line. The same tone that left no room for argument.

For the first time that evening, Katherine felt a flicker of unease.

Kristine slowly rose from her chair.

Disappointment filled her eyes. Not anger nor frustration but disappointment.

And somehow that hurt even more.

"Katie," she said quietly, "enough!"

The nursery became deathly silent. Then another voice broke through.

"Katherine Hayes."

Morgan’s voice was calm. Far too calm. Not a single ripple disturbed the surface of his composure.

It was the kind of calm that appeared just before a storm shattered the horizon.

A chill crawled down Katherine’s spine. Slowly, she turned toward him.

Morgan’s expression was unreadable. His dark eyes were cold. Colder than she had ever seen them.

For the first time that evening, genuine fear crept into her heart.

She had always relied on her sister’s affection. Always believed that no matter what happened, Kristine would protect her.

But as she stared into Morgan’s obsidian gaze, she suddenly realized something.

Not even Kristine could save her now.

"Get out of my house."

The words were spoken quietly. Yet they struck with the force of a judge’s verdict.

Final. Absolute. No one in the room doubted he meant every syllable.

Katherine’s eyes widened.

"Why are you driving me out?"

She refused to back down.

Not yet.

"I was only standing up for my sister!" Her voice rose with desperation.

"I’m trying to protect her!"

She pointed accusingly at Isobel.

"That woman is dangerous. She acts innocent, but she’s a snake waiting for the chance to strike."

Still, Morgan remained silent. Not because he was considering her words.

But because his attention had shifted elsewhere.

A warning notification flashed across the tablet. The robotic puppy had detected elevated distress levels. The twins’ heart rates were rising.

Their tiny faces were already scrunching up. They were about to cry.

Morgan’s jaw tightened.

That was the final straw.

Without looking at Katherine again, he turned toward Kristine’s private nurse.

The woman was tall and broad-shouldered, with a commanding presence that made most people think twice before arguing with her.

"Escort Miss Hayes out of the nursery."

His voice remained calm. Then he added:

"And out of my house."

The nurse immediately stepped forward.

"Please come with me, Miss Hayes."

Katherine’s face paled.

"No!"

The confidence she had displayed moments ago finally cracked.

"No, Morgan, you can’t do this to me."