Chapter 41 - The Backlash

The silence in the luxury sedan was a physical weight, thick and suffocating. The plush leather seats and the low, expensive humm of the engine did nothing to comfort Steve. He stared blankly at the road ahead, his knuckles white where they gripped the steering wheel.

“Do you have any idea who could have done this? And why?” The question finally ripped from him, sharp and strained.

Heather shifted beside him, her gaze fixed on the passing trees. “I don’t know, but this is seriously concerning. We’ll need to talk to Susan. The only ones I can think of that would be capable of this is the clan, but why?”

The answer felt like it was clawing its way out of his gut. “Were you part of the council then?”

“No,” she said, her voice soft with recollection. “I came into the council two years later.”

His mind was a furious whirlwind. It made a sick, twisted sense. The clan would want increased birth rates. Choosing his family, a branch with no male heir to experiment on. Using outside interference—his father—to breed the next generation, but then genetically enhancing the result. Him. He didn’t have proof ... yet. But he was fucking going to find out. The thought was a cold, hard knot of determination in his chest.

Heather’s mind raced, her thoughts sharp and calculating. “Now I wonder who was listening to us—by the interventionist or maybe someone else? Monitoring the results of their little experiment.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper, but laced with Anger.

Steve could relate, he was furious, clenching his jaw, the tension in his body palpable. He needed to calm down before facing his family. “Guess we need another family meeting,” he said, his voice tight but controlled. “Can you call everyone?”

Heather nodded, her expression focused as she pulled her phone from her purse. Her fingers moved swiftly, dialing the numbers with practiced ease. The soft chime of the phone echoed faintly in the car’s interior, a stark contrast to the storm brewing within them.

They arrived fifteen minutes later to find the house buzzing with anxious energy. The women were waiting, their eyes wide and expectant as Steve walked in. He took a deep breath, letting the weight of his discovery settle heavily on his shoulders. He waited for everyone to gather, the tension in the room palpable.

Steve began by recounting the conversation he had with Dr. Inoue, carefully explaining the genetic modification and the possibility that it had been administered through a shot given to Susan. His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, a rawness that betrayed the gravity of what he was about to reveal.

“And then,” he said, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in, “you may all be pregnant now.”

The room fell silent. Steve braced himself for shock, anger, or even fear. But instead, he was met with ... ecstasy. The women erupted into cheers, their faces lighting up with joy. Mia was practically bouncing on her toes, Zoé had tears of happiness streaming down her face, and Susan—Susan was grinning from ear to ear.

“I-I don’t understand,” Steve stammered, his voice tinged with confusion. “This is ... this is huge. This changes everything.”

Susan stepped forward, her eyes soft but determined. She placed a gentle hand on his arm, her touch grounding him. “Steve,” she said, her voice warm and reassuring, “they’ve been dreaming of having a child with you for most of their lives. This is their dream coming true.”

She giggled softly, reaching up to close his gaping mouth with her hand. But Steve’s mind was still racing. “But what about the genetic manipulation? The things they did to me through you?” he asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

Susan’s expression hardened, her eyes narrowing with a flicker of anger. “I don’t like being used, ” she said firmly, her voice low and resolute. “But you said Dr. Inoue told you that you were in perfect health, and my baby is in good health too. So whatever they did ... it doesn’t seem to have nefarious consequences. At least not yet.”

She paused, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at Steve. “While I want to know who did this without my consent, we can’t say it’s done any harm. Not yet.”

Steve took a deep breath, his mind still reeling but a small spark of hope flickering within him. He looked around the room at the women—his family—and saw nothing but love and excitement shining back at him. Despite the chaos, despite the secrets and manipulations, they were in this together. And that, more than anything, gave him the strength to keep going.

Susan turned to the group, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and excitement. “Charlotte,” she said, her voice carrying a playful lilt, “we’ll need pregnancy tests. Lots of them.” She giggled, the sound light and infectious. “And try to snap a picture of the cashier’s face when you show up with all those boxes.”

The room erupted into laughter, the tension from moments ago dissolving into a shared moment of levity. Even Steve couldn’t help but chuckle, the weight on his shoulders lightening just a fraction. For a brief moment, the absurdity of it all felt almost ... normal.

As the laughter subsided, Susan’s expression softened, her gaze shifting back to Steve. “We’re in this together,” she said quietly, her voice steady now, a quiet promise wrapped in her words. Steve nodded, a small, reluctant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.