Chapter 210
Khloe hadn’t intended to conceal anything.
In her mind, this marriage had begun as nothing more than an arrangement of convenience—there had been no reason to drag out the humiliating fragments of her past and present them for scrutiny.
But things were no longer the same.
She now saw Loretta, Arista, and Leon as family.
And Nick…
That was the part that mattered most.
She cared about him too deeply to allow even the smallest seed of doubt to grow between them.
Nick, on the other hand, had never wanted her to speak.
He knew George’s temperament—strict, traditional, difficult to persuade.
More importantly, he knew what those memories cost her.
Lenny had already told him enough.
The outline was painful enough on its own.
A woman who had trusted the wrong person.
A life that had turned into a long string of endurance and humiliation.
Nick had thought he was prepared for it.
He wasn’t.
Hearing it from Khloe’s own lips still made something in his chest tighten painfully—not because of jealousy or judgment, but because of a quiet, consuming tenderness he couldn’t suppress.
Still…
Khloe chose to speak.
She stood there, hand in his, and reopened wounds she had never truly been allowed to heal.
Her voice remained steady.
Too steady.
As though the story belonged to someone else entirely.
Nick didn’t interrupt.
He didn’t even shift his gaze.
He simply held her hand tighter, as if that alone could anchor her through every word.
Around them, the room had fallen silent.
Loretta’s expression had turned solemn, her usual warmth replaced with something heavy and restrained.
Arista’s eyes were already red.
Leon, unable to hold it in, let out a low curse under his breath.
“That Trey is a monster.”
He looked at Khloe with visible distress.
“You’ve suffered enough. From now on, no one will ever bully you again.”
Arista opened her mouth, but no words came out at first.
The image of Khloe—young, alone, enduring years of hardship—was difficult to reconcile with the quiet woman standing before her now.
Even the Morrison family’s attitude toward Khloe, once merely “neutral” in their mind, now felt far more complicated.
Loretta’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Is the Fox family still troubling you?” she asked directly.
“If they are, let Nick handle it.”
Before anyone else could respond, George’s voice cut in.
“Soft-hearted nonsense.”
He had been silent for a long time.
Now, his tone was cold again.
Though his expression was no longer as dark as it had been at the banquet, it remained far from accepting.
He looked at Khloe with a measured, evaluating gaze.
Even if she was the victim…
Even if she had not intentionally hidden her past…
She had still been entangled with another man for six years.
That alone was enough to make any rational man cautious.
A hastily formed marriage.
A complicated history.
A powerful family alliance.
All of it carried potential risk.
George continued evenly.
“Whether she was forced or not is irrelevant.”
His gaze sharpened slightly.
“The Hunt family does not exist to clean up personal entanglements.”
“We have no obligation to interfere in matters involving the Fox family.”
Arista immediately stiffened.
“George,” she said quickly, “that’s not fair.”
Her voice was unusually firm.
“Khloe didn’t choose any of this. If I were in her position, I wouldn’t want to speak about it either.”
She looked at Khloe with visible distress.
“I don’t have children,” she added softly, “but to me, Nick and Khloe are already like my own son and daughter.”
Loretta nodded in agreement.
“Exactly.”
Leon also chimed in, trying to ease the tension.
“George, don’t be so harsh. You’ll scare the kids.”
But George didn’t budge.
His gaze returned to Khloe.
“Listen carefully.”
His voice dropped, colder and more authoritative.
“You and Nick are married now. If this is sincere, then your past must be completely cut off.”
“The Hunt family will not pay the price for your history.”
The implication was unmistakable.
If Khloe still had unresolved ties with the Fox family, she would need to deal with them herself.
Do not involve Nick.
Not involve the Hunts.
Do not rely on marriage as leverage.
A brief silence followed.
Then Loretta spoke sharply.
“She’s your daughter-in-law.”
Leon added at once, “George, don’t ruin the atmosphere.”
The room felt split down the middle—tension tightening like a drawn wire.
Khloe finally spoke.
Her voice was calm, composed.
“Thank you, Grandma. Thank you, Grandpa and Aunt Arista.”
A pause.
“But you don’t need to worry about me.”
She lifted her head slightly.
“I can handle my own matters.”
Her gaze shifted briefly toward Nick.
“They’re not worth involving him.”
She understood George’s stance clearly.
For him, marriage was a contract of interests, not an invitation to absorb personal grievances.
Then Nick finally spoke.
His voice was quiet—but firm enough to cut through the room.
“Dad.”
His eyes didn’t leave George.
“Khloe has never asked me for anything.”
A beat of silence.
Then his tone hardened slightly.
“But your prejudice—and the way you judged her today…”
His grip on Khloe’s hand tightened.
“…has disappointed me deeply.”