Chapter 3

At eight the next morning, Mrs. Cooper took Avery to the old mansion to visit Elliot's mother, Rosalie Foster. The entire Foster family was in the living room when Avery arrived, and she proceeded to greet and serve tea to each family member. Rosalie looked pleased with Avery's manners. An obedient child would be easier to control. "How did you sleep last night, Avery?" asked Rosalie. Avery's cheeks flushed as she said, "Quite well." "I have something for you, Avery," Rosalie said as she opened up a purple gift box and passed it to Avery. "This bracelet complements your skin tone. Do you like it?" Avery did not dare to reject the old woman in front of the whole family and immediately accepted her gift. "I do. Thank you." "I know things are hard for you, Avery. With Elliot the way he is now, he can't treat you well. However, there's a way for you to benefit from all of this," said Rosalie as she began to reveal her plan. "Elliot is running out of time. He was always busy with work and never had the time to date. He didn't even have the chance to have a child of his own…" Avery stiffened upon hearing Rosalie's words. A child of his own? Was Rosalie thinking of having her give birth to Elliot's child? "I'd like you to give Elliot a child and continue his bloodline," Rosalie finished. Avery was stunned to hear that, and everyone else in the room had an equally shocked expression too. "Mother, Elliot has been sick for a while. He may be infertile," said Elliot's eldest brother, Henry Foster. Elliot was not dead yet, but everyone already had their eyes on his estate. Rosalie chuckled and said, "I have a trick or two up my sleeve with the doctors, of course. With Elliot's vast estate, how could he not have an heir? I'll have Avery give Elliot a child. Even a daughter will do." At that moment, everyone's eyes immediately fell on Avery. "You're still in school, right, Avery? Your studies will be affected if you get pregnant now," said Henry's wife. Henry immediately agreed and said, "That's right! Avery is still young. I doubt she's willing to give up on her studies and raise a child at home!" Rosalie knew what her son and daughter-in-law were thinking. This was also the reason why she was adamant about ensuring Elliot had an heir. "Are you willing to have Elliot's child, Avery?" Rosalie asked Avery. She did not hold back. "You should know that you and the child will inherit all of Elliot's estate in the future. It's a fortune large enough for you and the child to live a comfortable life." Elliot might still be alive, but everyone was already coveting his property. For that reason, she felt some sympathy for Elliot and Rosalie. Having an heir would also be the perfect revenge on Cole because that would prevent him from getting a single dime of Elliot's money. She was therefore willing to give it a try. Besides, even if she was unwilling, the Fosters were powerful enough to compel her into doing it. "I'll do it," Avery responded without hesitation. Once tea was over, Avery walked out of the old mansion and prepared to return home. Cole stopped her before she could leave. The morning sun was shining, and the cicadas were chirping. Avery felt sick to her stomach at the sight of Cole's face. "Please take the gifts home first, Mrs. Cooper," Avery said. Mrs. Cooper nodded, then walked off with the gifts. Cole made sure no one was around, then said, "You're breaking my heart, Avery! You never let me touch you the entire time we were dating, but now you've agreed to give birth to Uncle Elliot's kid!" "Giving him a child means getting his estate. Why wouldn't I do it?" Avery snickered as she deliberately chose words that would hurt him. Sure enough, Cole became agitated. "It's not a bad idea, but you can have my kid instead and say it's Uncle Elliot's. It would still be a Foster. Even if my grandmother gets angry, she would never make you abort it." The sneer on Avery's face instantly vanished. "It's good to be ambitious, Cole, but ambition without brains can be a dangerous thing," Avery warned. "I heard that the people by Elliot's side are a ruthless bunch. As long as he's breathing, his minions will be waiting for him to wake up. Do you really think they'll let you go if they find out that I got pregnant with your child?" Avery's words were like a wave of ice-cold water, chilling Cole to his core. He knew better than anyone else that each one of his uncle's people was more ruthless than the last. The fact that they had kept a low profile after Elliot's accident was not an indication that they were not around anymore. Avery chuckled mockingly and said, "I'm off. Your grandmother has arranged for a doctor to pick me up back at your uncle's place."