Chapter 2139 The Leverage
- “And what, exactly, is wrong with a girl?” Martin shot back, eyebrows knitting as a spark of indignation lit his eyes. “My sister and her husband adore their little girl. Don't tell me you're one of those people who still rank sons above daughters.”
- “N-No, that's not it at all.” Quentin's cheeks flushed as he waved both hands, the words tumbling over themselves in haste. “I only meant—look at Darren Shaw. Any man cruel enough to beat his own wife—could he genuinely want a daughter?”
- “You make a fair point,” Martin conceded, his tone softening, but only for a heartbeat. “Still, brutality toward a wife doesn't automatically cancel out the instinct to protect one's own flesh and blood. Sometimes a bully is oddly gentle with his child. Or, he doesn't care for her at all but understands she's the perfect leash. Your sister finally filed for divorce; he refuses. So he scoops up custody papers and waves them like barbed handcuffs. He knows your sister won't leave the child behind. As long as he clings to custody, she freezes—paralyzed between escape and her baby.”