I want to keep you

I want to keep you
Shane stood straight, showing no signs of evasion. "Yes."
Old Master Robinson's face darkened.
Having lived to this age, he still valued family ties, but what he cared about the most was the Robinson Family's reputation.
He had entrusted the entire Robinson Family to him, partly to appease him. After all, family scandals should not be aired publicly. He valued face above anything else and feared that he might recklessly expose the family's issues.
"Do you realize your mistake?" Old Master Robinson rarely pulled rank in front of him.
This was one of those rare times.
Shane's lips curled into a cold, hard smile, bitterness emanating from deep within his chest. "Grandpa, you knew that Damian took my child and my woman, yet you did nothing to stop it, nor did you inform me. I want to ask you, what did you mean by this? Do you approve of his actions, or were you involved as well?"
Old Master Robinson was taken aback. "You... how did you know that I knew?"
He had thought he was discreet, with only Butler Imani being aware of his actions. So, how did he find out?
Old Master Robinson's sharp gaze shot towards Butler Imani.
He quickly explained, "Master, I didn't say anything..."
"Grandpa, how do you think I found the ship?" Shane's eyes were cold. "I saw you return from the sea with my own eyes. I just followed the clues."
Shane walked over and sat down in a chair, casually crossing his legs and leaning back. "I want to know what you think about this, Grandpa."
"Shane, I was just about to tell you, but it seems you've already figured it out..."
"Really?" Shane clearly didn't believe him. If his grandfather had intended to help, he wouldn't have let Damian his loved ones hostage. "Was it that hard to make a phone call to me?"
When he wanted Shane to come back, he could call him repeatedly. But when it came to important news, he couldn't make a single call?
It was too unreasonable.
Old Master Robinson's indulgence of the second family had already made Shane unhappy.
And now, they had messed with his child and the woman he loved.
If he did nothing, he wouldn't be a man.
"You need to take responsibility for your own actions," Shane said as he stood up.
"Are you willing to throw away the Robinson Family's honor for a child and a woman?" Old Master Robinson couldn't accept his attitude.
He could care about the child and the woman, but not at the expense of the Robinson Family's reputation! Was he supposed to grow old and lose all his dignity?
Shane found it ironic. "Dignity?"
"Your dignity was lost the day my parents died," he said, turning away.
Though he harbored resentment, Shane had always suppressed it and treated Old Master Robinson with respect, as he was an elder. But this time, his actions had left him deeply hurt.
"Are you really going to turn against me?" Old Master Robinson asked in shock.
"It's not that I'm turning against you; it's just that you've already chosen to side with your son," Shane's voice was cold, lacking any warmth, just like his heart at the moment. For the sake of family, he felt no warmth at all.
Old Master Robinson was stunned!
Shane walked out of the Robinson Family Estate. He paused for a few seconds at the gate, then without looking back, he strode towards his car.
Old Master Robinson was the only emotional tie he had left to this family.
Now, even that was gone.
"Where to?" the driver asked quietly.
Shane glanced out the window, his stern face devoid of any expression. Only when he thought of someone did a hint of warmth appear. "To the Norris Family."
"Yes, sir." The driver started the car and headed towards the Norris Family residence.
In no time, they arrived at the residence. Shane got out of the car. "Leave the keys. You can go back."
"Yes, sir." The driver parked the car and handed over the keys. Shane took them and walked towards the house.
The living room was empty and quiet; Callie was nowhere to be seen.
He frowned slightly. Could she be out?
No, that didn’t make sense. She wouldn’t take the baby out after just finding him. He began searching room by room, starting downstairs and then moving upstairs. Finally, when he pushed open one of the doors, he saw Callie. She was lying on her side on the bed, gently patting the baby, trying to lull him to sleep.
He walked in quietly, his movements as light as possible, yet Callie still noticed someone entering. She turned her head to see Shane. She pulled a thin blanket over Leif and got out of bed. Sitting on the edge, she looked at him, "I told you to go back. Is there something wrong?"
Shane replied, "No."
Callie raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him.
If there was nothing wrong, why did the phone ring twice in a row?
He didn't want to say, so she didn't press further.
"Aren't you going to the office..."
"No." He stepped forward and hugged Callie tightly. Just as she was about to struggle, Shane held her even closer and whispered, "Don't move, let me hold you for a moment, just a moment."
Callie felt a slight tremor in her heart and stopped struggling.
Since she was sitting on the edge of the bed and Shane was standing, her face was pressed against his abdomen.
For some reason, she sensed his low spirits.
She couldn't help but wrap her arms around his waist and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Shane didn't say a word; he just kept running his fingers through her hair.
Holding her in his arms, his heart finally felt a bit of warmth, a sense of security.
"I'm so glad it was you that night," Shane suddenly spoke in a low voice.
Callie's body stiffened slightly.
This was the first time they had talked about that night since she found out it was him.
She felt a mix of shyness and embarrassment...
"Um..."
"Weren't you scared?" he asked.
Callie lowered her gaze. How could she not be scared? But since his knife didn't harm her, she knew he wasn't a bad person and decided to help him.
"Why didn't you push me away?" he asked again.
Callie knew he was referring to what happened that night, the most reckless moment of her life.
She had never regretted it until she realized she had developed feelings for him, which made her feel a bit remorseful.
She never expected that the man from that night was him.
It made the mistake of that night seem less of a mistake.
Back then, it was clearly an act of rebellion, a response to Rafael's threats. But instead of saying that, she smiled and said, "To give you a taste of your own medicine."
Shane laughed, "Do you hate me that much?"
"Yeah." She nodded vigorously on purpose.
Shane reached out and lifted her chin.
Callie had no choice but to look up at him.
Their eyes met in the air.
Her eyes, clear and bright like water, gave him a sense of having already seen it
It felt like he had seen her somewhere before.
But he couldn't quite remember.
Callie asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Shane snapped back to reality and said it was nothing. His fingertips brushed across her cheek and lingered on her earlobe, causing Callie to blush slightly.
Slowly, Shane leaned down. In the warm light, Callie seemed to possess a unique charm that wasn't usually visible. With his eyes lowered, Shane's gaze sparkled like stars in the night sky. "I want to kiss you," he said.
As his words fell, his warm lips already pressed against hers.
Callie didn't shy away; she responded, accepting his kiss.
As she raised her hand, she accidentally knocked over a photo frame on the bedside table.
Clatter.
The sound interrupted them.
Shane glanced over and asked, "What was that?"
Callie replied, "A photo of me when I was a kid."
Suddenly, Shane's interest was roused. "Can I see it?" he asked.
"Sure," Callie said as she handed it over to him.
Shane took it, and as he looked at the person in the photo, his brows furrowed deeply.
"Is this your photo?"
Callie nodded firmly. "Yes, if I remember correctly, I was about six or seven years old."
Shane couldn't help but laugh.
Callie frowned. "What's so funny?"
Why did it feel like he was laughing at her?
Shane handed the photo back to her. "Are you sure this is your photo?"
Callie looked at the photo and realized it wasn't her—it was Leif.
She was speechless. "..."
"It must have been my mom who switched mine with Leif's," Callie said.
No one else would do something like this except her!
Callie carefully placed the photo back.
Shane's gaze followed the photo. "Callie, why don't you move back to the villa?"
She hesitated briefly but then agreed. "Okay."
"Callie, is that you?" Caitlin's voice suddenly rang out, accompanied by the sound of footsteps!
Callie quickly got up from the bed. She felt a bit guilty, perhaps because Shane was there.
What was there to feel guilty about?
Actually, nothing at all.
"Mom," she responded.
Upon hearing her daughter's voice, Caitlin's voice preceded her arrival, "Did you find Leif?"
As she spoke, she had already reached the doorway.
Seeing Shane there, she was taken aback, and her expression quickly turned cold. "What are you doing here?"
From her perspective, Shane was a man lacking affection and responsibility.
Callie had gone through so much to have his child, and what had he done in return?
"Waaah..."
Suddenly, Leif cried out.
"Leif is back?" Caitlin looked towards the bed and, upon seeing him, she almost threw herself onto the bed without any regard for her image. Leif was someone she had raised herself, and their bond was deep.
During the time he had been missing, she hadn't been able to eat or sleep well, and she had lost a lot of weight.
She picked him up, "My sweet child."
She looked at Leif with joy, touching his face, but her expression gradually turned cold. "Leif has lost weight."
Then, through gritted teeth, she spat, "That brute, Kane!"
"Mom," Callie reminded her, indicating that there were others present.
She didn't care. If he saw, he saw. She would die for her grandson; her image meant nothing.
Shane sensed that Caitlin had some opinions about him. He wanted to explain but didn't know where to start.
He wasn't good at explaining, nor did he usually care too, but facing Caitlin, he felt he needed to say something.
After all, she had been the one taking care of the child, and she was Callie's mother. He had to respect her and care about the image he presented to her.
Callie noticed Shane's intention. He looked like he wanted to explain but didn't know what to say. "You still have things to do. Let me walk you downstairs."
Callie deliberately linked her arm with his in front of Caitlin, signaling that she and Shane had reconciled.
Shane hesitated.
"I'll talk to my mom," Callie said.
Only then did he follow her downstairs.
As they reached the bottom floor, Callie saw him to the door. "My mom needs some time to accept you. After all, she knows we didn't marry out of love, and so much has happened between us. I had Leif on my own, so it's natural she holds some resentment towards you."
Shane remained silent.
Callie continued to explain, "She doesn't know what happened between us. Back then, we didn't know each other well. I didn't know Leif was yours, so I hid and gave birth to him in secret. My mom thought you treated me badly. If she has any issues with you, can you please not take it to heart?"
Shane didn't mind.
He was grateful.
Grateful to her for taking care of his son.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Callie thought he couldn't accept it and angrily shook off his hand. "My mom didn't know. Do you have to be so petty? I've explained everything!"
Shane looked at her angry face and couldn't help but smile at her puffed-up expression. "Are you mad?"
Callie wanted to shout, "What do you think?!"
She turned away in frustration.
Shane grabbed her wrist. "I'm not mad. I'm grateful to you and your mother."
Callie turned back to look at him.
Shane pulled her closer. "Come with me to the office. Henry might be done by now."
Callie was reluctant. She hadn't spent much time with Leif since he was born and today she wanted to spend more time with him.
"I'm not going," she said firmly.
"I'll have the driver bring you back later," he insisted, gently pushing her into the car.
Callie was speechless.
So, she was just supposed to sit in the car and accompany him to the office?
"How can you be so childish?" she said, both exasperated and amused.
Shane, usually so high and mighty, had such an adorable side?
The ride to the office was quiet, with neither of them speaking, but the atmosphere was relaxed.
It felt like they were a couple in love, and there was even a hint of sweetness in the air.
When they arrived at the office building, Shane parked the car and said, "Since you're already here, come up and have a drink of water."
Callie was surprised again.
Was he going to say, "You've had water, so why not stay here and wait for me to finish work?"
He was being so childish, but she didn't mind. In fact, she felt a little thrill of happiness, enjoying his clinginess.
They entered the lobby and took the elevator straight to the top floor.
As they passed the secretary's desk, Shane instructed, "Make two cups of coffee."
"I'll do it," Callie said with a smile. "What flavor do you like?"
The secretary chimed in, "President Robinson prefers plain, nothing added."
Shane Robinson shot a cold glance at the secretary.
The secretary quickly lowered her head.
Callie, sounding a bit jealous, said, "I didn't even know your preferences."
Shane liked how she cared about him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
When Callie caught his gaze, she quickly looked away. "I'll go make the coffee."
She knew where the break room was because the secretary had shown her around last time.
She made the coffee and brought it over.
At the door, she saw Lydia.
Henry had reassigned Lydia to the lower floors as an administrator. Someone at her level wasn't supposed to be in the executive area.
But Lydia had found every possible excuse to stay because Shane was here.
Her goal was to get close to him and make him fall for her.
So today, she had found another excuse to come by.
She even deliberately exposed her jade pendant.
Last time, Shane had kept her around because of that pendant. She hoped to use it again to get him to bring her back into the company.
This way, she could see him often.
Lydia's face changed instantly when she saw Callie. She quickly stuffed the jade pendant into her collar and looked at Callie with wary eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Callie lifted her chin and retorted, "Why can't I be here?"
"You..." Lydia's face turned ugly, flushed with anger. "Get out of here!"
In the past, Callie might have ignored her or not taken her seriously.
But things were different now. She wanted to give her son a home and win over the man she loved. She couldn't ignore this woman who also had her eyes on Shane.
"Sorry, my husband asked me to come over. Excuse me," she said, deliberately provoking her.
Sure enough, Lydia was deeply triggered by the word "husband."
"You shameless woman! You and Shane have been divorced for ages, and you still have the nerve to call him your husband? You slut!" Lydia yelled, raising her arm to strike Callie.
This was exactly the reaction Callie wanted. As Lydia's hand came down, Callie slightly turned her head to the side and let herself fall to the ground, spilling coffee all over herself.
Lydia was stunned.
She hadn't even hit her yet.
How did she fall first?
Callie knew the coffee wasn't too hot anymore, which was why she dared to do it. Still, the coffee splashed onto her skin, leaving it slightly red with a mild burning sensation.
The sound of a cup shattering outside startled Shane in his office.
When he walked out, he saw Callie sitting on the floor in a mess. Coffee had spilled all over her, leaving small stains on her face and soaking through her blouse, clinging tightly to her bra. Her brows furrowed in discomfort.
"What happened?" he asked, already extending a hand towards Callie.
Callie quickly spoke up before Lydia could, "I twisted my ankle by accident. It's not Miss Lydia's fault."
Her words carried a hidden meaning.
It seemed like she was defending Lydia, but in reality, she was implying that her fall was because of Lydia.
She looked up at Shane's outstretched hand and gently placed her own in his palm.
Shane grasped her hand, pulling her up and smoothly drawing her into his arms.
Lydia was so angry that her nose almost twisted out of shape.
"I didn't hit her," she explained.
Callie knew that at this moment, she didn't need to say anything.
She lay against Shane's chest, her voice trembling with fear, "Maybe I should just go back."
Shane glanced at Lydia, his voice cold and unyielding, "Who gave you permission to come here?!"
Lydia's heart skipped a beat. She had come here on her own initiative today, but she hadn't expected to run into Callie.
And she certainly hadn't hit her .
"I..."
She tried to explain, but Shane had no time to listen. "Secretary, escort her out."
"Yes, sir."
The secretary immediately approached Lydia and gestured for her to leave. "This way, please."
Lydia continued to protest, "I didn't hit her."
Shane completely ignored her, wrapping his arm around Callie and turning away. Just as he was about to leave, he paused and said, "If this happens again, I'll have you thrown out of the company."
A chill ran down Lydia's spine.
She had worked so hard, yet Shane still didn't appreciate her?
Was it because of Callie's manipulation?
She had already been kicked out of the mansion, so why did she come back to seduce Shane?
That wretched woman!
What kind of seductive tricks did she use to make he favor her so much?
It's infuriating!!
Lydia was seething with anger!
Meanwhile, inside the office, Shane pulled out some tissues from the desk and began to wipe the coffee stains off her. "If you don't like her, just tell me. I'll get rid of her. Doing this, what if you actually got burned?"
Callie suddenly looked up at him, her pupils contracting, the blackness gathering in the center. She spoke in disbelief, "You, what do you mean?"
Shane replied, "There are cameras all over the company. I saw what happened at the entrance just now. I watched the footage."
So, he saw that Lydia indeed didn't hit her.
Callie's every move was meant to provoke her.
Lydia was foolish to fall for it.
"Husband?" He curved his lips into a smile, the joy in his expression indescribable. "I like that title."
Callie was speechless.
She felt so embarrassed.
She hurriedly tried to explain, "Actually, I, um..."
"Shh." He pressed a finger to her lips. "I like you like this."
She would deal with other women because she cared about him?
Seeing her use some little tricks made him happy.
Callie looked at him with wide eyes. "I want to give our son a home."
His smiling face slowly froze, then shattered.
She did all this just to give Leif a home, not because she liked him?
"Callie," Shane whispered softly. Hadn't he made his feelings clear enough? or was her heart made of stone?
Sensing that something was off, Callie cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly upset?"
Shane didn't answer right away. Instead, he tightened his arms around her, pulling her body against his until there was no space left between them.
Even through the fabric of their clothes, Callie could feel the scorching heat radiating from him, making her mouth dry and her throat parched.
She couldn't help but swallow hard.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Her hands pressed against his chest as she whispered, "You're holding me too tight. I can't breathe."
Instead of loosening his grip, Shane held her even tighter, forcing her to stand on her tiptoes just to catch her breath.
Their breaths mingled in the small space between them, warm and humid.
Shane's voice was low and deep, "Is it that you can't bring yourself to like me?"
"No," Callie answered quickly.
In an unguarded moment, she revealed her true feelings.
She bit her lip. "I... I didn't mean it that way. I want to keep you around, not just because you're Leif's father, but because... I've grown to like you."
"Really?" his eyes lit up with surprise and joy at her unexpected confession.
The sudden joy seemed almost too good to be true.
She had feelings for him.
Was she saying she liked him?
Callie, feeling both embarrassed and shy, muttered, "Yes, I like you."
She struggled a bit in his arms. "Can you let go of me now?"
Shane chuckled. "Nope."
Callie complained, "If you keep holding me like this, you're going to squeeze me to death."
"I would never want to hurt you," Shane said softly, lowering his head to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead.
His kiss was light and tender, like a gentle spring breeze brushing against her heart.
Callie's heart fluttered, and she leaned into his embrace.
Shane was the first man to make her heart race.
Two people who were never meant to cross paths had been forcibly brought together.
Maybe, this was their destiny?
Bzzz—
Suddenly, his phone buzzed on his desk.
Callie withdrew from Shane's embrace and said, "Your phone is ringing."
Shane heard it but didn't make a move to answer.
Callie reached over, picked it up, and handed it to him. The screen displayed Henry's name.
"It's Henry. He must need to talk to you," she said.
Shane took the phone and answered the call.
Henry's voice came through quickly, "You need to check the news."
Shane turned on the large screen mounted on the wall, which was capable of video conferencing. The incident on the ship had caught the media's attention and was now being widely reported. Because of Damian's involvement, all the blame was being directed at the Robinson Family.
The reports were full of accusations, suggesting that the Robinson Family, already wealthy enough, was now making money by ruining other people's lives, and that they deserved divine retribution.
Shane raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"
He had called the police but hadn't informed the media.
"How did the media find out?"
"It seems someone leaked the information. Everything that happened on the ship is now public," Henry explained.
"Someone leaked it?" Shane fell into deep thought.
Damian definitely wouldn't dig his own grave by spreading this around!
So who else could it be?
Kane?
"Check if he has made any moves recently," Shane said.
"Alright, I'll get on it right away. But with this matter blowing up so much, won't the Old Master be upset?" Henry knew well how much Old Master Robinson cared about his reputation.
This incident had brought shame to the Robinson Family and made them the target of public criticism!
Once Old Master Robinson saw the news, he would undoubtedly fly into a rage!
Shane couldn't care less about his opinion right now.
His actions had long since lost Shane's respect!
If an elder only cared about their so-called reputation and disregarded family bonds, then they were nothing more than cold-hearted people.
"Ignore him," Shane said, his heart already hardened against the old man.
"Alright, I'll finish up here and head back," Henry replied.
Knock, knock—
The door was knocked on.
Shane was about to say "come in" when the door was already pushed open.
Old Master Robinson stood at the doorway, looking furious.
The secretary bowed her head. "I couldn't stop him."r."
Shane waved his hand, signaling the secretary to leave.
The secretary bowed again and walked out.
He glanced at Callie and settled into the sofa. "It's good that she's here."
He gestured for Butler Imani to place the divorce papers on the table. "I arranged your marriage certificate back then, and now I've taken care of the divorce papers for you."
After speaking, he looked at Callie. "Come here."
Callie took a step forward, but Shane grabbed her hand. "Stay here, don't move."
After saying that, he let go of Callie and walked over himself.
He bent down, picked up the divorce papers from the table, and examined them closely. Then, with a sharp rip, he tore them apart!
"What are you doing?" Old Master Robinson reprimanded in a low voice.