Chapter 244 Breaking the Deadlock

Chapter 244 Breaking the Deadlock

"Mr. Baker? You're not dead?"

"Almost." Alex leaned against the wooden bed, his voice weak but steady. "Listen to me. I'm in a village near the border. I'm safe for now, but word of my accident has definitely gotten out. What's going on at the company?"

His assistant stayed silent for a few seconds, then reported everything in detail.

"After the news came back, your mother announced your death publicly. Grace and a man named Tyler took advantage of the chaos and bought up a ton of shares from retail investors. They've already joined the board and are pushing to replace the CEO. Your mother is trying to hold things together, but it's not looking good."

Alex listened, then went quiet for a moment.

"What else?"

The assistant's voice grew hesitant. "And... something happened with Miss Johnson."

Alex's fingers tightened around the phone. A sharp pain shot through his broken ribs, and he let out a muffled groan before clenching his teeth. "What happened to her?"

"After your accident, your mother took Miss Johnson's daughter from the hospital for a DNA test. It confirmed that Eleanor is your child with Miss Johnson."

"Miss Johnson married Matthew to save the kid. She's with him now, along with the child. We can't get more details—Matthew's keeping everything locked down tight."

Alex's head buzzed after hearing this.

The kid was his?

Eleanor was part of the Baker family?

He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and went over everything in his mind. When he opened them again, his gaze was ice cold.

"Got it. Do three things for me. First, don't tell anyone I'm alive—not even my mom. Second, get me a private car. No planes or high-speed trains, just drive back on the roads. Third, dig up every move Matthew has made in the last three months. The more details, the better."

His assistant agreed.

Alex stayed in the town for four more days to recover. Once his ribs stopped hurting enough to make him break into a cold sweat, he got into an ordinary black car and drove three days and nights back to the capital.

The first thing he did wasn't go back to the Baker family or the company. Instead, he hired a private detective.

Alex stared at the photos the detective sent. They showed a white villa. His fingers slowly curled into a fist, crumpling the edge of the photo.

He slipped the picture into his pocket and stood up to leave.

His assistant hurried after him. "Mr. Baker, where are you going?"

"To see Matthew."

"By yourself? Your injuries aren't healed yet—"

Alex glanced back at him, and the man immediately shut up.

Matthew was reviewing documents in his office when the call came.

When he heard the name "Alex Baker," his fingers jerked, and the pen left a long ink streak across the paper.

"What did you say?"

"Alex isn't dead. He's back, and he's downstairs asking to see you." The assistant's voice was clearly uneasy.

Matthew set the pen down and leaned back in his chair. His expression shifted from shock to calm, then settled into a faint, knowing smile. "Let him up."

When Alex walked into the office, Matthew was sitting behind his desk, toying with an old pen like he was waiting for an old friend.

The two men locked eyes, and the air between them felt thick with tension.

Alex had lost a lot of weight. His cheekbones stood out, and his face still showed fading bruises. But he stood straight, his presence as sharp as ever—like a blade drawn from its sheath.

Matthew looked him over, his smile unchanged. "Mr. Baker. Didn't expect you to still be alive."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Alex walked up to the desk, planted both hands on it, and looked down at him. "I came to talk about something."

"What is it?"

"Give me back my wife and daughter."

Matthew's smile faded. He set the pen down, stood up, and met Alex's gaze.

"Your wife? You mean Emily? She's my legal wife now. The marriage certificate is in my drawer. Want to see it?"

Alex's fingers clenched so hard his knuckles cracked.

But he pushed the surge of emotion down fast. His voice stayed steady, like ice over a lake. "You know exactly how that certificate happened. She only married you to save the kid. It wasn't what she wanted."

Matthew let out a short laugh, like he'd heard something funny. "As long as she's mine, that's all that matters."

"Give her back." Alex spoke slowly, one word at a time. "Name your price."

"Price?" Matthew stepped out from behind the desk and walked right up to Alex, close enough to feel each other's breath. "My terms are simple—you die."

Alex didn't move.

"What's wrong? Scared?" Matthew's smile turned colder. "Guess your love for her wasn't that deep after all."

"If I die, that works for you, doesn't it?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "You're getting ahead of yourself."

While the two men faced off, things were falling apart on Emily's side.

The maid delivering food opened the small window in the iron door and saw Emily lying on the bed covered in blood. She screamed and took off running. "Help! Emily tried to kill herself!"

Matthew and Alex both rushed over at the same time. Matthew ordered his men to block Alex, and a group of them started fighting him. It got rough fast.

They couldn't beat Alex, but his mind wasn't on the fight, so they kept landing hits.

Alex watched Matthew walk farther away and shouted, "Matthew, let me see her!"

One of the men grabbed a stool, came up behind Alex while he was yelling, and smashed it into the back of his head. Blood poured out. Alex turned, gave the guy a look, then passed out.

Matthew reached the room where Emily was being held. When he saw the blood-soaked bed and her barely breathing, his pupils shrank to pinpoints. All his calm and control shattered in an instant.

He scooped her up and ran, his voice shaking. "Get the car! Now! We're going to the hospital!"

On the way to the hospital, Emily lay in his arms. Her wrist had been roughly bandaged, but blood still seeped through. Her mind was fading bit by bit, but she forced herself to stay awake.

Matthew held her hand, his face even paler than hers. He pressed his forehead to the back of her hand, his voice barely a whisper.

"Don't die. Please don't die."

"If you die, what am I supposed to do?"

Emily heard him, but she didn't answer.

She turned her head toward the car window and looked at the sky outside. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

It had been a long time since she'd seen the sky.