Chapter 149
Walter was using the project to pressure Michael.
If he couldn't pressure Michael, then he could only pressure Nolan.
"Walter, our two families have always been close. When Michael's grandfather was alive, he and your grandfather were comrades-in-arms. Naturally, our families should work closely together." Nolan said with a smile, clearly very interested in the Silverlight City mining project, "Michael, Walter is Samuel's biological father. Give him the child."
After Nolan said this, the Clark family's faces all turned extremely dark.
Especially Pearl's.
They weren't even married yet, and she was just carrying the title of fiancée.
Yet Nora had already given birth to Walter's child.
But the Clark family didn't dare speak up now, afraid of making things worse.
Noah wanted to protect his own bloodline, and though the Clark family was very unhappy about it, they could only swallow it.
Today Pearl had accidentally injured Samuel, and Noah's side still needed Haven to try to explain things. Right now they could only swallow this bitter pill.
Once Pearl actually married into the Wood family and gave Walter a son, dealing with Samuel wouldn't be urgent.
"Mr. Smith," Nora stood behind Michael, carefully tugging at the corner of his clothes, her heart panicking badly.
She couldn't let Michael lose too many business partnerships because of her.
That would make the board members have issues with him.
Luna and James already wanted to seize power—he couldn't offend Walter at this time.
Walter still had a significant impact on Michael's position in the Smith Group.
"He won't hurt Samuel. Give Samuel to me. I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Nora said softly, head down, gripping Michael's clothes tightly.
She was clearly so unwilling.
Michael frowned, holding Samuel with one hand while rubbing her head with the other, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Nora shook her head with red-rimmed eyes, "Don't go head-to-head with him. It's not worth it."
"Whether it's worth it or not is for me to decide."
Michael's voice was very soft, but extremely indulgent and gentle.
Aria on the side was so jealous her eyes were full of murderous intent.
Could Michael actually be this gentle with a woman?
"I can't possibly give you the child, and Pearl must publicly apologize and get out of Emerald City. This is my final warning." Michael turned to look at Walter, his voice low.
Both men had overwhelming presence, their gazes clashing with explosive tension.
Walter's face looked terrible, "Michael, it seems you're determined to give up Mountain Construction Group as a partner."
"Since Mountain Construction Group already has other ideas, I don't think there's any need to continue cooperating. The losses would naturally be shared by both sides—it's not just the Smith Group that would lose out." Michael sneered.
Threatening him with this? Did the Wood family not make money from their partnership?
Walter's expression darkened further, "Michael, he's my son!"
"Michael, give the child back to Walter! No father doesn't love his son—he's the child's father." Nolan was so angry his fingers were trembling.
Michael had gone crazy today.
Nolan's voice was too loud. Samuel, startled, shuddered and woke up rubbing his eyes.
Michael's eyes looked at Nolan with dark, deep oppression.
Nolan froze. Had Michael actually scared him?
"Walter, before you break off your engagement with the Clark family, I won't allow you to see Samuel. Pearl dared to hurt Samuel before even marrying into the Wood family. If she becomes Samuel's stepmother in the future, the consequences are obvious—things like pouring sulfuric acid or poisoning, she'd probably be capable of those too!"
Michael's face was grim. These words weren't just for Walter—they were also for Nolan.
All these years, he'd never directly confronted Nolan about these things.
Because he knew Nolan wasn't worthy of being a father.
From Fallon's death until now, Luna had harmed him countless times. Did Nolan really not know?
"Where there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather—that old saying is worth listening to." Michael coaxed Samuel while warning Walter.
Samuel hugged Michael's neck and said softly, "Daddy, I'm so sleepy."
"Sleep then." Michael gently soothed him, patting Samuel's back.
"Samuel, come home with Daddy." Walter reached out, wanting Samuel.
Samuel looked back, staring blankly at Walter.
"Samuel, Daddy will protect you from now on, okay?" Walter coaxed Samuel, "It's Daddy's fault. Daddy didn't take good care of you. Daddy will give you an explanation for your injury, okay?"
Samuel looked carefully at Michael, then at Nora, not knowing if he should believe him.
Nora said Walter was his daddy.
But he liked Michael being his daddy more.
"The bad woman bullied Mommy, had people hit Mommy. If you're my daddy, will you protect Mommy? Will you make the bad people get punished?" Samuel asked carefully.
"Yes." Walter nodded.
Over there, the Clark family was about to explode with anger, especially Pearl.
"Nora, you slut! You're just using this little bastard to tie Walter down! We don't even know if the child is really Walter's. If you dare, let's do another paternity test!" Pearl refused to admit the child was Walter's.
She didn't believe it.
"Shut up!" Walter turned around and yelled at Pearl with intense anger.
Pearl was so scared she shuddered and started crying, "Walter, I'm your fiancée, and you're yelling at me!"
Walter just found Pearl very annoying, "Before I pursue the matter of you hurting Samuel, get out!"
Walter was telling Pearl to leave.
In reality, he was giving the Clark family a chance.
He was still, openly and secretly, favoring the Clark family.
Maintaining this marriage alliance.
Whether he was helpless or doing it because of Noah, it deeply hurt Nora's heart.
Originally, she thought if the Wood family insisted on fighting for Samuel, she couldn't give Samuel a good education and would accept defeat—at least Walter would be good to Samuel.
But now it seemed Michael was right. With a stepmother like Pearl, how could she feel at ease handing Samuel over to him?
"Even at this point, you're still protecting her." Nora questioned hoarsely, "Samuel is your son. Pearl had people hurt him. Right now it's just a minor injury, but what about other accidents? It doesn't matter to you either, does it?"
Walter's heart tightened, knowing his decision had hurt Nora.
But he would make it up to her later.
Just not now.
"Nori, I told you, you just need to wait a few years." Walter tried to soothe her softly.
"No need." Nora disappointedly moved away from Walter.
On the other side.
Haven and Eloise were so angry they turned to leave, planning to go back and think of a long-term plan.
"I'm only giving the Clark family three days. If the Clark family doesn't hold a press conference admitting Pearl's wrongdoing and send her abroad or have her leave Emerald City, I'll personally hold a press conference. I have all the evidence—try me if you don't believe it." Michael looked threateningly at the Clark family.
"Michael!" Nolan was truly furious.
But this time Pearl was in the wrong first. Besides being angry, Nolan really couldn't interfere too much.
Right now he wasn't considering their father-son relationship, but rather Michael's contributions and abilities to the Smith Group.
"Walter! Look at this—Michael treating our Clark family this way is also going against the Wood family! I'm your fiancée. Do you know how many men a woman like Nora has had? I don't believe Samuel is your child. I demand we redo the paternity test!" Pearl said angrily.
Michael looked at Walter, his voice low, "Then let's redo the paternity test."