A bad feeling

A bad feeling
To avoid drawing attention, he hid Callie's child in a nursery and hired a professional caregiver to look after him. When he arrived, he completed the necessary paperwork and took Leif out.

Since he had to drive, he placed Leif on the back seat to lie down.

Luckily, Leif had just been fed the formula milk and was fast asleep.

If he had been awake, he would have surely cried!

He occasionally glanced in the rear-view mirror. The child didn't resemble Callie at all; he looked more like Shane!

This thought made him even more irritated.

He had gone through so much trouble to capture the child to threaten Callie, only for his plan to fall apart in an instant!

He felt extremely unwilling.

But at this moment, he had no choice.

He couldn't ignore his own mother!

He had to take the child to exchange with his mother.

He had to admit, Old Master Robinson's tit-for-tat strategy was highly effective.

It had him completely cornered.

Kane drove to the Robinson Family estate, carrying Leif as he walked inside.

Old Master Robinson sat at a Feng Shui tea table, calmly brewing, pouring, and testing tea, appearing very relaxed.

A servant entered and reported, "Mr. Ortiz is here."

Old Master Robinson remained calm and composed. He took a sip of his tea and then placed the cup down gently. "Let him in," he instructed the servant.

Soon, Kane walked in, holding a child in his arms.

"Bodyguards, bring her in," he ordered upon seeing the child.

In no time, Kane's mother was brought out.

Old Master Robinson had not mistreated his mother; she had been well-fed and cared for during her captivity.

Seeing his mother unharmed, Kane handed over the child.

Old Master Robinson signaled for Butler Imani to take the child.

"Kane," Mrs. Ortiz called out joyfully upon seeing her son.

At this moment, Old Master Robinson also instructed the bodyguards to release her.

"Mom," Kane hurried over to support his mother. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"No, no," she replied.

She had indeed been frightened.

After all, she had been grabbed by a stranger.

But she didn't want her son to worry, so she told him she was fine.

Kane looked at Old Master Robinson. "Are we even now?"

"I don't want you to have any designs on Callie," he replied, his seemingly cloudy eyes sharp and piercing.

Kane chuckled. "As far as I remember, Callie and your grandson are divorced. You even handled the divorce papers yourself. She's single now. Why can't I pursue her?"

He shook his head, thinking Kane was too naive.

"If you don't agree with me, do you think you can walk out of the Robinson Family today?"

"What do you mean? Are you planning to go back on your word?" Kane glanced back and noticed that, at some point, several people had appeared at the door.

"Our deal was that you give me the child, and I release your mother. Haven't I already returned your mother to you? How is that going back on my word?" Old Master Robinson countered.

Kane was left speechless.

"Even if you didn't go back on your word, you're still cheating," Kane fumed internally but held his composure. This wasn't his territory, and he couldn't afford to lose his cool in front of his mother and make her worry.

"You were the one who acted despicably first. You kidnapped a baby and threatened a woman who doesn't even like you to marry you. Do you think your actions are honorable?" his sharp retort left Kane speechless.

He couldn't argue back because Old Master Robinson was telling the truth.

"Kane, is what he's saying true?" Mrs. Ortiz seemed shocked and almost in disbelief. "You told me you were getting married soon and would bring her home to meet me. Is this how you planned to get a girl?"

"No," Kane dared not tell his mother the truth.

She had been hoping for him to get married soon.

For years, he hadn't met anyone he liked, except for Callie, who he found himself increasingly drawn to.

He genuinely liked her.

Of course, there was also a desire to get back at Shane.

"I promise you," Kane reluctantly agreed.

"I hope you keep your word. It's the only way to go far."Old Master Robinson responded.

Kane remained silent as he led his mother out of the living room.

Mrs. Ortiz, though unaware of the specifics, sensed that this was not the place for a conversation. Once they were in the car, she held her son's hand and asked, "Tell me, what exactly is going on?"

After this incident, she felt uneasy.

"Kane, after your father passed away, I entrusted the company entirely to you. I don't understand business matters and can't help you much. I know it's not easy for you, but no matter what, you can't force someone who doesn't love you to marry you. You won't be happy that way."

Thinking of her son's well-being, she didn't want him to marry a woman who didn't love him. She knew he wouldn't be happy in such a marriage.

As a woman herself, she also empathized with the girl being forced into marriage.

Marrying someone you don't love is also a kind of misfortune.

"I hope my daughter-in-law will be gentle, understanding, and most importantly, love you as much as you love her. Only such a marriage can last. I didn't go with your father because I couldn't leave you alone."

Mrs. Ortiz spoke earnestly to her son.

Kane understood.

That's why he told his mother that the girl he liked was in Misthaven City, and that he planned to marry her there before bringing her back home.

He was afraid his mother would find out that he had forced the marriage!

"Did you hear me?"

When her son didn't respond, she raised her voice and gave him a light slap.

Though reluctant, he replied to his mother, "I understand."

"I'm not forcing you to get married, but you need to find a girl who truly loves you, and you love her back. I won't rush you into marriage anymore."

She was a kind-hearted mother who genuinely had her son's best interests at heart.

Kane repeated, "I understand."

"I know your father's death hit you hard. For a long time, you couldn't get over his passing. You spent your days partying and with different women, doing all sorts of reckless things. I knew it wasn't really you. You were just heartbroken and didn't want to face the reality of his death, so you numbed yourself. I watched you fall apart and then slowly recovered. Kane, I have high hopes for you, do you understand?"

She held her son's hand tightly.

Kane lowered his eyes, "Mom, I understand. I'll take you home."

Mrs. Ortiz nodded, "I've been feeling unwell lately. Stay with me for a while, will you?"

She did it on purpose, wanting to keep him by her side to prevent him from doing anything dangerous.

Although they had narrowly escaped danger this time, who could guarantee there wouldn't be a next time?

It wasn't that she was afraid for herself; she didn't want her son to face any danger.

"Kane, your father handed the company over to you. I hope you can manage it well," Mrs. Ortiz said, hoping he would focus on his work for now.

"I understand," he replied.

"Good. Don't make me worry about you," she said.

"I won't make you worry," Kane assured her.

It seemed he needed to spend some time with his mother, or else she would continue to fret over him.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He answered it; it was his assistant calling to inform him, "I found out it was Butler Imani who took your mom."

Kane's eyes darkened. "Got it."

...

Robinson Family Estate.

After Kane left, Old Master Robinson asked Butler Imani to bring the child over so he could take a look.

The moment he saw the child, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. He asked, "Imani, doesn't he look just like Shane when he was little?"

Butler Imani responded without hesitation, "He looks just like him."

"Exactly the same!" Old Master Robinson's heart was almost certain.

This child must be Shane's!

Could this be his first great-grandson?

The more he looked, the more delighted he became.

As he grew older, he naturally longed for the company of his descendants.

"Do we still need a paternity test?" Butler Imani asked.

After all, the child resembled Shane so much that it was almost certain just by looking.

"To avoid any mistakes, let's do the test," Old Master Robinson said.

"I'll arrange it right away," Butler Imani replied.

Old Master Robinson nodded.

For peace of mind, Old Master Robinson had a bodyguard carry the child, and he went to the hospital himself to oversee the entire process.

An hour later, the results were in.

Butler Imani brought the results and handed them to Old Master Robinson. "Sir, here are the results."

He reached out, took the document, and looked at the results. As As expected, they were correct!

"This is Shane’s child."

The man who was about to walk over froze upon hearing his words.

In the next second, his expression changed dramatically!

He took a step forward and called out, "Grandpa."

Old Master Robinson looked up and saw Damian, causing his brows to furrow. He folded the papers in his hand and put them into his pocket. "What are you doing here?"

"Just accompanying a friend for a check-up..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a very seductive woman walked over and linked her arm with Damian's.

Damian immediately pulled his arm away.

In a low voice, he said to her, "Leave."

The woman didn't understand and smiled, "Damian, I..."

"I told you to leave. Didn't you hear me?" His expression turned cold.

Realizing something was wrong, the woman quickly lowered her head and walked away in a panic.

"Grandpa..."

Old Master Robinson glanced at the departing woman and spoke in a stern tone, "You're not getting any younger. It's time to settle down and get married properly. Stop surrounding yourself with these questionable women."

Damian chuckled, "Yes, I'll listen to you, Grandpa. By the way, I just heard you mention that my brother has a child?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the bodyguard's arms.

Old Master Robinson quickly interrupted him, "You heard wrong. How could your brother have a child?" He deliberately changed the subject. "What are you doing at the hospital with that woman? Let me tell you, the Robinson Family's bloodline must remain pure. And your child must be born to a woman of equal standing."

Damian pressed his lips together and smiled. "Grandpa..."

He had indeed accompanied that woman for a check-up just now.

However, she wasn't pregnant.

He was very clear about that.

The person he would marry had to be someone who could back Shane.

Even if he liked that woman, he could never marry her. She was just a fling.

He understood the importance of powerful alliances and needed to leverage his wife's family background.

"Play if you must, but know your limits. Also, tell your mother and father to stop causing trouble. I'm old, and I don't have much time left. I can't protect you all forever..."

"Grandpa, you gave the entire Robinson Family to him, and you won't even let us fight for it?" Damian's hands were in his pockets, his casual demeanor masking his inner discontent.

He felt that his grandfather was too biased. They were both his grandsons, both bearing the Robinson last name. Why should Shane get the entire family fortune?

He was not convinced.

He believed that whatever Shane could do, he could do as well.

But Old Master Robinson never gave him the chance.

"I have my reasons for giving it to him," he replied. "If you really want to know why, go ask your mother."

"Grandpa, what do you mean by this?" Damian was a smart man and could clearly see that his grandfather was implying that his mother had done something wrong, which was why he handed the family business over to Shane as compensation.

"Shane, I'm tired. I need to leave now," Old Master Robinson said, signaling Butler Imani to help him out of the hospital.

"Grandpa, let me escort you," Damian offered, stepping forward. Butler Imani stepped aside to make room for him.

Old Master Robinson couldn't refuse and accepted the offer gladly. Considering the bodyguard was still holding the child, he instructed the bodyguard to leave first.

The bodyguard understood.

"Grandpa, where did that child come from?" Damian asked.

He had clearly heard him say that the child belonged to Shane.

Now, he was deliberately sending him away.

It was obvious he didn't want Damian to get involved.

After helping Old Master Robinson into the car, Damian said, "Grandpa, I have some matters to attend to, so I won't be going back with you."

Old Master Robinson nodded in acknowledgment.

Watching Damian's figure return to the hospital, Old Master Robinson instructed Butler Imani, "Make sure the person doing the test keeps their mouth shut."

"Yes, sir."

Butler Imani immediately made the call.

At the hospital.

The doctor had just received the call when Damian blocked his path.

"Second Young Master..."

Before the doctor could finish his sentence, Damian grabbed him by the collar. "Cut the crap. Tell me, why did the Old Master come to the hospital today?"

"The Old Master came for a check-up..."

"Say that again?" Damian's eyes were piercing. "Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

The doctor trembled. He couldn't afford to lie about Old Master Robinson. But the man in front of him was equally intimidating. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, treading on thin ice. "Even if you gave me the courage, I wouldn't dare."

Damian said, "So, you really think I'm an idiot? The Old Master came for a check-up, but why was he in the lab? Do you think I don't know? The Robinson Family has people in this hospital. All the DNA samples are kept here in case of illness. And the Old Master was holding a baby. Wasn't he here for a paternity test?"

"That's true, but there really wasn't a paternity test..."

Damian snorted and shoved the doctor away. "That was Shane’s child!"

The doctor stumbled back a couple of steps and hit the door. He steadied himself and said, "I don't know. I really don't know. Please, don't make things difficult for us small folks."

The doctor looked as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff!

Damian could already guess what was going on.

Old Master Robinson's evasiveness and the doctor's tight-lipped demeanor were clear signs that something was being hidden. Did they really think they could keep it a secret?

What a joke!

He turned and walked out of the hospital, already formulating a plan in his mind.

...

Skyreach Corporation.

Shane was handling company affairs when he received a call from the guards. They reported that Callie had been banging on the door and throwing things around. They were too scared to approach her and had no choice but to call him.

Shane immediately rushed back.

As he pushed open the bedroom door, he was met with a scene of chaos. Callie lay on the floor, still bound with ropes. Her hair was disheveled, and her shirt barely covered her upper body, exposing her slender, tied-up legs. She seemed to sense someone entering and glared angrily through her messy hair.

Shane quickly walked in and lifted her off the floor.

Callie yelled at him, "Untie me! Let me go!"

Shane didn't untie her immediately. Instead, he said, "Calm down first."

Callie was speechless, "..."

Her eyes were bloodshot, and she spat out each word through gritted teeth, "Let. Me. Go!"

Her emotions were too intense, so Shane had someone administer a sedative. Only after she calmed down did he untie the ropes binding her.

"Shane Robinson!"

Callie suddenly sprang up, yanking Shane over and strangling him, her hands fiercely gripping his throat.

Shane hadn't expected her to have such strength, but as Callie pulled him, he didn't resist and let himself be dragged down.

Even with her hands around his neck, he didn't move.

"Do you hate me that much? Do you wish I were dead?" he asked, looking up at the woman above him.

Callie's grip tightened around his neck. Her madness stemmed from a dream she had—a nightmare where a beast snatched away her child. She chased desperately, her feet bleeding, but she couldn't catch up. She watched helplessly as her child was devoured...

She was terrified, utterly petrified.

She needed to find Kane immediately. She had to see her child!

Otherwise, she would worry herself to death!

She had to make sure Leif was okay.

"Shane, I truly hate you. I want to strangle you right here and now, but I can't. I can't become a murderer. I can't let my child have a mother who's a killer. And I can't... let people point fingers at him, saying his mom killed his dad."

Shane's heart couldn't find peace. It was leaping and trembling, overwhelmed with excitement by the sudden news, making it hard for him to keep his composure.

His emotions surged like the ocean waves.

"You... you said what? The child, your child is still... alive?"

Callie looked dazed, her expression a mix of pain and helplessness. "I didn't want to tell you. I wanted you to never know you had a child, as revenge for your infidelity."

Shane suddenly gripped her shoulders. "Is what you're saying true?"

"Why would I lie to you?" She deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing against him. Her lips trembled as she spoke, "I was pregnant with twins back then. Because of Belinda’s amniocentesis, I got an infection. Even if I hadn't been beaten, I would have lost one of the babies. But the other one, I managed to save. Those months I disappeared, it was to give birth."

Shane's heart pounded wildly, disrupting his rhythm, his breath, his very soul.

He wanted to lift his hand, but found he had no strength. His voice came out hoarse and broken, "Where is the child?"

Callie choked back a sob. "Kane took him. He's using our child to force me to marry him."

The shock and joy on Shane's face vanished in an instant.

"What did you say?" His voice turned icy, his expression darkened.

"So let me go. I need to find him..."

Shane wrapped his arm around her waist and flipped her onto the bed, switching their positions in an instant. "I'll have my secretary bring you some clothes. Leave the matter of the child to me."

After saying that, he stood up and was about to leave.

He needed to find the child!

Callie called out to him, "Leif is still young. Don't let him get hurt."

She was worried that Shane, in his haste, might offend Kane and put Leif in danger.

Shane replied, "I know."

With that, he walked out of the room.

He went straight to find Kane, without any plan in mind.

Normally, he would never act this way.

He never did anything without a solid plan.

But this time was different.

Maybe it was because he was too worried.

Or maybe he cared too much to think clearly.

But Kane had returned to Greenfield City.

"We're going there now."

"What?" Henry thought he must have misheard. Why the sudden rush?

Thinking Shane hadn't heard him clearly, he repeated, "Kane is back in Greenfield City. Are we going there now?"

Shane glanced at him, "Yes, immediately."

Henry didn't dare ask more questions and quickly went to make arrangements.

Shane and his team rushed to Greenfield City overnight.

During the journey, Shane had calmed down quite a bit.

Charging in to negotiate with Kane head-on wasn’t likely to succeed.

To make Kane comply, Shane decided to use some rough tactics.

He simply and brutally captured Kane, threw a sack over his head, and gave him a good beating!

Kane cursed angrily, "Who the hell are you? If you’ve got guts, face me one-on-one... Ouch!"

He was kicked in the stomach!

Doubling over in pain, he continued to spit threats, "If you’ve got guts, stop kicking my stomach!"

No sooner had he spoken than he received another kick to the stomach.

Kane was speechless, "..."

What the heck? This is so unfair!

Isn't this going too far?!!

"If you’re a real man, take this sack off my head!" Kane gritted his teeth.

His stomach hurt so much!

Henry said, "I’m not that brave."

Kane was stunned, "..."

Wait, who is this?

That voice...

It’s unmistakably—Henry?

"Henry? Let me go!" Kane yelled furiously, "Are you crazy? I’m telling you, this isn’t over between us."

Shane signaled Henry to remove the sack from him.

Henry understood and quickly pulled off the sack.

Seeing Shane there as well, his face grew even darker.

"Shane, what’s the meaning of this?" he demanded angrily.

"Where's the child?" Shane asked urgently.

Kane was quick to catch on. He immediately realized what Shane was referring to and furrowed his brows. "Where the child is, you should ask your grandfather. Why are you asking me?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Henry stepped forward, ready to kick him, but Shane held him back, his gaze icy as it fixed on Kane. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? What else could I mean? I mean that your grandfather took the child."

Shane frowned. Did the old man know about the child's existence?

A bad feeling crept over him. If the child was still with Kane, it might actually be safer than being with the old man.

Old Master Robinson had always favored the second branch of the family.

If the second family found out...

His heart instantly filled with panic.

Perhaps it was because he cared too much that he couldn't stay calm.

He pulled out his phone, ready to call Old Master Robinson.

"Your grandpa took my mom. He wants to exchange her for the kid. Otherwise, I wouldn't have handed the kid over," Kane explained, trying to sit up. But with his hands and feet tied, he couldn't manage it. He looked at Henry. "Aren't you going to untie me?"

Henry knew the kid wasn't with him, and he felt a bit guilty.

They had beaten him up for nothing!

So, he went over to untie him.

The moment Kane was free, he landed a solid punch on Henry's face!

Caught off guard, Henry was left dizzy, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"Was it you who kicked me earlier? Huh?!" Kane's face twisted with rage. "Do you think I'm easy to bully?"

As he spoke, he threw another punch.

Henry, still reeling from the first punch, couldn't dodge the second one. He winced in pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the floor.

He moved his lips and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand. Instead of fighting back, he looked at Kane and said, "We're even now."

"Call it even? How many times did you kick me just now?" he asked irritably.

His stomach was still aching from the blows.

Henry was so dazed from the fight that he couldn't even remember how many times he had kicked him.

"You think I can't take you on?" Henry retorted, unwilling to let Kane get the upper hand.

If Kane was going to throw punches, Henry would definitely fight back.

Kane didn't continue arguing with him. Instead, he turned his gaze to Shane. "You took Callie, didn't you?" Before Shane could deny it, Kane added, "Don't bother denying it. I know, and I won't fight you for her. I don't have the time right now."

His mother was keeping a close watch on him, and besides, he was too busy to go to Misthaven City.

Shane glanced at him with a cold, indifferent expression. "Henry, let's go."

Even though Shane hadn't said anything, Kane was certain that Callie was with him.

Probably because Shane hadn't bothered to deny it.

Shane and his men had rushed over here, and now they were hurrying back just as quickly.

Even though the two cities were adjacent, the journey back still took quite a bit of time.

Upon returning to Misthaven City, Shane headed straight to the Old Robinson Family Estate.

After traveling non-stop without changing his clothes, his suit was severely wrinkled, but that did nothing to diminish his imposing presence.

"Grandfather."

As he walked in, Old Master Robinson was just about to leave. The old man's anxious expression shifted the moment he saw Shane, and he instinctively avoided Shane's gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

"Shane..."

"Where's the child?" Shane asked.

Old Master Robinson frowned. How did Shane know about the child? Was he bluffing?

"I don't know what you're talking about," he tried to deny it.

It wasn't that he wanted to keep lying.

It was that he had no choice but to keep it hidden.

"Grandfather, hand over the child now," Shane demanded directly.

Old Master Robinson was about to continue his act, but Shane cut him off, "Do I need to call Kane here to confront you?"

Old Master Robinson looked slightly flustered. "H-how did you know?"

"Where's the child?" Shane bluntly ignored his question.

His evasive response made Shane uneasy.

"The child isn't missing, is he?"