Chapter 188

Chapter 188
Once they reached the lounge, Emma was still seething.

She looked at Sloane with disgust, her tone full of impatience.

"Didn't Matthew used to be infatuated with you?"

"Evelyn's been dead three years. You've been by his side three years. How did you end up losing to someone who's been back less than a month?"

"Don't tell me he hasn't touched you once in three years?"

"If you'd put in some effort, you'd have had a child by now. Where would Adam fit in?"

Sloane was mortified.

She wanted to, but did Matthew give her the chance?

The one time she'd tried to drug him, that kid at the art gallery had ruined it.

She forced down her grief and spoke through tears. "Aunt Emma, it's not that I didn't want to. Matthew's been obsessed with the dead Evelyn."

Emma looked at her pathetic state with even more disdain.

She'd weathered major storms. She had no patience for Sloane's small-mindedness.

If not for Adam's bullying today, she wouldn't be spending time with Sloane at all.

But... how did Adam know about the Perkins family secret?

She'd only been back a month!

Had Matthew told her everything?

Just thinking this, a thought suddenly struck Emma.

If Marsha could scheme to make her carry a child that wasn't hers, she could use the same method on Matthew!

Looking long-term, if Matthew had an accident someday, having a child of his bloodline would give her leverage.

Short-term, if Matthew survived this, with Adam's strong personality, she probably wouldn't tolerate him having an illegitimate child.

Then, if she stirred things up between them, they'd definitely turn against each other!

Without Adam's support, dealing with Matthew would be much easier.

Once the idea took root, it spread like wildfire, unstoppable.

Emma stood and sat across from Sloane, speaking bluntly. "Do you want Matthew's child?"

Sloane froze, her heartbeat skipping.

"Of course I do. But... I can't get near him."

"Don't worry about that. I have my ways."

"You mean... fake it?" Sloane asked hesitantly.

"No need. I don't stoop to such crude methods." Emma laughed coldly.

"When Matthew was poisoned and in emergency care, as a precaution, Marsha and I had doctors extract his sperm. It's been preserved in cryogenic storage."

"With today's medical technology, getting you pregnant with his child isn't difficult."

Sloane lowered her eyes, silent.

Not hearing a response, Emma added enticingly, "Of course, if you're unwilling, I won't force you. Just pretend you never heard this."

"I'm willing!" Sloane's head shot up, her voice cracking.

But immediately, worry clouded her face. "I'm worried that if Matthew finds out, he'll come after me."

"After all... Evelyn's child—he personally ordered it terminated."

"We'll just be discreet." Emma's tone was casual.

"I'll arrange for you to go to the hospital for tests shortly. If there's no problem, we can do the procedure this week."

Emma felt excited just thinking about it.

Since Matthew took power, she'd clashed with him several times, always coming up short.

If she could get Sloane pregnant with Matthew's child this time... she'd gain far more than just a little ground.

As for Sloane? Just a surrogate tool!

She'd never use this woman's inferior eggs.

Emma leisurely sipped her tea, the wrinkles at her eyes smoothing out.

Sloane also lifted her teacup, eyes downcast to hide her inner ecstasy.

As Emma said, she'd tried everything these three years but never gotten close to Matthew.

Not only did he always stay in that apartment, never letting her in, but even on business trips, bodyguards constantly guarded his door.

Recently, she'd finally had a chance to dine alone with him and tried drugging him to forcibly conceive a child.

But that Chloe had interrupted!

Emma didn't know that days ago, Sloane had secretly learned from an informant about Emma preserving Matthew's sperm.

She'd been thinking about how to bring up the topic without arousing suspicion.

She never dreamed Emma would propose it herself!

Talk about perfect timing.

The two women sat in the lounge, quietly drinking tea.

They appeared harmonious, united by common interests, but each harbored ulterior motives, trusting no one.



At the emergency room, surgery continued into the night.

Evelyn remained outside the entire time.

Time crawled by, each second stepping on her heart. Her complexion visibly worsened.

Finally, the operating room doors opened.

Matthew was wheeled out and sent to the ICU.

The attending physician removed his mask, his face showing post-crisis exhaustion.

"It was extremely dangerous. The bullet missed the main ventricle by less than a millimeter!"

"The patient also has obvious head trauma from impact. There may be complications during recovery."

"Tonight's observation period is critical. Family must stay alert. If the patient makes it through tonight, he'll have passed the hardest hurdle."

Evelyn stood outside the ICU's glass window, looking at the man covered in tubes.

His face was white as paper, lips bloodless, the respirator tube covering half his face.

He was so quiet—unlike himself.

That Matthew who was always domineering, forceful, holding her so tight she couldn't breathe—now lay quiet as porcelain that could shatter any moment.

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but only one was crystal clear.

"Matthew has to wake up."

She just needed him alive.

Alive—that was most important.

Everything else—disability, amnesia, personality changes—none of it mattered.

Through the cold glass, her lips moved silently:

"Matthew, you have to survive. You promised me you'd be my children's father."

"Miss Gray, Mrs. Gray has arrived at the hospital." A bodyguard's voice came from behind.

Evelyn didn't turn around, her gaze still fixed on the glass. "Did Chloe and Caleb come?"

"Chloe didn't come. Caleb came with her. Mrs. Gray and Caleb are waiting for you in the lounge downstairs."

Evelyn nodded, saying she'd be down shortly.

She turned to the ICU nurse. "Please, I left my number. If he wakes up, you must call me."

"Please tell him I'm downstairs and will be back soon."

The nurse nodded, watching her leave.

After she disappeared around the corner, the nurse whispered to another nearby. "Did you see today's trending topic?"

The other nurse nodded, her gaze following Evelyn's retreating figure, sighing.

In the lounge downstairs, the lighting was warm and quiet.

Evelyn pushed open the door to see Caleb sitting properly on the sofa.

His little face was tense, eyes slightly red, but he wasn't crying.

Seeing his mother with bandages and pale complexion, his mouth turned down, but he quickly forced himself to press his lips together.

He didn't want to distract his mother with worry about him.

Susan stood up, eyes also red, examining Evelyn repeatedly as if trying to see every injury she'd suffered.

"Mommy." Caleb jumped down from the sofa, looking up at her, his voice slightly hoarse. "It must... hurt a lot, doesn't it?"