Chapter 154: I Want Daddy
"Go away! I want my mommy!" Elias’s face was flushed bright red as he kicked and struggled against Damian.
"Why won't you listen? I'm doing this for your own good. I’m the CEO of Omni. You are my eldest son..."
"Damian!"
A piercing scream cut through his lecture. Evelyn rushed in and shoved the unsuspecting Damian aside. She snatched Elias back into her arms, shielding him with her entire body.
"Mommy!"
Elias buried himself in Evelyn’s soaked embrace, his small hands clutching her collar. His body shook with heavy sobs. "Mommy, I'm scared... I want to go home..."
Damian stumbled back a few steps, hitting the mantelpiece. He steadied himself, but seeing Evelyn’s fiercely protective stance, a flash of hurt crossed his eyes. Then, he gestured toward the room.
"Evelyn, you’re just in time." He pointed at the mountain of toys. "Look, dear. This is the life our son should be living. I am his father. I can give him the best of everything."
Evelyn was shaking with rage, her eyes burning red. "You forged a letter to kidnap him and bring him here. This is what you call the 'best'?"
Damian tried to step forward to hold her. "I want to make it up to you! I want to give us a home! Please, just forgive me. I'm begging you..."
"Don't touch them."
The cold barrel of a gun pressed against Damian’s forehead. Ryan had appeared at Evelyn’s side without a sound. His eyes were dark and lethal as he aimed the weapon steadily at Damian’s brow.
"Ryan Lawrence!" Damian froze, his face turning ashen. "This is trespassing! You wouldn't dare shoot."
"You can test that theory." Ryan’s thumb pulled back the hammer with a sharp click. "Let’s see if my legal team can frame this as justifiable self-defense while rescuing a kidnapped child."
The killing intent in that moment was real. Damian swallowed hard and raised his hands, backing away slowly. Yet his gaze remained glued to Evelyn, filled with a twisted, obsessive longing.
"Evelyn, you’d rather trust this outsider than me? Eight years of history, and it doesn't even compare to..."
"Get him out of here," Ryan ordered coldly.
Several large men immediately swarmed in. They grabbed Damian like a stray dog and dragged him toward the door.
"Let go of me! This is my house! Evelyn, think about it! A child with Green blood will never be left to wander alone!"
Damian’s shouting faded into the distance. Evelyn’s legs gave out, and she sank onto the rug, still clutching her son.
"It’s okay, Elias. Mommy’s here." She kissed his forehead repeatedly, her voice trembling, only to realize his skin was burning hot.
"Ryan..." Evelyn looked up in terror. "He has a fever."
Inside a private suite at Manhattan General Hospital, the IV dripped steadily. Elias had been given medicine and finally fell into a deep sleep, though his face remained flushed and he whimpered in his dreams.
Evelyn sat by the bed, holding his tiny hand as if she feared he might vanish if she let go. Ryan walked in, carrying a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket.
"The doctor said it’s just exhaustion and a chill from the rain. He’ll be fine once the fever breaks." He draped the blanket over Evelyn’s shoulders. "Go change your clothes. Don't let yourself get sick too."
Evelyn shook her head, her eyes never leaving her son’s face.
"Mommy..." Elias suddenly tossed in his sleep, mumbling. "It hurts... don't pull it..."
Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat. She leaned in closer. "Eli? What hurts?"
The boy’s eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in a nightmare. His small hand went to the back of his head. "Bad man... pulled my hair... it hurts..."
Her mind went blank. With a trembling hand, she gently parted the thick curls at the back of his head. There, behind his ear, was a small patch of red, swollen scalp. It had clearly been pulled with force.
Pulling hair. A man like Damian wouldn't do that for no reason. There was only one explanation: a DNA test.
Panic surged through her. If Damian got a DNA report confirming Elias was his son, the Green family would use every legal trick and every ounce of their power to take him away. How could she, a designer with no backing, fight a massive corporate empire?
"He's testing the DNA." Evelyn looked up, her eyes filled with hopeless despair. "Ryan, he took Elias’s hair. Once the report comes out, he’ll know everything. He’ll take Eli away. He’ll definitely..."
Her voice broke into a sob. Her body shook uncontrollably. This child was her only family, the only reason she had survived the last four years.
Ryan set the cocoa down and strode over, pulling the crumbling woman into his arms.
"Look at me, Evelyn." He held the back of her head, forcing her to focus. "Let him test it. In this city, not a single lab will give him a positive report unless I say so."
Evelyn stared at him, dazed. "You mean..."
"I’ll make sure that report is nothing but a piece of scrap paper."
Ryan’s voice rang in her ears. She stayed frozen in his arms, but before she could process the relief, Elias began to convulse on the bed. His jaw was clamped shut, his limbs jerking.
"Elias!" Evelyn screamed. "Doctor! Nurse!" She slammed the call button, tears streaming down her face.
"Daddy... I want Daddy..." Elias cried out through the fever and the seizure.
Evelyn gripped his hot hand, her tears falling onto the sheets. What could she do? "Elias, Mommy’s here, I’ve got you..."
She tried to lift him, but his feverish strength was too much. His thrashing legs kicked her in the stomach. She didn't feel the pain; she only felt the helplessness drowning her.
Then, a pair of strong arms reached past her. Ryan scooped the seizing child into his arms. He used a broad palm to pat Elias’s back in a slow, steady rhythm.
"Shhh... Elias, it's okay."