Chapter 185 As Long as You Give Birth to His Child
"Oh? Is that so?" Armando tapped ash from his cigar, his tone still perfectly calm.
"But from what I understand, you and Charles... were quite close. Caroline's drug abuse back then, those hallucinations she had—wasn't it you who arranged for someone to introduce her to Charles in the first place? Now Charles is dead, his skin turned into a gift and delivered right to Caroline's doorstep. So tell me... if Alexander starts digging, who do you think he'll suspect first?"
A few sentences, and he'd ripped open her old secrets. Celeste's spine went ice-cold. Goosebumps prickled across her skin.
How could he know all this? Even the hidden details—how she'd orchestrated Caroline's meeting with Charles?
"I... I really didn't! Mr. Hamilton, you have to believe me!" Panic flooded her voice. Her eyes welled up, tears threatening to spill.
"I admit I was jealous of Caroline. I did things I shouldn't have. But murder? Skinning someone and sending it to Caroline where Alexander would find it? How could I be that stupid?! That's a death sentence!"
"You wouldn't dare. That doesn't mean someone else wouldn't." Armando finally dropped the pretense of warmth. His gaze turned razor-sharp.
"For instance... your mother. Isabella."
Celeste flinched violently. Her pupils contracted.
"No... that's impossible! Why would she do that? She loves me now! She knows it would implicate me! She wouldn't!"
"Loves you?" Armando laughed softly, as if he'd heard the most absurd joke.
"Celeste, wake up. Edith was the daughter Isabella carried for nine months, the one she doted on from birth. She was the legitimate heiress of the Neville family. And you? No matter how good you are, you're still just the bastard child from her affair—the replacement she smuggled back home and kept hidden in the shadows. Whatever affection she shows you, how much of it is guilt? How much is compensation for what she couldn't give Edith? And how much... is just for herself?"
Every word was a blade, slicing through the illusions Celeste had built over the years.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
She thought of Isabella's obsessive love for Edith, the way her mother's warmth toward her could turn cold without warning, the strange way she'd handled Edith's belongings...
A thousand small details flooded back, and she couldn't lie to herself anymore.
"But... why would she kill Charles? Why would she terrorize Caroline?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Why? Maybe revenge for Edith. Maybe to push Caroline over the edge completely. Or maybe... just because Alexander fell in love with Caroline, and she wanted to humiliate him. Could be any of those." Armando shrugged.
"Only Isabella knows the real reason. But here's what matters—right now, all the evidence points to you. Once Alexander starts a serious investigation, how deep do you think he'll dig? Will Isabella protect you? Or will she throw you under the bus to save herself?"
Celeste shattered.
She collapsed back onto the sofa, hands covering her face as tears poured through her fingers.
Would her mother really do this?
For Edith's sake, would she drag her own daughter down?
Or had she always just been a tool in her mother's hands?
Celeste couldn't bear to think about it anymore.
"Right now, I'm the only one who can protect you." Armando's voice cut through her spiral.
"No one else can shield you from Alexander's fury. No one else can guarantee Isabella won't sacrifice you when it's convenient."
Celeste slowly lowered her hands, looking at him through tear-blurred eyes.
Armando saw the doubt flickering there and nodded with satisfaction.
"The Neville Group's existence interferes with our family's interests. I don't like the child Caroline is carrying—it will taint the Hamilton bloodline. And I certainly don't like Alexander defying the family for some insane woman. The Hamilton family needs an obedient heir and a mother who can support him properly."
Celeste's heart pounded violently.
A thought rose in her mind—terrifying and thrilling at once. She didn't dare examine it too closely.
Armando saw the excitement flash in her eyes and knew he'd hooked her. He dangled the bait.
"I've already preserved Alexander's genetic material in secret. If you can successfully carry and deliver a Hamilton heir, you'll be the only mother of the future head of this family. How does that compare to your current life—hiding under a fake name, running scared, too afraid to spend the money you have?"
The future lady of the Hamilton family...
The temptation was overwhelming.
Big enough to crush her fear of Alexander, her doubts about her mother, her hatred of Caroline.
It was a lifeline thrown to someone drowning—a chance to climb from the mud straight to the clouds.
She almost said yes immediately.
But Armando's next words froze her in place.
"However, before that happens, you need to complete a small test. Prove your sincerity and your capability."
Armando locked eyes with her, enunciating each word clearly.
"Before you conceive that child, I want you to kill Caroline."
Kill Caroline?
Celeste's face drained of color instantly.
She'd wanted Caroline dead before—but that was then. Not now.
Her lips trembled. "Kill her? But... Alexander, he..."
Her fear of Alexander ran bone-deep. No amount of temptation could erase it.
Even if she forgot for a moment, it came rushing back.
"Alexander?" Armando's laugh was cold, his eyes vicious.
"He's already been brought back here to recover. He can barely protect himself right now—he's a spent force. You don't need to worry about him. Killing Caroline isn't just my price—it clears your biggest obstacle. Don't you want to watch the woman who stole everything from you disappear? Don't you want to be the only woman in Alexander's world who can give him an heir?"
He saw her hesitation and let impatience creep into his voice.
"This is your only chance, Celeste. Either do what I'm asking and become someone who matters, or leave—and wait for Alexander or your mother to find you. You know what happens then."
The study fell into dead silence.
Celeste's mind raced.
Agree to Armando's terms, or refuse?
Every emotion inside her waged war.
But in the end, her hunger for power and status—her desperate need to escape the trap closing around her—crushed the last whisper of doubt.
She lifted her head and met Armando's gaze.
"I... I'll do it."