Chapter 281 Give me Another Child

Chapter 281 Give me Another Child
Luke's POV

My heart was racing as I pushed the car to its limits, weaving through traffic like a madman.
I screeched to a halt outside a secluded villa in the suburbs, my mind filled with terrifying scenarios of what might be happening to Amelia. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I stormed through the unlocked front door, prepared for anything.
Almost anything.
My eyes immediately locked onto Catherine, lounging on a leather sofa like this was some casual social visit. A cigarette dangled between her fingers, smoke curling around her face in a calculated display of nonchalance. Four hulking bodyguards were positioned around the room, their suit jackets not quite concealing the outlines of their weapons.

Then I saw her. My Amelia was standing rigid, hands bound behind her back, a gun pressed against her temple. Her face was pale, eyes wide with fear. I felt sick to my stomach. I had failed to protect her.
"Luke!" she called out, only to be shoved roughly by the guard behind her.
Rage exploded inside me. I wanted to kill Catherine and every one of her bodyguards with my bare hands. My whole body tensed, ready to lunge forward despite the guns.
"Catherine, what the hell do you want?" My voice was barely controlled, shaking with fury. "You don't need money. Name your price—anything—just let her go."
"Catherine, what the hell do you want?" My voice was barely controlled, shaking with fury. "You don't need money. Name your price—anything—just let her go."
Catherine tapped her cigarette against an ashtray, deliberately taking her time. She stood and walked toward me with calculated steps. The triumphant gleam in her eyes made my skin crawl.
"I want you, Luke," she said, her voice silk over steel. "I want you to give me another child."
I stepped back, confusion momentarily overriding my anger. "What are you talking about? 'Another' child? We've never had a relationship. I rejected you five years ago, explicitly!"
Catherine's laugh was sharp and mocking as smoke escaped from her lips. "Is this act really necessary? That night at the hotel—yes, I drugged you, and that was wrong. But you just left the next morning without a word. What kind of man does that?" Her eyes narrowed. "I got pregnant that night. Now that child is sick and needs cord blood. You need to help me conceive another child."
She crushed out her cigarette and stepped closer, her fingers suddenly brushing against my cheek. I fought the urge to recoil in disgust as she whispered, "I wouldn't mind sleeping with you again. The first time was... memorable."
I stood frozen, blood draining from my face. My mind raced frantically, trying to process her words. This couldn't be real. There must be some mistake. I couldn't have a child I didn't know about—especially not with Catherine.
My eyes sought Amelia's, finding tears streaming silently down her face. Despite everything happening to her—being kidnapped, threatened at gunpoint—her concern wasn't for herself.
"Do what she asks, Luke," Amelia's voice trembled but held steady. "If what she's saying is true, you need to save that child. It's your flesh and blood." The pain and understanding in her eyes twisted like a knife in my chest.
The room seemed to tilt beneath my feet. I took a deep breath, fighting for control. "I need to confirm the child is mine first. I want medical proof." My voice came out stronger than I felt, but my shaking hands betrayed me.
Catherine's smile was that of a chess player who'd just heard "checkmate." "A wise decision," she said, snapping her fingers. The guard lowered his gun from Amelia's head, but kept a firm grip on her arm. "We'll leave right away."
I locked eyes with Amelia, trying to convey everything I couldn't say aloud. I would fix this. I would get her to safety. And if there truly was a child out there who needed my help, I would face that reality too.
I followed Catherine through the hospital. Catherine's men showed me the live feed on their phones - Amelia was still being held captive, unharmed but terrified. Two armed guards walked behind me – a constant reminder that one wrong move could cost Amelia her life.
"Come meet your daughter," Catherine said, her voice softening in a way I'd never heard before.
We entered a VIP room where a small girl lay in bed. Despite her pallor, her eyes were bright and alert. She couldn't have been more than five.
The transformation in Catherine was immediate. The cold, calculating woman who had held my wife at gunpoint melted away. Her face softened, her voice gentle as she approached the bed.
"Sweetheart, don't worry," she murmured, stroking the girl's hair. "Mommy found someone who can help you get better. Everything's going to be okay now."
I turned away, unable to watch. All I could think about was Amelia, trapped and afraid.
A doctor approached with forms. "We've expedited the paternity test as requested. Results should be available within the hour."
That hour was the longest of my life. I paced the waiting area, checking my watch every few minutes.
When the doctor finally returned, his expression told me everything before he spoke.
"Mr. Carter, there is a 0% chance that you are this child's biological father."
Catherine's face crumpled. She covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. "That's impossible! I remember that night clearly... How can this be?"
Relief flooded through me. I felt my shoulders drop, tension draining away. "Catherine, tell me exactly what happened that night. If you're honest with me, maybe I can help find the real father. Then you'll release Amelia."
Between sobs, Catherine revealed the plot. How she and Matthew had planned to drug me at the hotel bar five years ago. How she'd intended to seduce me in my compromised state to secure her position through pregnancy.
I studied her face carefully. "Did it ever occur to you that Matthew might have lied? That he might have drugged you too? He resembles me enough that in your altered state, you might have confused us."
The shock on her face told me she'd never considered this.
"We need to see Matthew right now," I said firmly, once I'd recovered from the shock of the DNA test results.
"Fine," Catherine replied, her voice still shaking.
We headed directly to the prison. Matthew sat across from us behind glass, smirking despite his orange jumpsuit.
His confession came easily, almost proudly.
"Yeah, I took the money to help set up Luke. But when I saw Catherine in that tight dress, I couldn't resist. I slipped something in her drink, and once she was out of it, I was the one who spent the night with her." His eyes gleamed. "Afterward, I had my guys find some passed-out woman to put in your room. You were too drugged to remember anyway. Didn't bother with protection either—thought having a bastard might be fun."
His laughter made my stomach turn.
Catherine lunged forward, slapping him hard across the face.
She turned to me, her voice ice cold. "I've found the father. I'll arrange IVF immediately and select embryos that can save my daughter. Once she's recovered, you can do whatever you want with me—arrest me, kill me, I don't care."
I barely heard her. My mind was racing with a possibility that made my heart pound. If Matthew had his men find "some passed-out woman" to place in my room that night... could that woman have been Amelia? The timing would match perfectly with when Lucas was conceived.
I stood frozen, shock and hope colliding inside me. If I was right, if Amelia was that woman, then Lucas—the boy I'd grown to love as my own—might actually be my biological son.