Chapter 822
The revelation about the child came out of nowhere-Elodie hadn’t seen it coming at all.
Just the thought that her child, the one she’d never even met, might be in danger sent a stabbing pain through her chest. That was her only child-the one and only in her entire life. Her precious treasure, the miracle she’d carried in her heart for so long. She couldn’t tolerate even the slightest threat.
Watts knew exactly how to strike where it would hurt most. He’d gone straight for her weakest point, without mercy.
He could see her wavering, see the way her composure crumbled at the mention of the child. The way she cared so fiercely for Jarrod had always bothered him-it reflected a loyalty that wasn’t his to claim, and that stoked something dark and unpleasant inside of him.
He hated women whose hearts were occupied with someone else.
But Elodie… Elodie, he could make an exception for her. Right now, whatever instincts or obsessions he had about her outweighed his distaste for sharing a woman’s affections.
Watts stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles on his shirt left by Elodie’s desperate grip. “Good. I’m glad you’ve come around. We leave tomorrow at the latest. Pack what you need,” he said, his voice cool and businesslike. Then he turned and walked out, leaving her staring at the window, her back rigid.
Elodie didn’t look after him. Her head felt like it was splitting open from the pressure-too many things weighing on her mind at once. She had no idea if Jarrod was even alive, let alone safe. She’d never intended to just sit here and wait for the worst, but now Watts was holding her child over her head like a threat.
She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. All she could do was pray, over and over, that Jarrod would make it through this unharmed. After everything they’d been through, after all their struggles, it couldn’t just end like this.
Her mind whirled. After a long time, she finally took out the phone she’d hidden away and tried again and again to find a signal.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. Elodie quickly shoved the phone under her pillow.
It was already midday.
A housekeeper brought in her lunch-a plate of bland soup and bread. Elodie
didn’t even glance at it. She couldn’t eat, and she didn’t have the energy to say a single word.
The housekeeper, whose English was decent, spoke softly: “Mr. Aldridge says you can come out for some fresh air, if you’d like.”
Elodie didn’t respond. The housekeeper left the tray and quietly exited.
Rubbing her aching temples, Elodie realized Watts must already be making arrangements for the flight. She needed to find a way-any way to get out from under his control.
She thought it over for a moment, then got up and walked to the door.
It was unlocked, just as she’d guessed.
A cold, humorless smile flickered in her eyes. Clearly, Watts thought that by threatening her with the child, he had her completely under his thumb-there was no need to keep her locked up.
Elodie stepped out into the hallway, not noticing that as soon as she left, her
hidden phone vibrated twice beneath the pillow.
Upstairs, Watts had spent the morning reviewing contracts. Whether or not there was news about Jarrod tomorrow, he intended to get Elodie out of here first. There was a gap in what they each knew-an advantage he planned to keep.
Elodie had no idea if Jarrod was alive, which kept her cautious, calculating every move. With no miracle-worker swooping in to save her, and now with her own child as leverage, she was left with no hope of rescue. sŵnovel
Jarrod, on the other hand, was no doubt scrambling to juggle a thousand emergencies trying to protect both Elodie and the child, desperate to save them both.
But in the end, it would all come to nothing.
Watts was just about to head downstairs to check if Elodie had eaten when his phone rang, sharp and insistent.
He glanced at the caller ID-it was his man in New York, the one he’d sent to take care of the situation with the child.
He answered with little more than a grunt, but the voice on the other end was tense. “Mr. Aldridge, we’ve got a problem.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve searched everywhere-the agency doesn’t have Jarrod’s kidz
There are only two embryos here,
both belonging to wealthy clients from New York and Canada. There’s no trace of any Asian child.
Watts stopped dead in his tracks, his expression turning cold. “Are you sure?
You’ve been there for days-how could you not find the kid?”
“The agency has layers of security, sir. It took time to get inside, but I’m positive- Jarrod’s child isn’t here.”
Watts’s face darkened. “That child needs the agency’s medical tech to survive. They can’t be moved. Are you telling me the kid isn’t even there?”