Chapter 4: Carry My Child
Richard turned to Caroline. “You’ll give us your full cooperation, won’t you?”
Do I have a choice? No. I gave up my rights when I was brought into this family, at the price of five billion dollars. Moreover… Caroline could see that Marilyn and Andrew were not to be underestimated. They would surely target her regularly. She needed leverage to secure her place in the Ellison family. She was alone, and her own family couldn’t be relied upon. Once David died, she would be looked down upon by the Ellison family.
Caroline wasn’t after their wealth. She had just crawled out of her own family’s pit, and the last thing she needed was to get involved in the Ellison family’s power struggles. Having a child would be her best form of support.
Caroline made up her mind. “I understand, Mr. Richard,” she responded. “I hope I can get pregnant soon.”
Richard gave her a satisfied nod.
That night, Caroline sat on the edge of the bed, propping her chin up as she stared at David.
“I thought only adopted daughters like me—who have no blood ties—would have such a hard life at home,” she sighed, then continued, “But I didn’t expect that a legitimate son like you would be in an even worse position. Your life is hanging by a thread because of someone’s scheme… It’s so obvious your stepmother and stepbrother want you dead—they didn’t even try to hide it. Your grandfather is the only one who still cares about you; he hopes you’ll leave an heir behind.”
Caroline paused for a moment before adding, “I just wish you’d wake up, so you can take down everyone who’s scheming against you. You’ll take control of the Ellison family and seize your rightful place as its new leader.”
David’s background was an open secret in Dunwich. He was the eldest son in his family, but his birth mother was just an ordinary woman with no background. The Ellison family had never approved of their marriage and never allowed her into the family. In fact, if he hadn’t been a boy, his family might have rejected him entirely. The actual power over the Ellison Group, the family’s business, lay completely in Richard’s hands. Recently, he had been considering who to choose as his successor. As a result, the power struggles within the family had grown even more intense.
Though David was born to a lower status than Andrew, his abilities and vision were exceptional. Everyone had placed their bets on him, but no one had expected him to be poisoned, fall into a coma, and be declared brain dead. It was clear who had done it, but no one would snitch, and there was no evidence.
Caroline reached out to check David’s breathing—it was faint and weak. She stood up, preparing to get a towel to wipe his body, but as she took a few steps, Andrew suddenly appeared at the door. He stepped inside and locked it behind him.
“What are you doing here?” Caroline asked cautiously.
“I’m here to get you pregnant,” Andrew said, his smile malicious as he looked her up and down. “Instead of going through all the trouble of IVF and egg retrieval, why not just be with me? What do you say?”
“You’re crazy! I’m your sister-in-law!”
“So, I’m sleeping with my sister-in-law,” Andrew said, rubbing his hands together. He had a wicked grin on his face as he continued, “If you carry my child, we’ll just say it’s David’s. No one will know, and after all, it’s still our family’s bloodline.”
Andrew absolutely could not allow Caroline to conceive David’s child. That would create a potential heir and a future threat to him. His brother had always been smarter than him. Andrew had spent years living in his shadow. Now that David was about to die, there was no way he would let her carry his child. The family business would be his soon.
Andrew let out a sinister laugh as he lunged at Caroline. He grabbed her from behind and began tearing at her clothes.
“Let go of me… You psycho!” Caroline struggled desperately. “Don’t touch me, you animal!”
But she was no match for Andrew’s strength. Her shoulder was exposed, her clothes in disarray, and she was pinned to the bed. Andrew pressed his lips all over her back and neck, making her feel sick.
Caroline’s heart filled with despair. Who will save me?
Just as she was about to lose all hope, a cold, hoarse voice rang out.
“Let her go!”
