Chapter 2: The Child’s Blackmail
Her mind raced for a moment before she said calmly, “Book a plane ticket and bring him back immediately.”
“Understood.” Benjamin answered before swiftly leaving the room.
At that moment, young Liam sat in a café across from the towering, imposing Carter Group building in Emberfall, Wirthon. He swung his legs leisurely, his focus entirely on the laptop in front of him, which displayed an intricate array of code. Mr. Valtor, sitting beside him, looked on in admiration.
It was well-known that Carter Group boasted the world’s most secure system, one that ordinary hackers couldn’t breach. But here was Liam, effortlessly bypassing each layer of defense as though it were child’s play. He was just over four years old but already extraordinarily clever!
Ding—the webpage flashed, indicating success. “Yay, done!” Liam cheered, clapping his hands. Mr. Valtor leaned over with a smile. “You’re so fast!”
“Of course! Mommy taught me this system. It can even breach Xenava’s defenses. Carter Group’s defenses might be powerful, but they can’t stop me!” Liam replied proudly. He slid off his chair, picked up his small backpack from the side, and walked away, adding, “Mr. Valtor, wait for my good news. I’m going to find my dad.”
“Go for it! All the best!” Mr. Valtor encouraged. He had complete trust in the boy’s abilities and wasn’t worried.
Liam crossed the street and entered Carter Group’s building. Once inside, he made his way toward the president’s private elevator. It required both a fingerprint and passcode to operate. With a glint of anticipation in his eyes, he approached the software, eager to crack it.
I’ll meet Daddy soon! I wonder if Daddy will be surprised or happy to see me!
With quick fingers, Liam hacked the password and successfully accessed the elevator. He stepped inside, ascending to the top floor.
Nathan had just finished three conference calls in the meeting room on the top floor. He massaged the bridge of his nose, weary. His brows were furrowed, and his expression was anything but pleased. His typically handsome face appeared colder than usual.
His assistant, Ethan Thompson, handed him materials for the next meeting and asked, “Mr. Carter, don’t you want to take a break?” The company had been busy lately, and Nathan, a notorious workaholic, hadn’t shown signs of slowing down. Ethan, working around the clock as Nathan’s right-hand man, barely had time to catch his breath.
Nathan waved his hand dismissively as he took the documents. “No need for a break,” he said coldly. He had back-to-back meetings, including two global conferences later that evening. Rest would have to wait. Ethan was left dumbfounded, unable to argue.
At that moment, the conference room door swung open. Nathan’s secretary, Fiona Agers, rushed in, flustered. “Mr. Carter, there’s a child outside who wants to see you. He says… he’s your son.”
Nathan’s irritation flared instantly. He despised interruptions during work and was even more displeased by Fiona’s anxious entrance. The absurdity of her statement made his face darken.
Ethan was equally stunned. “Ms. Agers, what nonsense are you talking about? Mr. Carter isn’t even married. How could he have a son?”
“I… I…” Fiona trembled with fear, unable to speak.
Just then, a small figure appeared behind Fiona, his bright eyes locking onto Nathan. The child ran over excitedly. “I found you! This is great! Daddy… we finally met!”
Before anyone could react, the little boy pounced on Nathan, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs and grinning from ear to ear.
Nathan stood frozen, staring down at the child clinging to his leg, utterly dumbfounded. He didn’t know how to respond. Ethan’s eyelids twitched. Instinctively, he moved to pull the child away. Nathan wasn’t fond of strangers touching him, after all. But his hand froze mid-air when he saw the child’s face.
The boy had delicate features, soft cheeks, and eyes as bright as the stars. His gaze was animated and lively, but there was also a wisdom far beyond his years. The resemblance to Nathan was unmistakable.
Ethan was both perplexed and astonished. “Mr. Carter, this…?”
Nathan snapped out of his stupor when he heard Ethan’s voice. His brows furrowed, his displeasure evident. “Why are you standing there? Get rid of him! Make his parents come and collect him. Who brought him here? Throw him out at once!”
“Ah… alright!” Ethan replied quickly, though still dazed. His thoughts raced: Mr. Carter wasn’t interested in women, so how could he have a son? He must’ve been out of his mind to think this was Mr. Carter’s child!
Ethan moved forward to lift the boy. “Hey, kid, where’s your family? You can’t be here! Come on, I’ll take you out…”
But the child clung even tighter to Nathan’s pant leg. He shook his head stubbornly. “I’m not leaving. Nathan Carter is my daddy! It hasn’t been easy to find you…”
The boy’s voice held a tinge of grievance as he looked up at Nathan’s cold expression. Then, in a babyish tone, he added, “I’m four years and three months old! I’m your son! I did a DNA test. Take a look if you don’t believe me.”
With that, he let go of Nathan’s leg, reached into his backpack, and swiftly pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Nathan. “Daddy, my name is William Monroe. You can call me Liam.”
Nathan didn’t take the paper. His disbelief and annoyance deepened. The idea of a child just appearing out of nowhere and claiming to be his son was absurd—surely this was a scam.
Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, yet a chill ran down his spine as he glanced at the document in his hand. His gaze flicked to the information—everything matched, including Nathan’s blood type and age. The probability of paternity was 99.9 percent!
