Chapter_6
Chapter 6
“Shh, quiet down, Auntie,” Alana hissed, hastily covering Alondra’s mouth with her hand.
“What’s so surprising about that?” Alondra replied, pushing Alana’s hand away and continuing, “The child you had for the Ryker family is already four years old. If Abel finds out that you’re still… inexperienced on your wedding night, we could be in serious trouble!”
“That’s not the case anymore,” Alana replied, visibly more relaxed. She was no longer trying to put on an act. “I wouldn’t take advantage of Cristopher without compensating him fairly.”
“Then hurry up and call him,” urged Alondra. “If you have to, spend some time with him again. You can figure out how to manage the situation once you’re an official member of the Ryker family.”
Meanwhile, Emmeline had woken up the next day and started scrolling through the messages from her children.
Sun had written: “Abel has another son, mommy!”
Moon followed with: “His name is Timothy and he’s the same age as us!”
Star added: “I heard that Alana is his mommy!”
Emmeline stared at her phone, a surprised emoji on her face. Abel had a child with Alana? She thought about it for a moment—why was she chasing after that man? If she wanted to forget about Abel, now would be the perfect time to let go. But deep down, Emmeline couldn’t deny that she wanted to know the truth. She needed to confirm if the children she’d had were truly his.
If Abel was the biological father, perhaps his blood could save her child.
Emmeline quickly got out of bed, determined to perform a DNA test. She already had a strand of her son’s hair, and now she just needed a strand from Abel. She had taken a strand from him earlier, but unfortunately, she had washed her jeans the night before, and it was now gone.
Frustrated, Emmeline rushed to the balcony and checked her jeans’ pockets, but they were empty.
“No!” she exclaimed, cursing herself for being so careless. She had worked so hard to get that hair, only to lose it in such a foolish way.
Determined not to give up, Emmeline grabbed her phone and called someone. “Find out where Abel is right now.”
A short time later, the phone rang again. “He just arrived at the Ryker Group building and is in a meeting,” came the reply.
“Thanks,” Emmeline said, hanging up. Just as she was about to leave, a voice on the other end reminded her, “Don’t forget your promise, boss. You said you’d stage your appearance today.”
“I’ll see how things go,” Emmeline responded, then called a cab.
Forty minutes later, Emmeline arrived at the 89-floor Ryker Group building.
~
Abel was sitting in his CEO office after a meeting when his secretary came in with a report. “Ms. Alana is here with some homemade refreshments.”
Abel sighed deeply. “Let her in.”
The door opened, and Alana stepped in, holding a box of desserts.
“Abel.”
The secretary quickly left and closed the door behind her.
As Abel’s fiancée, Alana was considered a future boss of the Ryker Group, so everyone was eager to stay on her good side.
Abel, however, scowled. “Don’t get too comfortable with me. I don’t even know you that well.”
Alana, looking a little uncomfortable, forced a smile and raised the box. “Try them, I made them myself.”
“I didn’t let you in for the desserts,” Abel said coldly. “Who gave you the authority to remove those three children from their kindergarten using the Ryker name?”
Alana gasped. Had Abel found out what she did? Of course, he had. The three children weren’t at school that morning, which could only mean one thing.
“Abe… I mean, Mr. Abel,” Alana stammered, trying to salvage the situation. “They offended Madame Ryker, so I thought I should stand up for the Ryker family.”
“Who are you to interfere in family matters?” Abel said sharply. “Don’t do it again.”
Alana’s face turned pale at the mention of Madame Ryker. The last person she dared to offend was Madame Ryker, who had been the one to convince Abel to marry Alana in the first place.
“Then…” Alana replied nervously. “I’ll go apologize to Madame Ryker right away.”
Just as Alana stepped out of the elevator, she collided with Emmeline, who was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Despite her casual appearance, Emmeline had a captivating presence that made her stand out, and Alana couldn’t help but wonder why Emmeline had such confidence.
Alana instinctively knew why Emmeline was there—and there was no way she would let her meet Abel.
“Security!” Alana shouted. “Throw this woman out at once!”
Several guards rushed toward Emmeline with rubber clubs in hand. But before one could grab her, Emmeline skillfully dodged them and sent one guard sprawling to the floor with a loud thud.
“I’m here to see Abel!” Emmeline growled, glaring at the remaining security. “So, move aside!”
Alana, now furious, stood her ground. “Why are you here? Are you trying to seduce my fiancé right in front of me?”
Emmeline sneered, unimpressed. “I don’t care about that. I just want to find out if Abel is the father of my children.”
Alana was about to retaliate when she noticed the elevator doors to Abel’s office opening. Quickly composing herself, she spoke in a calm voice. “Are you blaming my fiancé for what happened five years ago at the Grand Struyria Hotel, cousin? I saw Adrien go into your room that night. Did you not find him worthy of your affections?”
Emmeline froze. “You saw Adrien?”
“Yes,” Alana continued. “It was five years ago, on a rainy autumn night. You ran away from home, and I went looking for you. I saw you at the hotel…”
Emmeline’s mind raced. Could it be… that the man she thought was Abel wasn’t him after all?
“What else do you have to say?” a cold voice interrupted from behind. Abel had arrived.
Emmeline turned to face him. “What about the strand of hair you gave me?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Alana replied with a smile. “Maybe Adrien took Abel’s bank card.”
Emmeline was stunned. She didn’t care who would be the next Ryker heir, but she knew Adrien’s reputation as a playboy, and the thought of him being the father of her children was unbearable.
But one thing was clear: she had to find out who was the father of her children. Hesperus’s life depended on it.
Hesperus had been diagnosed with a blood disorder at one, and despite two years of treatment, Emmeline needed to confirm the father’s identity for a potential blood transfusion.
Emmeline’s phone suddenly rang, breaking her thoughts. She answered the call in frustration. “I’m busy. Handle it!”
Before the caller could respond, Emmeline hung up.
At that moment, Abel’s phone began to ring. He answered it with a frown. “What is it?”
“Mr. Abel, the doctor has refused to treat Chairman Ryker,” came the voice on the other end.
“What? Why?” Abel asked, his face growing serious.
“We tried, but the doctor hung up and turned off his phone.”
Abel’s tone became sharp. “I don’t care what it takes! Offer him 50 million if you have to! Get me the Wonder Doctor! This is the only chance for Old Mr. Ryker to survive!”
“50 million?” came the panicked response. “Understood, Mr. Abel. We’ll get it done.”
By the time Abel hung up, Emmeline was already gone.
