Chapter 274: Who Is the Father of Anna’s Child?

I walked up to Carter’s site, and only then did I notice Silas lying on the ground at my feet, covered in blood, with untreated wounds. Earlier, I had been cautious, but now I openly observed him. His injuries were worse than when we’d seen him at the venue. It seemed likely that, after the police left, someone dragged him into a hidden corner and beat him mercilessly. Silas was barely clinging to life, lying motionless, appearing already dead.

Feigning shock, I exclaimed, “Oh my God, is he dead? He’s covered in blood; it’s terrifying!”

“No, he’s still alive, barely,” Fiona replied lazily, fiddling with her newly manicured nails. “How can we let him lie there? What if he dies? We need to get a doctor to check him!”

I wouldn’t allow him to die so easily. He owed me, and hadn’t paid back a single bit.

Fiona glanced at me and said, “Mrs. Bolton, you’re too kind. Do you think we should keep her lover alive? Shouldn’t we get rid of him?”

“Mrs. Hudson, let’s stick to the facts. Even though he and Ms. Sander did something terrible, he’s still a human being. Carter, get someone to check on him. We can’t have him die here.”

“Okay.” Damian had two bodyguards drag Silas away. I clearly saw Anna sighing in relief. She didn’t actually think I was going to help Silas, did she?

At the Bolton Hospital, under the pretense of treating him, Silas would fall right into our hands. Surely we could pry some information out of him about that mysterious organization. Meanwhile, I’d gain a reputation for kindness—why not? If we had attacked Silas under normal circumstances, even if we managed to capture him, it would have been too risky and could have alerted our enemies. But this was the perfect opportunity.

Fiona gestured for the door to be closed. She declared, “Alright, there are no outsiders here today. With the Boltons here, too, Mr. Carter, tell us—how do you plan to handle this situation? Our family has been humiliated, and we were played. What do you plan to do about it?”

Josh, still sporting a black eye, looked uncomfortable. Fiona said, “The whole situation is definitely on us. I don’t know how Anna ended up involved with that damn servant, but this marriage—don’t blame us entirely. It was your idea to arrange the marriage to cover things up. We had already agreed we weren’t getting married. Now, you’re trying to put all the blame on my family. That’s not right.”

Bang!

Anthony slammed his hand on the table and barked, “You still have the nerve to speak! You raised such a shameless daughter who ruined our family’s reputation! This isn’t over!”

Josh didn’t back down. At this point, as a businessman, he knew the Hudsons would want hefty compensation. He wasn’t stupid. And he knew that after this, there would be no further dealings with the Hudsons. Why should he give them anything?

“Mr. Hudson, don’t forget you’ve always said this was just a staged affair. You never even had my daughter sign a marriage certificate. Now you’re acting like it’s real? Fine, we’ll return the wedding gift you gave us, and we’ll call it even.”

“Call it even? Now I see the reason for your daughter’s actions. Like father, like daughter. With a father like you, it’s no wonder she turned out this way.”

“Mr. Hudson, what my daughter does is one thing, but what about your son? Think your son is any better?” Josh tossed a pile of photos of Ashley partying in nightclubs. “He’s always with different women, having lots of fun, and living the high life. They’re not really married, but you still expect my daughter to remain faithful to him? It’s ridiculous.”

“Y—You’re shameless!”

“Same to you. Who is clean here? At least my daughter only has one affair. Your son is involved with numerous women; the only difference is that they haven’t come to light yet. If you think that’s unfair, I can arrange for that to change.”

“You dare to threaten me?” Anthony’s rage was palpable.

“I’m not threatening you, just negotiating. By tonight, I return the wedding gift you gave, and that’s all.”

Fiona pointed at him and scolded, “You Sanders are nothing but a bunch of thieves; no wonder your children ended up dead. Your family deserves to have such rotten luck!”

The Hudsons left, but Josh’s expression was dark. They had just rubbed salt into his wounds. The worst part was that everything they said was true, and he couldn’t deny it.

Only the Sanders and Boltons remained in the room. Luke had been quiet this whole time, not saying a word. Josh looked uncomfortable. The Hudsons have no class. At least we dodged a bullet by not marrying Anna into their family. No one paid him any attention.

Luke walked slowly toward Anna, his face dark. He loomed over her and asked sharply, “Who is the father of the child in your womb?”

Anna, tear-streaked, no longer looked pitiful. Her face was swollen, and it was hard to look at. “Luke, even you doubt me? I was set up by Sadie. There’s nothing between me and that servant.”

Luke demanded, “Enough with that crap. I don’t care about what happened with other men. I just want to know—whose child is it?”

“Luke, of course it’s yours. That night, we…”

“You know exactly how my daughter feels about you, Luke. You grew up together. How could you doubt her?” Josh interjected quickly.

Carter sneered coldly and said, “The video was clear for everyone to see. Your daughter kissed him first. What’s there to argue about?”

“Well, we’ll know if it’s a Bolton’s when it’s born,” Josh said.

“No need to make it complicated,” Luke added. “Let’s do an amniocentesis. We’ll test the DNA, and it’ll be clear who the father is!”

Josh quickly protested, “Luke, look at her condition. Do you really want her to go through an amniocentesis? After all these years together, can’t you wait a few more months? What if it harms the baby? Doctors don’t recommend amniocentesis unless absolutely necessary!”

Luke showed no mercy. “That’s your concern, not mine. Uncle Carter, what do you think?”

Carter glanced at Anna and said, “Damian, find a reliable doctor and bring them here to check her out. If everything checks out, we’ll do the amniocentesis as soon as possible.”

“Understood, Mr. Carter.”

Soon, a doctor arrived, accompanied by bodyguards, and conducted a thorough examination of Anna. Luke was visibly anxious. “Doctor, is it certain? Can we do the test?”

The doctor removed his mask and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Luke. Ms. Sander’s health is suitable for an amniocentesis. We can do it tomorrow.”

It was a quick arrangement, but Luke was still unhappy. “I can’t wait until tomorrow. Get it done today, right now!”

“Understood. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Anna wept silently and asked, “Luke, do you really not trust me?”

Luke gripped her chin, speaking coldly. “I want to see for myself whose bastard child you’re carrying!”