Chapter 17

Back in Tate Manor's living room, Hayden sat on the couch, his gaze fixed on Lucy.

"Lucy," he began, "are you sure Dr. C will treat Carly?"

Lucy smirked. Yesterday, Celine and Samson had disappeared together after Celine was drugged. The two had obviously succumbed to temptation, indulging in a night of passion. As long as Samson got what he wanted, he would secure Dr. C's services for Carly. Lucy smiled confidently. "Don't worry. Mr. Stone will bring good news soon."

She perched herself on Hayden's lap. As CEO, Hayden exuded the charm and authority of a mature man. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Lucy purred, "Honey, Dr. C is here because of me. How do you plan to reward me?"

Hayden playfully pinched her nose. "Didn't I already reward you last night?"

Lucy shot him a playful glance before pulling out a bottle of birth control pills. "Honey, I don't want to take these anymore. I want to get pregnant. I want to give you a son."

Hayden's expression darkened. Throughout their marriage, Lucy had been forbidden from having children. She had taken those pills for years. Lucy knew Carly was Hayden's most treasured child, and he would do anything for her—after all, Carly was the daughter of that woman.

Lucy quickly concealed the malice in her eyes. Hugging Hayden, she said sweetly, "Honey, Carly is all grown up now. She'll soon be the future Mrs. Alvarez. Let's have—"

Hayden didn't respond. Before he could speak, footsteps approached. Samson had arrived.

Lucy's eyes lit up, and she immediately stood from Hayden's lap. She knew that if the matter with Dr. C was handled well, she could broach the subject of a son. Smiling brightly, she greeted him. "Mr. Stone, you're here! Was Celine to your satisfaction last night?" Her joy obscured the strange look on Samson's face.

Samson's eyes twitched. "I'm satisfied. Truly."

Lucy clapped her hands together. "Then you can introduce Dr. C to Carly, right?"

Hayden stood, his eyes filled with hope. "Mr. Stone, if Dr. C agrees to treat Carly, I'll make sure you're handsomely rewarded."

Samson turned to Lucy, his tone suddenly cold. "Mrs. Tate, I'm here to deliver a message from Dr. C."

"A message?" Both Hayden and Lucy grew nervous.

Samson said, "Dr. C asked me to tell you to stop wasting your efforts. Carly has already been blacklisted."

"What?" Lucy's face turned pale. "Mr. Stone, you… you must be mistaken!"

Hayden's eyes turned icy as he stared at Lucy. "Lucy, is this what you call 'handling things well'? With Dr. C blacklisting Carly?"

"Honey, I don't know how this happened! Let me explain…"

Lucy grabbed Hayden's sleeve in desperation. But Hayden forcefully shook her off, sending her stumbling backward into the wall.

There was a loud bang as Lucy's forehead hit the wall, leaving a large red mark. She winced in pain, and tears streamed down her face. "Honey…"

Hayden's gaze fell on the bottle of birth control pills on the coffee table. "You're right. You don't need to take these anymore because you'll no longer need them." With that, Hayden turned and strode out of the room.