Chapter 3

It hadn't been easy for Cyrus to get ahold of Amelia. He was so happy that he nearly shed tears of joy. On the other hand, Amelia's first thought was that Cyrus had dialed the wrong number. She didn't know any Mr. Sutton, after all. "I think you've dialed the wrong number. I don't know this Mr. Sutton that you speak of." Cyrus hastily explained the situation before Amelia could hang up on him. He told her that they had picked up the folder that she dropped earlier that morning and wanted to return it to her in person. Only then did Amelia recall that her folder had indeed gone missing that morning. She had even tried to look for it when she realized it was gone. It turned out that Cyrus and Michael had taken it with them. After mulling over her options, Amelia agreed to meet with them. They decided to meet at a cafe that was near the hospital. Since Amelia was nearby, she intentionally arrived at the cafe ten minutes later than the agreed time. She didn't expect Cyrus to already be there. "Are you Ms. Warren?" he asked. Amelia looked the same as her photo on her ID, so Cyrus recognized her with just a single glance. Amelia studied Cyrus, taking in his refined appearance and business suit. At the very least, he didn't look like a bad person. She nodded and said, "That's right. I'm Amelia Warren." "My name is Cyrus Yates. I'm Mr. Sutton's assistant. I spoke with you on the phone earlier. Mr. Sutton is waiting for you inside. Please come with me." Cyrus then tried to lead Amelia deeper into the cafe, shooting her a confused look when he noticed that she didn't follow him. "Is something the matter?" he asked. Amelia was a naturally cautious person. Her wariness heightened, especially when she learned that there was another man. "No need to trouble yourselves. You told me that you picked up something that belonged to me over the phone. Can you just return it to me right now?" Cyrus seemed to be able to pick up on her concern. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Ms. Warren. We're not bad people." He then offered his name card to her that clearly stated that he was the assistant of the CEO of Sutton Group. Amelia wondered if it was the same Sutton Group that she was thinking about. Everyone in Southport knew that Sutton Group was on top of the food chain in the business world. Anyone who was able to secure a job there, especially as the CEO's assistant, was undoubtedly an outstanding individual. It was why Amelia ultimately decided to trust Cyrus and followed him to a private booth. "Mr. Sutton is inside, Ms. Warren. You can go in," Cyrus said as he opened the door for her. Amelia hesitated briefly before stepping inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, she heard the door clicking shut behind her, which caused her to become inexplicably flustered. She was nearly overwhelmed with the urge to turn around and open the door. "Amelia," said a cold and masculine voice from behind her. Amelia was momentarily stunned. She turned her head and saw a tall and broad man standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window a short distance away from her. His back was against the light, so she couldn't get a good look at his features. Despite how his face was cast in shadow, she could tell that he was wearing a cold and stern expression. He was also giving off an aloof air that warned people off from approaching him, striking fear into their hearts. Amelia didn't dare approach him carelessly. She wondered if the man was the Mr. Sutton who Cyrus kept talking about. She didn't think she was acquainted with him. "Excuse me—" Her words died on her tongue when she took a hesitant step forward that allowed her to finally get a good look at the man's face. It was him! The refined and generous man that had lied to her—the biological father of the baby growing inside her. "It's you!" Amelia exclaimed in shock with wide eyes. Michael cast his cold gaze over her before he slowly stepped forward. "That's right. It's me. We meet again, Ms. Warren." Amelia didn't think that there was a need for them to exchange pleasantries. She quickly recovered from her shock, remembering that she was here for the folder she dropped. Other than her ID, the medical reports from the checkups she did earlier that morning were also in the folder. She guessed that Michael had found out about her being pregnant, so his true purpose wasn't to return her belongings to her. "Why did you want to meet me?" Michael didn't answer her question. Instead, he pulled out a chair and said, "Have a seat. Then, we can talk." He gestured for her to do the same. Amelia didn't try to complicate the situation. Since things had already progressed to this point, she might as well make the best of the predicament she was in. She took a seat near the door. It was a little far from where Michael was seated, but he didn't seem to be bothered. "I didn't ask for your opinion before ordering this of my own accord. Try it. Let me know if it suits your tastes," Michael said as he poured a glass of orange juice for her and pushed it in front of her. Amelia thanked him but didn't drink the juice. "Let's cut to the chase." She didn't want to waste her breath speaking about unrelated topics. Michael didn't expect her to be so direct. It seemed that she was an intelligent individual. He enjoyed doing business with smart people since they were much easier to deal with. "I'm sure that you've guessed why I'm here, Ms. Warren." Amelia nodded. "So, what is your opinion on the matter, Ms. Warren?" Michael asked while pinning her with a searching gaze. Amelia assumed that he was testing her, so she decided to be upfront with him. "Don't worry, Mr. Sutton. I'm someone who plays by the rules. Since I've already accepted your money, I won't cause any trouble for you. I'll get an abortion as soon as possible." Michael immediately knew that Amelia was misunderstanding his intentions the moment the words left her lips. However, he didn't explain himself. Instead, he said, "I didn't seek you out because I want you to get rid of the child, Ms. Warren. Actually, I have a proposition for you." Amelia was surprised by his words. "What is it?" she asked while looking at him. Michael locked eyes with her. He didn't speak immediately. He raised his cup of coffee to his lips and took a sip before leisurely saying, "You can keep the child, but I have a few conditions. "You have to cooperate with me for a paternity test. I've done the research. The fetus can undergo a paternity test once it reaches eight weeks. If the test results prove that I'm the father, I'll take responsibility for both you and the baby." Amelia felt like she was being humiliated upon hearing Michael's words. He was the one who tricked her into believing that he was impotent in the first place. She was also at fault for being careless, but if he wasn't convinced that he was impotent, she wouldn't have made such a terrible oversight. She admitted that she was responsible for the accidental pregnancy. But more importantly, what made him think that he had the right to suspect her? A paternity test? Taking responsibility for her and the child? Did she ever once mention that she wanted him to take responsibility? His words made it seem like she had intentionally gotten pregnant and wanted to use the child to climb her way up the societal ladder. Amelia felt assaulted by indescribable humiliation. The uncomfortable sensation surrounded her, making her body go numb. "I think you're misunderstanding something here, Mr. Sutton. I don't need you to take responsibility. If we hadn't coincidentally bumped into each other at the hospital, and if you hadn't coincidentally picked up my medical reports, the two of us would still be complete strangers to one another. "So, why do I have to accept your terms?" Amelia asked while suppressing the anger boiling within her. Michael didn't expect Amelia to turn the situation around and question him instead. He assumed that she would immediately accept whatever terms he brought up the moment he mentioned that she could keep the baby. After all, having his child was something many women could only dream of. He didn't expect her to question him and suggest that she didn't need the child. Did she really have no intention to keep it? Michael narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you saying that you don't want to keep the baby?"