From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

"I'm not protecting her!"

"I'm not protecting her!"

It was rare for Liam to show so much emotion.

Red-faced, he insisted, "When I stopped you... when I stopped Charlotte from going at her, it was all because of grandpa's health..."

"What's your grandpa got to do with Charlotte?" Serena's voice was icy. "Quit looking for excuses for your failings and coldness, Liam. If you'd stood by Charlotte even a bit, she wouldn't have died so horribly." Liam was speechless, his face showing a mix of hurt and helplessness.

Once the bodyguards dragged Chloe away, he uncovered Ethan's ears. The little guy, unaware of the drama, snuggled into his arms, looking around curiously.

Spotting a little boy on the bedroom bed, struggling to catch his breath between sobs, Ethan's eyes sparkled, "Mommy, there's a big brother!"

Serena corrected him sharply, "He's not your brother. You're a Blackwood, he's a Parker."

Ethan, startled by her frosty tone, retreated to her side and quieted down.

Liam hated seeing Ethan scared. "Don't talk to him like that, you're scaring him."

Serena shot him a fierce look. "You're schooling me now?"

Liam moved his lips but ended up just hanging his head in silence.

In the quiet that followed, Serena finally turned her attention to the other child.

He appeared a little older than Ethan, around three or four, well-nurtured, round, and rosy, his cries loud and piercing.

He also looked quite a bit like Liam.

"Is he your kid?" Serena asked, her voice flat.

Liam felt like he was on the defensive.

His emotions about the boy were tangled.

He'd even doubted if the boy was his. They were supposed to verify the DNA early on, but he was out cold with injuries then, and the company was in chaos. Daniel and Henry were maxed out just keeping the business afloat, with no bandwidth for Chloe and her baby.

By the time Liam was back on his feet, the baby was already months old.

He didn't want to see him.

But his grandfather's last wish was for the boy to grow up.

Just to grow up, without any hope that Liam would actually care for him.

So Liam had Chloe and the boy tucked away here, just to fulfill that wish.

"Vincent said Charlotte never once doubted the kid was yours before she died. That's low, Liam. If you were responsible, why didn't you tell her?"

Serena's voice was tight with anger. "If she knew the child was yours, knew about your betrayal, she would never have laid down her life for you!"

"He doesn't carry the Parker name!" Liam's voice was a low growl. "He won't get anything from me, no inheritance, no love, nothing!"

Serena was taken aback for a second, then her face twisted into a sneer.

"You father him, yet you wash your hands of him. Looks like you're just as ruthless with everyone, Liam."

And...

"You really think doing all this will erase your mistakes? Imagine if Charlotte had a kid with someone else and that kid called you 'dad'. You're not his real dad, but he's calling you that. Could you handle it?" Liam's brow creased as he glanced over at Ethan.

Ethan had Charlotte's eyes... and Serena's smile. He couldn't really see Vincent in him at all.

What if...

What if Serena was actually Charlotte?

And Ethan...

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Could he be Liam's own son?

He quickly shook off the thought.

Liam knew Charlotte's medical history too well. She could hardly conceive, and they had only been close once before she vanished.

She couldn't have been pregnant.

And even if she was, there was no way the baby could have survived that car crash.

So, this child... as Liam's eyes landed on Ethan's soft cheeks, a wave of sadness hit him.

Even so, he was ready to accept Ethan.

Only if Serena turned out to be Charlotte, though.

Serena's snort brought him back from his thoughts.

"If Vincent pulled the same stunt you did, I'd break his legs so he'd never chase after women again!"

Liam snapped back to reality, "Charlotte wouldn't have done that."

"That's why she's gone," Serena snapped.

The crying from the bedroom got louder and more desperate, the voice raspier.

Serena was worried he might cry himself out of breath.

"Go and comfort your son," she said, losing her patience with Liam.

But Liam stayed put. He wasn't fond of the child, usually ignored him, and now he was even less inclined to touch him.

"So, the child you kept after dumping your lover - is this the kind of life you're giving him?" Serena's mocking tone cut through the tension.

She was nothing like Charlotte.

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Yet Liam couldn't stand the thought of her leaving.

Liam shrugged off what she was saying, telling himself it was almost like having Charlotte around, even though it was just make-believe.

"I don't really care about this kid, you know. Looking after him is just me trying to fulfill grandpa's dying wish,"

He said as he headed to the bedroom, his voice just loud enough for Serena to catch.

"Calming him down now... it's really about keeping you here a little longer," he added.

Serena was shocked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Serena was shocked, her eyes wide with disbelief. She didn't have time to analyze Liam's comment because her own biting retort came out first, "So you're sweet-talking me because I remind you of Charlotte? That's just sick, Liam. Aren't you embarrassed? When you dream of Charlotte, does it not make you feel guilty, chasing after her look-alike?"

"He never visits my dreams," Liam answered, picking up the crying child with a distant tone. "I'd actually consider it a stroke of luck if she showed up to give me a piece of her mind." Serena was speechless.

The kid, Chloe's little one, was a real crybaby, just as Liam had mentioned. And despite Liam's attempts, the kid kept bawling, showing no sign of calming down.

Liam's patience ran thin within minutes, and he passed the boy off to a bodyguard with instructions to find a nanny.

"Aren't kids supposed to cling to their mothers? Isn't it harsh to tear him away like this?" she questioned.

"He's nearly four. It's about time he learned to be without his mom," Liam replied, carefully wiping his hands clean. "With Chloe's nasty character, she can't raise a good kid." Once his hands were dry, he pulled out a lollipop from a toy-shaped jar, squatted down in front of Ethan, and offered it to him.

"Did Ethan get scared? How about Uncle makes it up to you with some candy?"

His tone was gentle, a complete turnaround from his earlier indifference.

Ethan, however, wasn't buying it. He just scowled and turned away, not even considering taking the candy from Liam.