Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 176

Audrey's POV:

I knelt beside Caspar, my heart breaking at the sight of Noah curled up in the corner, tears streaming down his little face.

His silent withdrawal was worse than any tantrum could be.

Caspar reached out, his hand hovering uncertainly near Noah's shoulder.

"Noah," he said, his voice gentler than I'd ever heard it. "Is this about Amelia? Did you think she was your mother?"

Something flickered in Noah's eyes. But just as quickly, it vanished.

He pulled his knees tighter against his chest, his small fingers gripping his pajama pants so tightly his knuckles turned white.

That small gesture betrayed what his silence tried to hide.

I suddenly remembered how Noah had boldly contradicted Amelia when she claimed to be his mother.

At the time, I'd been relieved by his immediate rejection, thinking he hadn't believed her at all.

But now, watching his trembling hands and averted eyes, I realized he'd simply been hiding his confusion and hurt.

Then Caspar did something that surprised me.

He sat down fully on the floor, crossing his legs like a schoolboy, making himself smaller.

"I need to tell you something important," he said to Noah. "Amelia is not your mother. She's not."

Noah's head snapped up, his eyes wide and glistening with tears.

"You're lying," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I have already heard."

I took a deep breath and moved closer to Noah.

"Noah," I said softly, "Then do you want Amelia to be your mother?"

His eyes met mine, wide and vulnerable.

Then, with a sudden burst of emotion, he shook his head violently. "No!"

"I don't want *her*," he said, his voice gaining strength as tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

"I only want *you*." He looked directly at me, his eyes pleading. "*You're* my mom. Just you."

I felt something crack open inside my chest. I opened my arms, and Noah launched himself into them.

I held him close, feeling his small body shake with sobs against mine.

"It's okay," I whispered, stroking his hair. "I'm right here."

Noah pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes still swimming with tears.

"Is it true?" he asked between hiccupping sobs. "Amelia's really not my mom?"

"It's absolutely true," I assured him, gently wiping a tear from his cheek.

"Your dad had a special test done secretly to make sure. Amelia lied to you, sweetheart."

Relief washed over his little face.

He turned to look at Caspar.

"Dad," Noah said, his voice small but suddenly clear.

"I don't want to find another mom." His arms tightened around my neck as he added, "I only want Audrey."

The naked honesty in his voice made my heart swell.

I had never expected this level of attachment from Noah—that he would choose me so decisively, so completely, even over someone claiming to be his biological mother.

Over Noah's head, I caught Caspar's gaze—the tenderness there made my breath catch.

"Then Audrey it is," Caspar said with a gentle smile. "And guess what? She's agreed to marry me. When we get married, she'll be your only mom. Forever."

Noah's eyes widened, a cautious joy beginning to replace the fear that had been there moments before.

"Really?" he asked, looking back and forth between us.

"Really," I confirmed, my voice thick with emotion.

Noah's arms tightened around my neck.

"I want to be with you forever," he mumbled against my shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised, my voice thick with emotion. "You're stuck with me, Noah."

This drew a small, hiccupping laugh from Noah, and I felt some of the tension leave his body.

I continued holding him, gently rocking back and forth, humming a soft melody until his breathing gradually steadied and his eyelids began to droop.

Then I tucked Noah into bed. I sat on the edge while Caspar dimmed the lights.

Neither of us spoke as Noah drifted off to sleep, his small hand still clutching mine even as his breathing deepened into slumber.

Only when I was sure he was fully asleep did I carefully extract my hand from his and rise from the bed.

Caspar and I stepped quietly into the hallway, closing Noah's door with a soft click.

"Amelia's words clearly hurt him more than we realized," I said softly as we walked toward the master bedroom.

Caspar's jaw tightened, his tone cold. "She'll pay for this. "

"I'll find whoever orchestrated this scheme, whoever falsified those DNA results."

His expression darkened with determination.

"But as for who Noah's biological mother really is—that's irrelevant now."

His eyes softened as they met mine.

"You're the only one we chose. You're the one we both want in our lives. Biology doesn't make a mother, Audrey. Love does."

His words wrapped around me like a warm blanket, tempting me to sink into the comfort they offered.

But there was still so much he didn't know. So many secrets I'd kept hidden.

I looked up into his eyes, gathering my courage. "Caspar, there's something I need to tell you. Something important."

His expression shifted, concern replacing the warmth. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath, thoughts of my lost child filling my mind.

"It's about a child," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "My child."

His eyebrows rose slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

"Do you remember I had a baby five years ago?" I continued, the words catching in my throat.

"For years, the Baileys told me my baby died from complications after an early delivery. I believed them."

I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my voice steady.

"Today, George finally told me the truth. My baby didn't die, Caspar. Someone took my child away. My baby is still out there, somewhere, and I need to find them."