Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 177

Audrey's POV:

My heart hammered in my chest as I watched Caspar's face.

For several agonizing seconds, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable.

Finally, he spoke, his voice measured and calm. "Do you have any leads?"

Just that? No judgment, no shock, no interrogation about why I'd hidden this from him?

I searched his face for any sign of deception or disgust but found only careful neutrality.

"Does it... does it not bother you?" I asked hesitantly.

He held my gaze steadily. "Why would it?"

"Because it's complicated," I said. "Because it's another child. Because it's my past."

His expression softened slightly.

"Audrey, I've told you before—we all have a past. I don't expect yours to be simple or painless. And neither would Noah."

A weight lifted from my shoulders, but then his brow furrowed slightly.

"But who is the father?" he asked, voice carefully neutral. "Are you still... attached to him?"

I couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

*That's* what he was worried about?

"Don't be jealous," I sighed, shaking my head. "It was... it was an accident. Really."

I looked down at my hands. "The truth is, I don't even know who the father is."

His eyebrows shot up.

"I guess we're more alike than you thought," I said with a sad smile. "Both of us with children whose other parent is a mystery."

He was silent for a moment, processing this.

Then he reached across and took my hand, his touch surprisingly gentle for such strong hands.

"I'll help you," he said simply. "We'll find your child, Audrey."

His certainty, his immediate support without hesitation, made my throat tighten.

I swallowed hard against the emotion threatening to overwhelm me.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a small USB drive.

"This is the only lead I have. George Bailey gave it to me today—it's security footage from the day someone took my baby."

Caspar took the drive, examining it with a frown.

"Have you watched it?"

"I tried, but the footage is grainy. I couldn't make out much," I admitted. "But it's better than nothing."

He nodded, sliding the drive into his pocket.

"I'll have my tech team enhance it. If there's anything to see, they'll find it."

I felt a flutter of hope in my chest. With Caspar's resources, maybe there was actually a chance.

"It's getting late," Caspar said, glancing at his watch. "We both need rest after everything that's happened today."

He stood, extending his hand to me. "Come to bed?"

I took his hand and let him lead me to the bedroom, suddenly aware of just how exhausted I truly was.

Once we were settled in bed, Caspar pulled me against his chest, his arms encircling me with surprising tenderness.

I nestled into his warmth, inhaling the familiar scent of his cologne that had somehow become synonymous with safety in my mind.

"We'll figure this out," he murmured into my hair. "All of it."

Despite the chaos of the day, I felt an unexpected calm wash over me.

The steady rhythm of Caspar's heartbeat beneath my ear served as an anchor, keeping me tethered when everything else threatened to sweep me away.

"I know," I whispered back, my eyes already growing heavy.

It still amazed me how quickly things had changed between us.

From antagonism to alliance to... whatever this was becoming.

My last coherent thought before sleep claimed me was how strange it felt to trust someone so completely after years of standing alone.

When I opened my eyes the next morning, sunlight was already streaming through the partially opened curtains.

Caspar's side of the bed was empty, but still warm.

I vaguely remembered him kissing my forehead as he got up, his voice a low murmur telling me to sleep longer.

Caspar had been especially busy lately—I could see it in the dark circles under his eyes and the constant calls he took in his study.

Yet despite his packed schedule, he somehow always made time to check on me.

I was about to get up when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Jasper's name flashed on the screen.

My stomach tightened as I answered.

"Tell me you have good news," I said instead of hello.

Jasper's sigh on the other end told me everything before he even spoke.

"The antidote research has hit another wall. We've tried every alternative compound, but nothing's stabilizing."

I closed my eyes, trying to keep my breathing steady. "How much time do we have?"

"With our current physical condition? And the diminishing effectiveness of the medication..." He paused. "I don't want to put a number on it, Audrey."

"Just tell me."

"Three months. Maybe four if we're lucky."

I sat up, running a hand through my tangled hair. "So what do we do now?"

"There's only one option left," Jasper said, his voice dropping lower. "We go back to the organization and take what we need."

"You can't be serious." My voice came out sharper than intended. "After everything we did to get away from them?"

"I'm not seeing another choice here. "

I got out of bed and walked to the window, watching the morning sunlight filter through the trees of the Thornton estate.

I fell silent, my mind racing.

Three years ago, I might have agreed immediately. Back then, I had nothing to lose and nobody to lose me.

But now...

Noah, Caspar, the Coles, and even my missing child.

I had become greedy for life in a way I'd never been before.

Every sunrise mattered now. Every moment counted.

"I need time," I told Jasper, my voice steadier than I felt. "This isn't just about me anymore."

"The clock is ticking for all of us, Audrey."

"I know. But I won't risk everything I have on a suicide mission." I gripped the phone tighter. "There has to be another way."

After we hung up, I sat motionless on the edge of the bed.

No matter what it took, I would fight to keep this life.

For the first time in my life, I had something worth living for. And I wasn't going to let it go without a fight.