Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 178

Caspar's POV:

I sat alone in my office.

My focus was entirely on the small USB drive Audrey had given me—the only lead to her missing child.

I inserted the drive into my computer and opened the single video file it contained.

The footage was grainy, timestamp showing it was recorded five years ago. Security camera footage from the Bailey residence.

The video showed a dimly lit hallway.

For several minutes, nothing happened.

Then a figure appeared. The person was wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap pulled low, obscuring their face.

I enhanced the image as much as possible, but the quality was poor. Still, something about the silhouette seemed strangely familiar.

Where had I seen that before?

I played the footage again, focusing on every detail.

The figure disappeared into a room, and minutes later, emerged carrying what appeared to be a bundle—a baby.

My stomach tightened at the sight.

But the person kept their head down, deliberate in their movements. They passed through the hallway and out of frame, taking Audrey's child with them.

I leaned back in my chair, frustrated. This wasn't much to go on.

I was about to close the video when something caught my eye—the jacket the person wore. I froze the frame and zoomed in.

A flash of recognition hit me. I'd seen that jacket before.

I quickly opened my desk drawer and pulled out the envelope Amelia had given me.

Inside was a photo of when Noah was brought to the door.

My blood ran cold as I placed the photo next to the frozen video frame.

The jacket matched perfectly. Even the baseball cap was identical.

"James!" I called out, my voice sharper than intended.

My assistant appeared at the door almost immediately. "Yes, sir?"

"I need you to arrange a DNA test. Between Audrey and Noah."

James's eyebrows shot up, but his voice remained steady.

"Ms. Lane and young Noah, sir? May I ask why—"

I cut him off, then softened my tone.

"Just make it happen. Immediately. And with absolute discretion."

After James left, I grabbed my phone and dialed Amelia's number.

She answered on the third ring, her voice sickly sweet.

"Caspar, what a pleasant surprise—"

"Who is Noah's mother?" I demanded, cutting straight to the point.

A pause. "I don't understand the question. I'm Noah's mother."

"Don't lie to me." My voice was dangerously quiet. "Not anymore. Who is his real mother?"

"Caspar, you're being ridiculous. I carried Noah for nine months. I gave birth to him. I have the medical records—"

I said coldly. "Tell me the truth, Amelia, or I swear I will destroy everything you've built your pathetic life on."

Her voice hardened. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm making you a promise." I stared at the frozen image on my screen. "This is your last chance to come clean."

"I *am* Noah's mother." She sounded desperate now. "Whatever you think you know, you're wrong."

"We'll see about that."

I ended the call and sat in silence, my mind racing with implications.

If what I suspected was true... if Audrey was Noah's mother...

The waiting was excruciating.

I spent all day pacing my office, reviewing old files on Amelia, and making calls to investigators.

Finally, my phone rang.

"Sir," James said, his voice carefully neutral. "I have the test results."

My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear him. "And?"

"It's positive, sir. A 99.9% match. Ms. Lane is Noah's biological mother."

I closed my eyes, a storm of emotions overwhelming me.

Relief. Rage. Pain for what Audrey had lost. Joy for what we might now find.

"Have Amelia Harrison brought to the estate immediately," I ordered. "Use whatever means necessary."

Two hours later, I stood in my study as James escorted a fuming Amelia through the door.

She looked immaculate as always, but her eyes betrayed her fear.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "Your men practically kidnapped me!"

I remained behind my desk, keeping it between us like a barrier.

"I gave you a chance to come clean on the phone, Amelia," I said coldly.

I nodded to James, who stood silently by the door.

Amelia's eyes widened as she saw James lock the door and move toward the windows, systematically drawing each curtain closed until the room darkened.

"What are you doing?" Panic crept into her voice. "You can't do this to me! I'm Noah's mother!"

A cold laugh escaped my lips, devoid of any humor.

"Still clinging to that lie? Even now, with your back against the wall?" I moved around the desk, closing the distance between us.

"Pathetic. You had your chance to confess, Amelia. Now we do this my way."

The door opened again, and two hulking men in black suits stepped in.

They moved with the practiced efficiency of professionals, their expressions completely neutral as they positioned themselves on either side of Amelia.

Her eyes darted between them, real fear replacing her indignation. "What is this? Caspar, you can't—"

"I can't what?" I asked softly, the quietness of my voice more threatening than any shout. "I can't seek justice for what you've done?"

She backed away until she hit the wall.

"Please, don't do this. I'll talk—I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Just call them off."

I remained silent, watching as one of the men took a step closer to her.

Amelia shrunk against the wall, trembling visibly now.

"I swear, I'll tell you everything! Everything! Please, make them stop!"

I let her panic for another few seconds, enough for her to understand the gravity of her situation, then raised my hand.

The men immediately stepped back, though they remained within striking distance.

"Start talking," I commanded. "And I suggest you don't waste my time with more lies."

"Will you let me go if I tell you the truth?" she asked, her voice small and frightened.

I smiled thinly.

"You don't have options, Amelia. You only have this moment to save yourself from something much worse."

She swallowed hard, her eyes darting nervously to the men before returning to me.

"It was never supposed to be like this," she began, her voice shaking.

"Five years ago, our family business went bankrupt. Daniel—my brother—he saw you at the hotel that night. He wanted me to... to seduce you. For your money. But I got scared, and another woman accidentally went to your room instead..."

The pieces were falling into place. Audrey at the Plaza Hotel five years ago. The night she couldn't remember clearly. The child she lost—or rather, the child who was stolen from her.

"Then Daniel found out she was pregnant," Amelia continued, her voice barely audible.

"He thought it was the perfect opportunity. He followed her, waited until after she gave birth, and then..." She trailed off, unable to finish.

"He stole her baby," I finished for her. "And you pretended it was yours."

Amelia nodded miserably, shrinking against the wall.

"I had no choice," she whispered. "When Daniel came home with that baby, he was... different. Like he'd found the answer to all our problems."

Her eyes glazed with tears. "He kept saying this was our ticket back to the top. The Thornton heir would secure our future. That night, he went out to celebrate, drinking champagne like we'd already won."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "Then the police came to my door at 3 AM. Drunk driving. He died instantly."

I felt nothing for her brother, only cold rage for what he'd done.

"I didn't even know where the baby came from," Amelia continued, voice breaking.

"Daniel never told me the mother's name. I was suddenly alone with this infant and no way to return him."

She looked up at me, desperation in her eyes.

"What was I supposed to do? I had to follow through with the plan. I had nothing else left."