Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 179

Caspar's POV:

I stared at Amelia as she finished her pathetic confession, a mixture of rage and disbelief coursing through me.

"Please, Caspar," she whispered, "you have to understand. I was desperate. I didn't know what else to do—"

I held up my hand, silencing her instantly.

"None of this justifies stealing another woman's child and pretending to be his mother." My voice hardened.

She blinked rapidly, shrinking back against the wall.

"I gave you multiple chances to tell the truth," I continued, my tone becoming even more frigid.

"On the phone. When you arrived. Even as we started this conversation. Each time, you chose to lie. Each time, you chose yourself over an innocent child and his mother."

Amelia suddenly broke down, her composed facade crumbling completely.

"What difference would it have made?" she cried, her voice cracking with hysteria.

"You wouldn't have forgiven me anyway! You would have destroyed me regardless!"

Her eyes took on a wild, desperate look. "Fine! Have it your way!" she spat. "You want the truth? The truth is you'll never know who Noah's real mother is! Never! "

I stared at her, almost pitying how pathetic she'd become.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Amelia," I said quietly. "I already know who Noah's mother is."

Her frantic movements stilled. "You're lying," she whispered.

"It's Audrey," I said simply. "Audrey is Noah's biological mother."

Amelia's face drained of color.

"That's... that's impossible," she stammered, but I could see it in her eyes – the recognition, the fear.

She knew I was telling the truth. "You're making this up. That's too much of a coincidence."

"Enough." The word cut through the room like a blade.

I turned to James, who stood silently by the door. "Freeze all of Ms. Harrison's assets. Every account, every property, every investment."

James nodded once, already typing on his phone.

"What?" Amelia gasped, pushing herself off the wall. "You can't do that! That's illegal!"

I didn't even bother looking at her as I continued: "Have her escorted out of New York. She is not permitted to return. Ever."

"Caspar!" Amelia lunged forward, grabbing my arm.

"Please, you can't do this! Where am I supposed to go? "

I nodded to the two men who had stood silently during our exchange. "Get her out of my house."

As they led a sobbing Amelia away, I turned to James.

"Make sure the paperwork is ironclad. I want no legal loopholes she can exploit to get near Noah or Audrey again."

"Of course, sir." James hesitated. "And Ms. Lane? Will you tell her tonight?"

I checked my watch. It was nearly midnight.

The weight of everything I'd learned pressed down on me.

"Yes," I said finally. "She's waited long enough."

---

The house was quiet when I returned.

Edward met me at the door, his expression carefully neutral.

"Ms. Lane is asleep, sir," he informed me softly. "She waited up as long as she could, but eventually retired to her room about an hour ago."

I nodded, loosening my tie. "And Noah?"

"Sleeping soundly. No nightmares tonight."

"Good." I started toward the stairs.

I climbed the stairs slowly, my mind racing with the implications of what I'd discovered.

Audrey was Noah's mother. *Audrey*. The woman who had walked into our lives and transformed them completely was actually Noah's biological mother. The sheer improbability of it was staggering.

How had I not seen it sooner? The immediate connection between them, the way Noah had responded to her when he'd been unreachable to everyone else.

I paused outside Audrey's door, then gently pushed it open.

The room was dimly lit by a small bedside lamp. Audrey lay curled on her side, her hair spread across the pillow.

Even in sleep, her brow was furrowed, as if her dreams were troubling her.

I approached quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Gently, I reached out and smoothed her forehead with my thumb, trying to ease away the tension I saw there.

Audrey's eyes flew open instantly, wide with alarm.

When she registered my face, she relaxed slightly, though confusion still clouded her expression.

"Caspar?" Her voice was husky with sleep. "What time is it?"

"Late," I replied softly. "I'm sorry to wake you."

She pushed herself up, now fully alert. "Did you find something? Is there news?

I nodded, my throat suddenly tight with emotion. How did I even begin to tell her?

"Yes," I managed. "There's news."

Audrey's eyes brightened, a spark of hope illuminating her face. "Tell me," she urged, reaching for my hand.

I took both her hands in mine, steadying myself.

"Audrey, I need to ask you something first. The night at the Plaza, five years ago—what do you remember about it?"

Her expression flickered with surprise. "The Plaza? I told you, I don't remember much. I had too much to drink and..."

"Try," I encouraged her gently. "What room were you in?"

She frowned, concentrating. "The... Presidential Suite, I think. I remember the chandelier. And... thick carpet. "

My heart beat faster. "And the man? Do you remember anything about him?"

Audrey's cheeks flushed slightly. "No. It was too dark to see clearly."

She paused, staring at me with growing awareness. "Why are you asking me this, Caspar?"

I squeezed her hands. "Because I was in the Presidential Suite that night, Audrey. Five years ago."

Her lips parted in shock, eyes widening as the implication sank in. "You... it was you?" she whispered.

I nodded slowly. "I believe so, yes."

"How?" Audrey asked, her voice barely audible.

"According to what Amelia told me," I explained gently, "her brother saw me at the hotel that night. They were targeting me for my money, but something went wrong with their plan."

I paused, carefully choosing my words. "You ended up in my room instead of Amelia."

I watched the recognition dawn in her eyes as pieces of her fragmented memories seemed to fall into place.

Audrey's hands trembled slightly.

Then her eyes darted to mine, a new, desperate question forming.

"Caspar," she breathed, her voice trembling, "are you saying... is Noah...?" She couldn't finish the sentence, as if afraid to voice the hope aloud.

"Yes," I confirmed softly. "Noah is your son, Audrey. The DNA test confirmed it beyond any doubt."

For a moment, Audrey froze completely, as if time itself had stopped.

Then her face transformed—joy, disbelief, and overwhelming emotion all washing over her at once. A sob escaped her lips, followed by a breathless laugh.

"My son," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Noah is my son."

I reached for her as she began to shake, pulling her into my arms as the full impact of the revelation hit her.

She clung to me, her tears soaking through my shirt as she alternated between sobbing and laughing.

"All this time," she gasped against my chest, "he was right here. I found him without even knowing I was looking for him."

I stroked her hair, feeling my own eyes grow damp.

"He found you, Audrey. Somehow, against impossible odds, he found his way back to you."

Audrey pulled back slightly, her tear-stained face glowing with a joy I'd never seen before.

"I need to see him," she said urgently. "I need to go to him right now."