Chapter 6
"You couldn't have known, Beckett," Ella whispered, resting her hands against the crisp white fabric of his shirt. "She planned it perfectly. She paid the doctors. She threatened me. She told me if I ever told you about the pregnancy, she would have me killed and make it look like an accident."
Beckett’s breath hitched. The absolute cruelty of Clarissa's deception was staggering. She had tortured his staff and stolen his child merely to secure her financial and political standing within his empire.
"She will spend the rest of her miserable life rotting in the dark for what she did to you," Beckett promised, his voice a low, vibrating rumble of absolute vengeance. "No one will ever hurt you again. You have my word."
Ella looked up into his dark, intense eyes. "You have to find him, Beckett. Please. You have to bring our baby back."
"I will tear this state apart piece by piece until he is back in your arms," Beckett vowed, pressing a deep, lingering kiss to her forehead.
The quiet intimacy of the study was a stark contrast to the violence brewing outside its walls. Beckett held her tightly, drawing strength from her resilience. She was not just a maid; she was the mother of his child, a woman who possessed more integrity and courage than his entire inner circle combined.
Before he could speak again, the heavy oak door swung open without a knock.
Vance stepped into the room, his face grim under the ambient lighting. He stopped short, realizing he had interrupted a profoundly private moment between the boss and the housemaid, but the urgency of his news superseded protocol.
"Apologies, Boss," Vance said, his voice tight. "But the doctor didn't need to use the chemicals. Clarissa broke after ten minutes in the cold. She gave us a name and a location."
Beckett slowly released Ella, ensuring she was safely behind his broad shoulders. The cold, calculating mask of the apex predator slammed back into place.
"Who has my son, Vance?" Beckett asked, his voice lethal and calm.
"A wealthy shipping magnate on the coast. Arthur Sterling," Vance reported, checking a small notepad. "Clarissa brokered the deal through a corrupt clinic administrator. Sterling’s wife couldn't conceive, and they didn't want to wait for legal adoption. They paid Clarissa half a million in untraceable bearer bonds."
"Where is the child now?" Beckett demanded, his jaw tightening.
"Sterling owns a heavily fortified, private estate overlooking the cliffs, about two hours north of here," Vance explained. "Clarissa said the handover happened there to avoid city cameras."
Beckett’s eyes darkened to pitch. He turned to the mahogany desk and grabbed a heavy, suppressed pistol, checking the chamber with a sharp, metallic click. He holstered the weapon beneath his shoulder.
"Mobilize the strike teams," Beckett commanded. "I want four armored SUVs at the front portico in five minutes. Heavy weapons, winter gear. We are breaching the Sterling estate tonight."
"Boss, Sterling has heavy political ties," Vance warned cautiously. "If we hit that compound, it’s an automatic declaration of war against his private military contractors."
"I am the one declaring the war," Beckett replied coldly, grabbing his heavy overcoat. "Anyone who hesitates to get in those vehicles can leave their guns on my desk and walk out of this syndicate forever."
Vance nodded sharply, turning on his heel to execute the orders.
Beckett turned back to Ella. The beautiful maid was trembling, but her posture was entirely unyielding.
"I am coming with you," Ella stated, her voice shaking but resolute.
"Ella, it is going to be a bloodbath," Beckett said softly, stepping closer. "You need to stay here, where it is safe."
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"I am his mother," Ella argued, her expressive eyes pleading with him. "If he is scared in a house full of men with guns, he will need someone gentle to hold him. I am coming."
Beckett stared into her determined eyes, knowing he could not stop her without breaking her heart again.
