Chapter 941
The call came from one of Ambrose's men stationed at the hospital.
"Hold them off, I'm on my way."
Ambrose barked his orders and hung up, then turned to the driver with urgency.
"Step on it!"
The driver didn't hesitate, flooring the gas pedal.
Half an hour later, the car screeched to a halt in the hospital parking lot. Ambrose didn't wait for the driver to open the door; he swung it open himself and stepped out, his long legs hitting the pavement.
He strode quickly towards the inpatient building, his pace quickening until he broke into a run.
When he reached the door of the hospital room, three bodyguards in black suits were standing guard.
Seeing him approach, they immediately stepped aside. The leader met Ambrose's gaze and spoke up.
"Ms. Wall and the child are inside. We followed your orders and didn't alarm them."
Ambrose nodded and approached the door, raising his hand to knock.
But he hesitated, wanting to check his appearance first.
Just then, the door opened from the inside.
Ambrose's eyes met Calliope's. Unlike her earlier panic, Calliope now seemed prepared and had a sense of resolution. Her expression was calm, with no trace of anxiety.
She glanced at Ambrose and said, "Come in."
With that, Calliope turned and walked into the room.
Ambrose, on the other hand, felt a surge of nervousness, especially knowing his daughter was inside. His palms were sweating uncontrollably.
He regretted not stopping to buy a gift for Phaedra in his haste to get here.
Despite his tumultuous emotions, Ambrose's face remained composed.
He quickened his pace and grabbed Calliope's wrist, speaking in a low voice.
"Let's talk alone first."
Ambrose's mind raced. He needed to discuss things with Calliope first. He was now certain that Phaedra was his daughter.
He didn't want their first meeting to be under pretenses or for Calliope to introduce him as someone else.
Calliope was startled by his grip, feeling the heat of his hand through her sweater, making her skin tingle.
She didn't have time to think before Ambrose pulled her out of the room.
He led her into the nearby emergency exit, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. Calliope's heart pounded as Ambrose's intense gaze felt like a judgment.
Calliope's face turned pale. Clinging to a last shred of hope, she asked, "Mr. Kelly, I don't understand. Why are you stopping us from leaving the hospital?"
Ambrose saw how frightened she was and had been considering a gentler approach to avoid scaring her further.
But hearing her still trying to deceive him, to keep him from meeting his daughter, his anger flared.
He raised his hand and grabbed Calliope's delicate chin, forcing her to face him.
"Calliope! You have some nerve. You had my daughter, stole my sperm, and now you act innocent? I really underestimated you!"
Calliope's already pale face turned even whiter at Ambrose's words.
He knew everything!
Shame and anger flushed her cheeks, her eyes reddening.
She looked utterly helpless and pitiful.
Ambrose wasn't usually harsh, even with people he disliked. He preferred to smile and then act behind their backs.
But after his sharp, insulting words, seeing Calliope on the verge of tears, he felt a mix of frustration and regret.
A wave of self-reproach and unexpected tenderness washed over him.
Ambrose gently stroked Calliope's reddened eyes and sighed.
"Are you still not going to admit it?"
Calliope felt his anger but also sensed his restraint and softening.
She stared at him, knowing he had figured everything out.
She stopped trying to hide the truth and said, "Yes, Phaedra is your daughter."
Even though Ambrose had learned this from Anouk, he hadn't seen the paternity test.
Hearing Calliope confirm it, his heart trembled, and his lips curled into a slight smile.
His daughter. He had a daughter, and she was already so grown.
Ambrose's voice was hoarse, "Calliope, I..."
Before he could finish, Calliope grabbed his arm, pleading.
"I know it was wrong to keep Phaedra from you, but I love her so much. Can you pretend she doesn't exist? I promise we'll leave and never bother you. Please don't separate us. I can't live without Phaedra, I..."
Calliope grew more agitated, tears streaming down her face.
Ambrose's expression grew colder, his jaw clenched.
He hadn't said anything yet, but Calliope was already painting him as the villain.
Not wanting to hear more outrageous words, Ambrose suddenly leaned down and kissed her.
The emergency exit fell silent.
Calliope's eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Ambrose's handsome face so close to hers.
Ambrose was kissing her!
Was he crazy?
Why was Ambrose kissing her? How could they kiss?
His lips were soft, just like him, gentle and warm.
Calliope's mind went blank, her heart racing loudly in the quiet space.
"Close your eyes."
Ambrose's gentle command against her lips made Calliope instinctively close her eyes.
The next moment, Ambrose's presence overwhelmed her, seducing and possessing her.
Calliope's neck arched back, her hair swaying, caught by Ambrose's hand. He held her head, pressing her against the wall, deepening the kiss.
The sweet taste, Calliope's softness, and her scent were the perfect Spirit Herbs to awaken memories.
Images flashed through Ambrose's mind, hot and vivid.
His body responded quickly, and he found it hard to believe that Calliope could have such an effect on him.
When he finally let go of Calliope, both of their breaths were ragged, echoing in the stairwell, amplifying the intimacy.
It took a while for their breathing to calm down.
Calliope's face was flushed. "Why did you suddenly kiss me?"
Ambrose caressed her burning cheek, his voice husky with a hint of a smile.
"That night, you were the one who kissed me first. After all these years, I thought it was time to return the favor. Do you have a problem with that?"
Calliope looked up in disbelief. "I thought you didn't remember that night?"
Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "So, I wasn't wrong. You did kiss me first that night?"
He had recalled some fragments but not the whole event. He had been bluffing, and it turned out to be true.
Calliope's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.
"That night, I saw you being helped into a room by a waiter. You didn't look well, so I knocked on the door to see if you needed a doctor. Who knew..."
Ambrose had pulled her into the room and held her tightly.
At that time, he didn't remember her or know who she was.
But Calliope had already liked Ambrose. When she was just starting, he had helped her.
If it weren't for him, she would have been taken away by an old man at a party.
She hadn't even had the chance to thank him.
Not long after, she saw Ambrose again.
He was still as charming as ever, while she had been stripped of her resources by another actress managed by the same agent. When she went to demand fairness, she was humiliated and drenched in red wine.
Once again, Ambrose had come to her rescue, giving her his jacket to cover her disheveled state.
She had fallen for him step by step. That night, seeing him in a bad state, she had mustered the courage to knock on his door.
When he held her, Calliope knew something was wrong. He had been drugged.
But she couldn't resist the temptation and didn't run away. She had indeed kissed him first.
"Who knew you'd see me and get all lustful, pounce on me, and then sneak away afterward, hiding the whole thing and even having a baby on your own?" Ambrose continued, his voice full of accusation.
At this moment, facing Ambrose's aggressive questioning, Calliope wanted to argue.
But thinking back to that night, she realized Ambrose wasn't entirely wrong.
He wasn't in his right mind. If she had really wanted to escape, she could have hit him with something or splashed water on him to wake him up. There were ways.
But she hadn't.
Calliope had been willing, even secretly happy, like a cat stealing honey, busy licking her paws afterward and hiding away.
Because later, Anouk had come and said many harsh things, warning her.
And because she knew what she had done wasn't honorable, she feared seeing his look of disgust.
Calliope's mouth opened and closed, her face growing pale again, unsure how to explain.
Ambrose interrupted her, saying, "Still trying to avoid responsibility? Not planning to take responsibility?"
Calliope stared at Ambrose, understanding each word but not comprehending their meaning together.
Responsibility? What did he want her to take responsibility for? How?
Seeing Calliope's confused expression and pale face, Ambrose spoke in a deep voice.
"You took my first kiss, assaulted me, and even had my child. Aren't you going to take responsibility?"
"How?" Calliope was still bewildered.
She didn't understand how the conversation had shifted to responsibility.
What did he mean by responsibility?
Thinking of a certain possibility, Calliope's heart pounded uncontrollably.
No, that couldn't be.
Ambrose had someone he liked, someone he wanted to protect. They were worlds apart. How could he possibly want to...
Calliope bit her tongue hard to clear her mind, then thought of another possibility.
Her face turned even paler. "You want me to be your mistress?"
Ambrose was almost defeated by Calliope's thoughts. He didn't know what he had done to make her think he wanted her as a mistress.
His expression darkened slightly, and Calliope, seeing this, misunderstood even more.
Calliope bit his lip. "I would never agree to that! Get that idea out of your head!"
Even if she liked him, even if she was willing to humble herself, she had her principles.
Moreover, she had Phaedra. She would rather be a single mother than let Phaedra bear the stigma of being an illegitimate child.
As soon as Calliope finished speaking, Ambrose knocked her forehead lightly.
The gesture was inexplicably intimate and affectionate. She looked at Ambrose in disbelief.
Ambrose let out a light snort. "I'm single, and getting married wouldn't be bigamy. Why would I make my woman a mistress and my daughter an illegitimate child?"
This time, Calliope understood Ambrose's words.
But instead of feeling overjoyed, she felt like a huge pie had fallen on her head, leaving her stunned.
Especially his words, "my woman."
Ambrose had called her his woman?
Calliope stared at him. "You want to marry me?"
Her voice trembled. Ambrose narrowed his eyes, observing her every subtle expression.
He was sure this wasn't a happy reaction.
Ambrose felt a bit anxious and nervous. His voice deepened.
"Shouldn't we give Phaedra a complete family? Besides, I'm at the age to get married, and my family has been urging me. Of course, I know proposing marriage suddenly is abrupt. I should have prepared better, with all the proper rituals. Don't worry, I'll make up for it. The reason I'm in a hurry is that I want us to agree on our future. I want to meet my daughter as her mother's husband, her father. If you don't want to..."
Listening to Ambrose, Calliope's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down.
She lowered her eyes, hiding her disappointment.
Of course, Ambrose wouldn't want to marry her out of love.
He was only doing this because the woman he loved had married someone else, his family was pressuring him, and she was the mother of his child.
But even so, she didn't want to miss the chance to be by his side.
Suppressing her bitterness, Calliope suddenly interrupted Ambrose.
"No, I don't mind!"
Ambrose's eyes flickered. Calliope looked up, a bright smile on her face.
"Alright, let's get married!"
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