Chapter 547 The Real and Fake Father
As Zachary raised his foot again, ready to kick out of sheer frustration, a phone rang unexpectedly, breaking the tension.
Benjamin squeezed his eyes shut in fear, but the ringing phone made Zachary pause. He glanced at the caller ID and sneered.
"Well, look at that. Your real dad's calling."
Benjamin blinked, looking up with a mix of hope and dread.
Zachary answered the call, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Hey, Charles. Long time no see. Didn't think you'd be the one to call first."
He put the call on speaker, and instead of Charles, a furious voice came through. It was Diana.
"Zachary, you maniac! If you have a problem, take it up with me. Leave the kid out of this!"
Then an angry male voice joined in, cursing. Benjamin recognized it as Dean's.
Hearing the familiar voice made Benjamin feel even more wronged, and tears streamed down his face.
Zachary smirked, holding the phone away slightly. "Oh, it's you. Thought it was my brother."
He spoke nonchalantly, "This is my kid. Why are you all so worried? I'm just taking my son home. Nothing wrong with that."
Finally, Charles took the phone, his voice urgent and unlike his usual calm self. "Zachary, let me talk to Benjamin! If you hurt him, I swear you'll regret it!"
"Why's everyone freaking out? I'm not a kidnapper. Fine, I'll let you hear him."
Zachary emphasized "my son" and shot Benjamin a threatening look. "Call me Dad, and let your uncle know you're okay."
"Dad," Benjamin sobbed, enduring the pain.
On the other end, Charles's heart nearly broke.
Just half an hour ago, he got a call saying Benjamin had been kidnapped. Diana, who was with him, panicked and ordered the bodyguards to track down the kidnappers, but they lost the trail.
After Charles lost his memory, Diana didn't like having too many people around, so she dismissed most of the bodyguards. Now, she regretted that decision.
Dean and Nolan rushed to the office upon hearing the news. The four of them anxiously waited for any word from the kidnappers. All they could do was wait.
Then they got a message from Zachary. He wanted to trade Benjamin for Charles's shares. If not, he'd make Benjamin disappear.
Charles panicked at first but then remembered Benjamin was Zachary's child. He cursed Zachary for being insane.
Though he cared for Benjamin, he couldn't give up all his shares for him. But why would Zachary use his own child's life to threaten him? The answer seemed clear.
"Benjamin's got a tracker on him. I can find his location and get him out," Dean said, his usual carefree demeanor replaced with seriousness.
After the last kidnapping incident, he installed a new tracker in Benjamin's watch. It didn't need to be activated to track his location.
"Nolan, take the bodyguards and go with Dean. Benjamin must not be harmed," Diana ordered quickly.
The two of them made a plan without needing to communicate, instinctively excluding Charles, which was odd.
Nolan, looking puzzled, shared the same thought as Charles. Why would Zachary use Benjamin to threaten them?
"Ms. Spencer, Benjamin is Mr. Zachary Percy's child... He won't be harmed," Nolan reminded them.
Dean, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, grabbed Nolan's collar, his tone fierce. "What do you mean? You don't want to help? It's not your kid, so you don't care?"
"No, I mean..." Nolan stammered, waving his hands defensively. But Charles, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
"Is Benjamin our child?"
The room fell silent, as if someone had pressed pause.
The miscarriage five years ago, the similar looks, and Diana and Dean's excessive concern.
The answer was so obvious that Charles would be a fool not to guess it.
He felt the world was absurd. He woke up to everyone telling him he had amnesia. He had a wife and child, but his family was far from peaceful.
There were too many things he had forgotten.
"No."
"Yes."
Diana and Dean spoke at the same time, their answers completely opposite.
Under Nolan's shocked gaze, Dean spoke first.
"Charles, you're such a lucky man. Despite all the mistakes you've made, your wife and child are still by your side. But you were a fool before, blind to everything! Now, I order you to send people to bring Benjamin back immediately, or I won't let you off."
"Benjamin is my son, only my son."
Diana's voice choked. She had raised Benjamin alone for so long, even returning to the country for him.
If it weren't for the current crisis, she wouldn't have revealed the truth.
"I'm sorry."
After a moment of silence, Charles spoke.
"It's my fault. It's normal that you didn't want to tell me his identity. Don't worry, I'll save him. I won't fight you for him. He'll always be your child."
There was a distance between them, and his words were solemn, like a hand grabbing Diana's wildly beating heart.
She looked up sharply, meeting Charles's gaze.
Even she didn't realize tears had started to fall.
Charles, looking sorrowful, raised his hand to wipe her tears, then quickly put on a stern expression.
"At all costs, capture Zachary. My father is dead, and I need to teach my brother a lesson!"
...
"Speak. Say you're okay."
Zachary kicked Benjamin's leg, urging him.
Benjamin sniffled, unable to control his sobs, his voice trembling with fear. He forgot everything and instinctively cried out.
"Mommy, I'm scared."
Diana choked up hearing his voice. Dean held her up, preventing her from collapsing. She took the phone to comfort him.
"I'm here, it's okay, baby..."
"Enough. Now that it's clear, I won't say more. Trading your son's life for the Percy Group's shares is a very fair deal."
Zachary interrupted their conversation, his tone lazy.
"Transferring shares isn't something that can be done in a day. You have to wait. In the meantime, you can't harm him."
Charles's tone was much calmer. He gave Nolan a look.
Nolan understood immediately and quickly walked out.
Dean followed him urgently.
"Fine, call a shareholders' meeting now and announce that you're handing over the company's proxy to me. I'll join online."
Zachary agreed readily, but he knew Charles was stalling. He needed to seize all the power quickly.
"No police, or I can't guarantee he'll be in one piece when you see him."
"Okay, I'll call the meeting right away. Stay calm."
Seeing him agree, Zachary said no more and hung up.
He clapped his hands, and Benjamin, trembling uncontrollably in the corner, let out a short scream when Zachary grabbed him, like a frightened bird.
This time, Zachary was gentle. He helped Benjamin sit up and even thoughtfully gave him a cushion.
"Your name is Benjamin, right? I don't really want to treat you like this. After all, I'm your uncle. But your parents are too greedy, wanting everything. So I have to use you to get some interest."
Zachary spoke as he ruffled Benjamin's hair.
Benjamin's head, already bruised, hurt even more with the touch.
But Benjamin stayed silent. Even though he wanted to bite Zachary, the power difference made him consider the consequences.
More importantly, he knew his mommy would come to save him soon.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
