Chapter 443 Father and Son Showdown
Still lost in his troubles, Ethan bolted upright at the news. "What's going on?"
"Your Highness, please take a look at this," his assistant said, offering him a laptop.
Ethan scrolled through the articles about himself. The photos were clearly doctored, portraying him as a playboy who toyed with different women daily and drove them to suicide out of desperation—all complete fabrications.
"My photos rarely appear in the media," Ethan remarked, his brow furrowing. "Have we identified who's behind this smear campaign?"
"Our team is still investigating, sir."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. Whoever was trying to defame him had covered their tracks meticulously. After contemplating for a moment, he asked, "Could this be the work of rival factions within the royal family?"
"Possibly, Your Highness. We're looking into it. Unfortunately, we can't suppress these trending topics—you'll need to address this personally."
Ethan nodded. Despite the IV bandage still taped to the back of his hand, he began managing the fallout immediately.
While browsing the main page, he stumbled upon a user comment that caught his attention. It read: [Breaking news: Ethan turns out to be the prince of Ferndale Gold Valley District. Does this make Ashley the princess?]
Clicking on the attached image, Ethan was stunned by what he saw.
The photo showed him with a woman—the same woman he had forcibly kissed in the bakery restroom that afternoon. Her name was Ashley? Why did they have such intimate photos together? Had they once been in a relationship that he somehow couldn't remember?
Ethan's face drained of color as a stabbing pain shot through his head.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" his assistant asked with concern.
Taking a deep breath to suppress the pain, Ethan replied, "I'm fine."
His long fingers flew across the keyboard. Within ten minutes, he had the trending news stories removed. Tracking the IP address of the source, he sent a message: [Who are you and why are you spreading these lies?]
The reply came quickly: [I'm your worst nightmare, you bastard. Stop harassing my woman. Consider this a warning—next time I won't be so lenient.]
Harassing his woman?
Such arrogance!
During his years in Ferndale, the only intimate encounter Ethan had with a woman was with the one he'd met today. Could this hacker be connected to her?
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
[You have impressive skills. Where did you learn them?] Ethan typed, simultaneously entering code to pinpoint the hacker's location.
[None of your business. You won't find me, asshole. Goodbye!]
Just as Ethan finished his code and was about to press Enter, the connection disappeared. For the first time in his life, Ethan tasted defeat.
In the world of hacking, he considered himself second to none.
But this person's skills...they had genuinely captured his attention.
"Your Highness, the target has vanished. What should we do?" his assistant asked.
Ethan's slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk. If this hacker was connected to that woman, finding him wouldn't be difficult.
Ethan replied, "No rush. I have ways to draw him out."
The assistant nodded, then added, "Your Highness, representatives from the Yates Group of Aivalia will arrive tomorrow to discuss the important joint venture for the baby formula factory. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30 PM."
"Noted. Angela has a parent-child activity at her kindergarten tomorrow. I'll attend that before meeting them."
"Very well."
Night deepened. After his assistant departed, Ethan took sleeping pills but only managed two hours of sleep before dawn. He awoke exhausted.
His phone rang—it was Angela.
He answered, "Hello?"
"Are you feeling better? If you're still dizzy, Mary can take me to kindergarten instead."
"I promised you, and I never break my promises. I'll be there to take you."
"You're the best!"
The Kindergarten
Ethan drove with Mary and Angela in the back seat. They parked near the kindergarten and walked the little girl toward the entrance.
Today, Ethan wore casual clothes that softened his typically stern business demeanor. His handsome features appeared more approachable and warm in the morning light.
Meanwhile, Atticus and Ashley were walking Andy and Nate toward the kindergarten. The moment the twins spotted Ethan, their happy smiles froze, transforming into unmistakable sadness.
Atticus noticed the change in the children's expressions and followed their gaze. Seeing Ethan's group, he immediately understood.
"Pearl," Atticus whispered, "did you tell them about their father?"
Ashley nodded, her face filled with guilt. "They kept asking to see photos of their daddy. I showed them, letting them see that their father has a new family. Was I too cruel?"
Ashley's eyes brimmed with pain. Atticus sighed sympathetically and gently stroked her hair. "No, they needed to face reality eventually. Between you and me, they'll receive all the love they need. Don't you agree?"
Seeing their mother upset, the boys composed themselves. Andy spoke up, "That's right. Having Godfather become our new dad is what matters. We'll be happy as a family of four."
Andy's words made Ashley uncomfortable, while Atticus's heart raced.
Did Andy's words mean he had accepted him as a father figure?
Andy thought to himself, 'What's there to miss about that jerk of a father? I need to find Mommy a more caring husband.'
Nate thought silently, 'It hurts that Daddy became someone else's daddy.'
Angela spotted the twins from afar and pointed excitedly. "Look! It's Andy and Nate with their mommy and daddy!"
Ethan, who hadn't noticed them until Angela's exclamation, froze. He turned toward Ashley, catching her in conversation with Atticus, who was tenderly stroking her hair while she smiled up at him without objection.
The scene struck Ethan like a physical blow. An inexplicable irritation rose within him, accompanied by a jealousy he didn't even recognize. He felt an irrational urge to rush over and separate them.
But who was he to her? What right did he have?
Ethan and Ashley locked eyes across the crowd, creating a palpable tension.
Mary followed his gaze to Ashley, jealousy flashing in her eyes. "Totti, shall we go in?"
Ethan nodded, taking Angela's hand as they entered the kindergarten.
Ashley snapped back to reality and patted the heads of her two precious but wounded children. "Let's go in, darlings."
Andy asked, "Can we call Godfather 'Dad' during the parent-child activities today?"
"Of course," Atticus replied, nothing would make him happier.
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