Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 66

< Chapter 66

Chapter 66

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Ethan gazed at Clara’s calm, indifferent profile, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against his suit cuff as his Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to explain that he wasn’t leaving Clara to deal with her injury alone, but that Natalie was truly in danger and waiting for him at the police station.

But as the words reached his lips, he realized that explaining would only deepen the misunderstanding between them.

In the end, he simply said, “I’ll have the driver take you back.”

As the words fell, he added, with a hint of hope, “Think about what I said about Luke.”

With that, he turned and strode away.

As he reached the parking lot, before starting the car, he couldn’t help but look up at the emergency room entrance.

Under the warm yellow lights, Clara sat alone on the waiting room chair, head bowed as she tended to the wound on her wrist. Her slender figure stood out starkly against the bustling backdrop.

Ethan gripped the steering wheel, his throat tight. Ultimately, he pressed down on the accelerator, and the black Bentley pulled away from the hospital and merged into the traffic.

Police Station.

Natalie huddled on a bench in the corner, a torn suit jacket draped over her shoulders, barely concealing the stains on her cream-colored blouse. Strands of hair clung messily to her cheeks, and her eyes were wide with terror.

The moment she saw Ethan, she lunged at him like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

“Eth, why did it take you so long? I was so scared; I thought I’d never see you again…”

Ethan hadn’t expected her sudden embrace, and his body instantly stiffened.

He raised a hand to pat her back in reassurance, but his fingertips hesitated as they brushed her shoulder. In the end, he simply gently pushed her away, helped her to sit down, and said in a neutral tone, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here now.”

“Stop crying, and tell me what happened.”

Natalie only shook her head, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls, unable to form a coherent sentence.

The female officer next to them handed her a tissue and explained softly, “Ms. Parker was followed by some thugs tonight.”

“That old neighborhood isn’t very safe at night. Luckily, she reacted quickly and ran to the intersection to call the police. She wasn’t hurt, just frightened.”

Ethan frowned.

After Natalie returned to the States, she was still living in the old be she had before she left the country. He had felt that the area was unsafe before and wanted to find her another place.

But she said that place held her childhood memories and insisted on staying. He didn’t try to persuade her much at the time, but now realized he had been a bit negligent.

“If it’s not safe, don’t live there anymore.”

He looked up at Natalie, his expression serious, but his tone was a suggestion.

“You can stay at my place for now. Once I finish up what I’m working on, I’ll find you a safe place to live.”

Natalie sniffled, a glimmer of triumph flashing in her eyes.”Won’t that be too much trouble for you? Would Clara agree to that?”

Hearing Clara Bennett’s name, Ethan paused.

Before he persuaded Clara to move back home, he would find a house for Natalie first.

“It won’t.”

Ethan stood up, seeing that the police had finished taking the statement,/Let’s go. Get some rest.”

he

Seeing that Natalie was still unsteady on her feet as she got up, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, then put his arm around

her as he led her to the car.

The black Bentley pulled away from the police station. Natalie leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the night scene flash by outside the window, her emotions gradually calming down.

She turned her head to look at Ethan’s focused profile as he drove, and softly mentioned, “Eth, once the collaboration with Nova Al is stable, I’ll have to return to headquarters.”

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“When can you and Clara do another round of IVF? I’d like to see the child before 1

go

back.”

Meri

Ethan’s hand on the steering wheel suddenly tightened, his knuckles turning white.”I’ve already arranged for a surrogate abroad. Once the child is born, if you want, the child can stay with you.” “Why not Clara?”

Natalie’s heart tightened. “My blood type and constitution both match, it’s better for the child, and…you two are married, wouldn’t that be more natural?”

Ethan was silent for a few seconds, his gaze fixed on the traffic ahead, his voice low.”She hasn’t fully recovered yet, it’s not easy for her to get pregnant again in the short term.”

Clara is now very resistant to having another child with him. He feared that forcing her would only make their already terrible relationship

even worse.

Hearing this, Natalie’s pupils constricted slightly.”Eth, have you… fallen in love with her?”

The thought sent a pang of inexplicable pain through Natalie’s heart.

It made sense now. Ethan had clearly stated before that he would do another IVF with Clara, to have her bear his child. Why hadn’t there been any progress for so long?

Was it because Ethan had fallen in love with her?

Ethan gripped the steering wheel tightly, his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly shook his head.

“No, it’s just that I married her after all, I have to be responsible for her. Don’t overthink it.”

But as the words fell, his heart raced even faster.

Natalie didn’t say anything more, quietly clenching her fist, not even noticing the pain as her nails dug deep into her palm.

The black Bentley pulled into the courtyard of the villa. Ethan got out to help Natalie out of the car and instructed the servants to prepare a guest room.

Seeing Natalie walk into the house, guided by a servant, he raised his hand to check the time.”I have to go now. Get some rest.”

Natalie was surprised, pausing at the door to look back.”You’re not staying here?”

Ethan shook his head.”I’ve been staying at the Old Estate recently. Grandpa needs someone to take care of him.”

Besides, it was still early. He wanted to rush to the hospital to see if Clara had left.

As the car disappeared into the night, the tenderness on Natalie’s face vanished, replaced by resentment.

Lately, Ethan had been distant with her, focusing solely on work, and she felt a growing sense of panic.

Tonight, she had deliberately led that creep to follow her, hoping to make Ethan realize her place wasn’t safe, giving her an excuse to move in. She got what she wanted, but Ethan was still avoiding her.

He dared to say he only felt responsibility toward Clara.

It was likely his heart had been stolen by Clara before he even realized it himself!

Now he was leaving, refusing to stay with her. What was the point of everything she had done tonight?

It wasn’t a baby she truly wanted, she wanted his heart to belong to her!

Biting her lip, she hardened her resolve.

Clara, don’t blame me for being ruthless, blame Ethan for falling for you!

By the time Ethan reached the hospital, Clara and Ryan Walker had already left. He drove to Clara’s place.

On the way, streetlights flickered past the car window, and Natalie’s words echoed in his mind.

He didn’t want to divorce Clara, felt irritated seeing her close to Ryan Walker, and even felt the urge to rush and protect her the instant she was

hurt.

Was it really just a sense of responsibility he felt for Clara?

Or… love?

He slammed on the brakes, pulling the car over to the side of the road.

Lost in the night, he leaned back against the seat, his whole body tense.

He had fallen in love with Clara a long time ago!

The engine roared back to life. Ethan pressed down on the accelerator, eager to see Clara, wanting to check on her injury.

He wanted to stay by her side and take care of her, to tell her that he had loved her all along.

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But the car slowed, and the thought of abandoning Clara at the hospital made a wave of doubt crash over Ethan.

He had just left her alone in the hospital to deal with her injuries for Natalie less than an hour ago.

Before that, he had flaunted Olivia in front of Clara to express his dissatisfaction with their marriage.

He even hid the surrogacy from her to repay Natalie.

Did he even have the right to win her back?

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The car came to a stop again, Ethan’s hand shaking as he lit a cigarette. He slowly exhaled, watching the smoke curl into the air. Thank God, Clara still didn’t know that the baby wasn’t hers. He still had a chance to fix things.

Timelight Cove Lobby.

The deafening electronic music, mingled with the scent of alcohol and perfume, couldn’t dispel the gloom hanging over their booth.

Ethan Carter sat with an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the crowd swaying to the music on the dance floor. The oppressive aura around him made passing servers instinctively lighten their steps.

Jackson Taylor searched the hall before finally spotting him in the corner, his expression surprised.

“Aren’t you the one who hates crowds the most? What are you doing sitting out here?”

Ethan didn’t look at him, only asked, “Where’s the person you were picking up?”

He had things on his mind, and being in a quiet place would only make him more agitated. Only the lively atmosphere here could give him some relief.

The smile instantly vanished from Jackson’s face. He gritted his teeth and said, “Dead.”

Just the mention of it made him furious.

He’d actually picked her up, but they were in a car accident on the way back to Chicago. Both the car and the woman were flattened between two trucks.

Ethan’s face darkened even more, and the cigarette between his fingers bent out of shape.

All these days, he had been thinking about how to win Clara back.

She wouldn’t accept the gifts he sent, his number was blocked, and using his power to pressure her would only push her further away.

Ethan recalled that their relationship had begun with a drugged drink. If he could find the person who had drugged Clara back then, perhaps he could use it as an excuse to get Clara to see him.

But now, Jackson was telling him that the person was dead.

“What happened?”

“Car accident.”

Jackson raised his voice, drowning out the surrounding music.”The traffic police said it was an accident, but I don’t think it’s that simple.” “Things were difficult from the start, like someone was interfering.”

“After we picked him up, there were accidents all the way. I sent extra people, three cars, and the one he was in was the only one that crashed.

“Think hard, who else did you tell about this besides me?”

Ethan’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

He had only told Clara about this. But Clara had no reason to do this; she should want to know who drugged her more than anyone else.

Which left…

He looked up at Jackson.

Jackson was stunned for a moment before realizing what Ethan was implying.”You suspect me?”

“Yes, my family wanted me to marry you off to my cousin, but we would never do something as low as drugging someone!”

“Besides, I didn’t even tell my family about finding this guy!”

Ethan withdrew his gaze, leaned back on the sofa, and closed his eyes.

Jackson made sense. Only a second-rate family would resort to such tactics.

Seven years ago, at that birthday party, Robert Anderson was only there because Clara had just gotten her invitation to the University of Cambridge and he’d leveraged his connection as a partner of the Carter family.

Ethan Carter’s eyes snapped open.

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Clara wouldn’t have slipped the drug, but that didn’t mean Robert wouldn’t!

Over the years Clara had been married to him, Robert had used the Carter family’s name to rake in a ton of benefits.

Besides, that day at the Hospital, Robert had just left the room when he and Clara were talking about investigating the matter. He might have overheard something.

He used to think Robert was Clara’s biological uncle, having taken her in since she was a kid, and that they must have had a great relationship.

But now it seemed like Robert only saw Clara as a means to an end!

With that thought, Ethan sat up straight, leaned close to Jackson Taylor’s ear, and said in a low voice, “Look into Robert Anderson.”

“Got it.”

Jackson nodded, his expression serious.”Give me a few days. I promise I won’t spook him.”

He couldn’t rely on Jackson alone. With a lead to follow, Ethan didn’t want to waste any more time here. He stopped, stood up, grabbed his coat,

and started to leave.

Jackson quickly stopped him, “I already opened the wine. Aren’t you going to have a glass before you go?”

“It’s for you.”

Ethan adjusted his cuff, his tone flat.”I’ve got things to do.”

Jackson clicked his tongue and stood up as well.”You’re really becoming more and more boring. I don’t know what Clara saw in you.”

Ethan paused, shooting Jackson a cold glare before turning and leaving.

Neither of them noticed Mason leaning against a sofa in the shadows behind them.

He held a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid gleaming coldly in the light.

He took a sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing, collarbones sharp in the neon glow.

He’d heard every word of Ethan and Jackson’s conversation.

He thought back to that day at Carter Estate, to Clara saying to Ethan, “Marrying you wasn’t my intention.”

His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

He set down his glass, grabbed his phone, and sent a message to his assistant: “Investigate everything that happened to Clara Bennett at Ethan Carter’s birthday party seven years ago. I want every detail, no matter how small.”

If Clara hadn’t married Ethan willingly, he’d spend every last penny he had to get her divorced.

Sitting across from him, Emma Anderson had gone pale.

She hadn’t heard the whole conversation, but she was sure Ethan was investigating what happened years ago.

Robert had paid off the person who spiked the drink a long time ago, but now that Ethan was suspicious, it was only a matter of time before he traced it back to the Anderson family.

Even without proof, the Carter family’s fury was more than the Anderson family could handle.

No, she couldn’t just sit back and wait for disaster to strike!

She had to ruin Clara’s standing in the Carter family and make Ethan hate her before he uncovered the truth!

Emma pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling as she texted Olivia:”Ms. Bennett, did you get your hands on the proof of Clara’s miscarriage?”

“This can’t be delayed any longer. Stellar Horizon AI is waiting for you to come back and take charge. The longer it takes for you to clear your name, the more the company loses.”

Meanwhile, Olivia was sitting on the living room sofa, clutching her phone, glancing at the door every few seconds.

Victor had promised to help her get Clara’s miscarriage records, but it had been days, and still no word.

Just as she was getting anxious, the front door opened.

Victor walked in, handing his coat to the maid, a look of weariness on his face.

“Big brother!”

Olivia immediately approached him with a plate of fruit, standing on tiptoe to offer it to him.”Have some grapes, to help you unwind.” Victor ate one from her hand, then reached out to pat her head, his voice full of affection.”Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I slept too much during the day; I can’t fall asleep.”

Olivia frowned, deliberately looking aggrieved.”I want to go back to work at Stellar Horizon. It’s so boring staying home all day.”

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“I wonder when I’ll be able to clear my name and stop the Carters from targeting me.”

As she spoke, she changed the subject, her eyes filled with anticipation.”Oh, by the way, did your friend get Clara’s medical records?” Victor looked at her eager expression, a smile playing on his lips. He took a file from his briefcase and handed it to her.

“When have I ever broken a promise to you?”

Olivia quickly took it and opened it.

After confirming that Clara had indeed undergone the surgery herself, she jumped up excitedly, her eyes shining like stars.

“Thank you, big brother! With this, when I go back to work, everyone will know that Clara didn’t want the child and that I wasn’t the one who caused it!”

Victor watched her gleeful expression, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes.

He had actually contacted Clara before, wanting to give her another chance to clarify to the Carters that Olivia wasn’t the reason she lost the child.

But Clara hadn’t responded or met with him.

Since she wouldn’t give him the time of day, he wouldn’t show her any mercy either.

“Look at you, just wanting to clear your name after Clara smeared it. Aren’t you going to get revenge?”

Olivia paused, looking up at him, her eyes full of confusion. “What?”

Of course, she wanted revenge, wanted to ruin Clara Bennett’s reputation, but she didn’t dare say that to Victor Bennett, afraid of destroying the image she had painstakingly built in his mind over the years.

Victor Bennett patted her head and sighed.

If his sister remained this naive and artless, she would suffer greatly in the future.

“Clara has ruined your reputation, and you can choose to ignore that. However, this matter has affected the Bennett family’s reputation, so I can’t stand by.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to Nova AI, first to let people in her company know about this, and then to tell the Carter family, so that the Carters will clear your name. How about that?”

Olivia’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded vigorously, “Yes! You’re the best brother ever!”

This would save her a lot of trouble.

Clara, this time, let’s see how you can turn things around!

–

Late at night, on an empty road.

Ethan Carter’s leather shoes crunched on the fallen leaves on the ground, his hands in his pockets as he wandered aimlessly down the street. The conversation from earlier echoed in his mind. If Clara hadn’t drugged him seven years ago, what was his neglect, cold violence, and even humiliation toward Clara all these years?

A sharp pain shot through his heart.

Unconsciously, Ethan realized he had walked to the bottom of Clara’s apartment building.

He looked up, spotting the yellowish glow of a light from Clara’s apartment balcony, where he could make out several figures moving inside. An involuntary thought surfaced in his mind.

Who could be at Clara’s place this late?

Was it Ryan Walker? Or Mason Walker?

The thought alone caused Ethan’s fists to clench.

He realized it wasn’t too late to fix his mistakes. He would protect Clara this time, apologize to her properly. Clara could only be his.