Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 70

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Chapter 70

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“You wouldn’t dare!”

Before Clara could finish speaking, Ethan frowned and grabbed her wrist, his long fingers clamping down on the hand holding the phone.

His eyes darted with a flicker of panic as he stared at the “Calling” display on her phone, and without hesitation, he stabbed a finger to end the

call.

“Clara, I’m telling you one last time, this divorce isn’t happening,” Ethan said.

He locked his gaze on Clara.”Not unless you’re willing to walk away with nothing.”

His voice was a low, gravelly rumble, edged with an undeniable forcefulness.

But if you listened closely, you could catch a subtle tremor beneath the surface.

Ethan never imagined it would come to this, that the only leverage he had to keep Clara was money.

Clara lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice hoarse.”We’ll see about that, Ethan.”

The reason she hadn’t revealed that she knew about the surrogacy was because,

Her lawyer, Brown, had warned her that the Carters wielded immense power in Chicago. If Ethan knew she had proof,

The Carter family might try to bribe officials, destroy her evidence, or resort to other underhanded tactics, which would severely damage her chances in court and her ability to secure a fair settlement.

Clara wasn’t one for empty threats or rash actions.

Until she could deliver a fatal blow, all she could do was endure.

Margaret watched the standoff between the two, a glint of calculation flickering in her eyes.

If Clara really wanted a divorce and took it to court, she might actually get a share of the assets.

She needed to find a way to gather evidence of Clara’s infidelity during the marriage, to make sure she got as little as possible, maybe even nothing at all.

Ryan saw Ethan gripping Clara’s hand tighter and tighter, even leaving red marks on her skin. He stepped forward, grabbed Ethan’s hand, and pulled it away.

His voice was stiff.”Let go. You’re hurting her.”

Ethan glared at Ryan, about to say something, when the hospital room door creaked open and a nurse hurried out, looking anxious.

“Mr. Carter, your grandfather is awake and asking for you specifically.”

Ethan gave Clara one last look, his expression unreadable, then turned and strode into the room.

Margaret tried to follow, but the nurse stopped her.”Mrs. Carter, your father-in-law specifically requested that only Mr. Carter enter.”

She could only stand there, frustrated, watching the door to the room with a worried expression.

Inside, the white sheets made James Carter’s face look even more pale. He was propped up on the pillows, his breathing shallow, even opening his eyes seemed like a huge effort.

When he saw Ethan come in, his cracked lips moved slightly, his voice as light as a feather.”Eth… Eth.”

“Grandpa.”

Ethan walked to the bedside, bending down to take his grandfather’s hand. The heat radiating from the old man’s fingertips was higher than normal, a painful reminder of his frailty.

He had never seen James Carter so weak. When had the stern patriarch, the one who had held the Carter family together after his father’s death, become so frail?

The old man stared at him, his clouded eyes suddenly clearing with a moment of lucidity. He spoke slowly, each word deliberate:”Did you use Clara Bennett as a surrogate?”

That night, he had indeed received a call from Victor Bennett, learning that Clara had terminated the pregnancy herself.

But the old man wasn’t angry. He knew how much Clara had valued that child. If there hadn’t been a compelling reason, she would never have done it. So he had called his assistant, asking him to investigate.

But the assistant told him that the child in Clara’s womb wasn’t hers at all, but rather a fertilized egg from Ethan and another woman. James Carter had never imagined that his grandson, whom he had always been so proud of, would do such a thing to his wife!

Even after so many years navigating the treacherous waters of business, even though he considered himself to have abandoned ordinary values and become purely profit-driven,

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he still couldn’t fathom using someone as a surrogate, especially without their knowledge!

The shock had been too much for the old man’s heart, and he’d collapsed.

Ethan’s body stiffened at his grandfather’s words, his grip tightening involuntarily around the elderly man’s hand.

He had believed he’d covered his tracks perfectly, that even Clara was none the wiser. He never imagined his grandfather would uncover the truth.

“I asked you a question. Did you force Clara to be a surrogate!”

“Yes.”

Ethan paused, “There were extenuating circumstances. It wasn’t as if I intentionally kept it from you, it’s just…”

He had only wanted to repay Natalie for saving him all those years ago, to give her an heir.

As long as Clara never found out, the child would stay with her, becoming a child for her and him to raise. Hearing Ethan confirm Clara’s surrogacy with his own ears, James slowly closed his eyes, breathing heavily. After a long moment, he calmed himself enough to ask, “Whose child was it?”

Ethan lowered his gaze, avoiding his grandfather’s eyes.

He couldn’t say it, didn’t dare to.

Even when he and Natalie were dating, James had never liked her, had even suggested he break

He feared his grandfather’s anger would only worsen if he spoke Natalie’s name.

“Answer me!”

up with her.

Seeing his silence, James Carter’s chest heaved with rage. He raised a hand to strike Ethan across the face, but his weakness betrayed him, and the slap fell short.

“She is your wife! How could you do something so unconscionable to her!”

James Carter gasped for breath, his voice sharp with fury.”Aren’t you afraid that if she finds out, she’ll tear you apart?!”

“Won’t you regret it then?!”

Ethan grasped James Carter’s hand, sitting beside him and calmly stroking his back.”Grandfather, if you don’t say anything. Clara will never know.”

Originally, before deciding to have Clara as a surrogate, Ethan hadn’t cared whether Clara found out or not.

What could Clara do even if she knew? At worst, they would tear each other apart. He wouldn’t care if Clara wanted a divorce.

But now it was different.

Now, he wouldn’t allow Clara to know about the surrogacy. If he set his mind to it, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Anyone who dared to let Clara know the truth would face his wrath. Clara could only be his.

“Clara is my wife, and we will have many, many children in the future.”

“Having her be a surrogate was wrong of me. I will give her many children in the future as compensation.”

“Therefore, she doesn’t need to know about this.”

It took James quite a while to catch his breath and calm down.

He was old now, gazing askance at Ethan. More than anyone, he knew his grandson’s nature-fierce and uncompromising. No one could stop him from doing what he wanted.

Those two kids are going to have a rough time ahead.

James closed his eyes, sighing,”Ethan, you’ll regret this one day.”

“Some things, once you’ve messed them up, you can’t fix.”

“Alright, get out of here and let Clara in.”

Ethan opened the door to leave, “Grandpa, I’m asking you to try and talk Clara out of this. I don’t want a divorce, and I don’t want to hurt her. If we go down that road, things will get ugly for everyone.”

James stared at the ceiling, lost for words.

A moment later, Clara walked in.

Seeing Clara, James’s eyes softened considerably.

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