on, showed up before his grandfather. The old man

I have something very ser

her's machinations all too well. Th

Terry replied. "I h

his piercing gaz

te your genetic code,"

ss what he had just heard. "My what?" "What

ly, as if he were dealing wi

an heir who will carry our blood," Steven

r air, his mind refusing to p

d. "I will not participate in this madne

mming his fist on the desk. "This is not a reque

, feeling anger and in

slightly. "But my empire cannot be left in the wrong hands. You are my only hope fo

f giving way to a mix o

ked sarcastically. "Or is my father not

He's wasted every chance I've given him. You are my only

ad, disgusted by t

l not lend my body to your twisted experimen

s, a cruel smile appeari

an icy voice, "I will be forced to withdraw your status

own mother for a handful of dollars. If he inherited the Stevenson empire, e

nuckles turned white. He felt trapped, furi

on one condition: I want it done in the most clinical and impersonal way

in his sunken eyes. He had won, as he always

be expected at the clinic first thing tom

sment, Terry arrived at the private clinic. A nurse greeted

tious smile that Terry thought was out of place. She handed him a sma

felt humiliated, reduced to nothing more tha

ly, the door opened, and a doctor walked in carrying a briefcase. Amelia shra

as meant to be calm, "I need you to relax, I'm go

trembling as she meekl

nd was performed. Amelia kept her eyes closed thro

ttered, more to himself than to Amelia. "I'll be

st as promised, th

ted all the relevant tests and can confirm that you are in enviable health. T

mered through tears. "Please

early uncomfortable with t

our situation, but tho

a sterile chamber into her room, the

ice, "we need you to lie down on the table. We ar

t she thought of resisting, of fighting

d her it would be useless, that th

ueezing her eyes shut, wishing it was all a

the ceiling. The tears had stopped falling, replaced

doctor returned, hi

"I regret to inform you that the preliminary t

to a new wave of terror as she realized

be led meekly, Amelia clung to the b

nd the two burly guards came to subdue her by force, immobilizing her whi

or came again and, after examining her, utt

s Roberts... You are

her hands on her still flat belly, f

a tear rolling down her cheek. "No matter what ha

ths, time passing slowly for Amelia

uldn't help but feel a warm emotion eve

hispered with a sad smile. "I would

oor abruptly opened. Two nurses entered pushi

d, sitting up with difficulty. "There

k at her, one of them appr

a screamed, panic growing in

e woman stuck the needle in her, and a power

sness in an operating room, she was on

stammered in terror. "My baby...

nurse replied in a nonchalant

pening. She wanted to scream, to move, to escape

oot of the stretcher and, with a practical movement,

ung woman howled d

le she struggled

to moan, her voice barely

filled the room, it was the

mall baby covered in blood that wa