It didn't matter to Nidia that she had only given birth not long ago. She immediately rushed to the nearest police station to file a report.
A female officer approached her with a box of tissues and said, "Sit down and try to speak properly. Your child was kidnapped? By whom? And where did this happen?"
"By his father, at the hospital. My child was kidnapped by his father!" Nidia cried.
She didn't know what else she could do. All she knew was that she needed to file a report.
During her eight months of pregnancy, Nidia didn't hide herself on purpose. Baile City was large after all, with a population of more than two million people. It would be nearly impossible for the child's father to find her!
Due to the urgency of her condition, however, she made it to television. Her face and her pregnancy were exposed to the public, causing the father to be able to find them easily.
That man had no information on her at all. She could say the same for him as well.
All she knew about him was he's male and that he's alive.
Suddenly, her phone started vibrating. After picking up the call, Nidia's friend Lily Williams spoke from the other side of the phone. "Nidia, come home right now! A man said he wants to see you, and that he's going to bring you to your child!"
Nidia's expression changed immediately.
"Okay, I'm on my way now." Nidia replied. All she could hear was the word 'child.' As of that very moment, that was the only thing of importance.
Running out of the police station, Nidia got herself a ride and went back home immediately. It took her fifteen minutes to reach her house. Just as she reached her neighbourhood, she saw two black cars parked at the side.
The door to one of the black cars opened. A middle-aged man in a suit stepped out and stood in front of Nidia. She had a feeling this was the person who would bring her to her child.
"Miss South, I'm sorry. The young master is now crying due to starvation. Please follow us." Dylan said, bowing to her. She was the mother of the young master after all, as well as the woman who had spent a special night with his boss. It would be best for him to show her utmost respect.
Nidia clenched her fists tightly and asked, "Where is my child, you kidnappers?"
"I'm sorry Miss South. I can't answer that. If you have any questions, you can ask my boss later." Dylan decided not to say anything he wasn't supposed to, and to only follow the orders given to him.
Nidia's eyes reddened in anger. Despite this, she still got into his car. She wanted to see her child, after all.
Just as the familiar streets of Baile City flashed past the car window, the car drove into a mansion surrounded by tall steel gates. The mansion seemed old but sturdy, with vines covering its walls.
Nidia had lived in Baile City for years. When she was around 14, she would pass by this very mansion on her way to school. Back then, she could only see the gates.
Now, she was being brought into these very gates. Past the gates was a garden and an artificial pond. It took a good five minutes to reach the mansion.
As a young girl, whenever she and her mother passed by this mansion after school, her mother would warn her to never play around this area. It wouldn't be wise for them to anger the people who were living there.
Little did she know that she would be involved with anyone living here years later.
After exiting the car, Dylan brought Nidia inside the mansion with nary an explanation.
"This mansion belongs to the master. He drops by sometimes." At the staircase, Dylan signalled Nidia. "You'll be living here from now on, Miss South. This way, it's more convenient for you to feed the young master."
Nidia held her breath. "I'll be living here?"
"Yes, you'll be living here." Dylan tried to soften his words as much as possible. "The master said that the young master is part of the Cunningham bloodline. He shouldn't be left to the outside world. However, the young master wants to be breastfed, so..."
....
Nidia immediately understood what Dylan was trying to imply. This was a threat!
If she refused to cooperate with their master, she wouldn't be able to see her child.
A professional maternity matron, Mariana, arrived some time later and requested Nidia to shower. With skilled movements, Mariana used a breast pump to extract milk from Nidia and stored it in a bottle to be sent to the baby later.
After the milk bottle was prepared, Mariana turned to Nidia. "You should get some rest, Mistress. Don't move around so much. The postpartum confinement process is very important."
"I'm no mistress." Nidia said coldly.
Mariana shook her head and sighed. It would seem that their mistress was still angry with the master. She decided not to continue the conversation and prepared a postpartum meal for Nidia.
The meal looked really good and was also very nutritious. Even so, Nidia had no appetite. However, she knew she still had to eat some for the sake of her baby. She was worried she wouldn't be able to produce enough milk to feed him.
After dinner, Nidia decided to curl up on the sofa and stared blankly into space.
Around 10 p.m., a black Rolls-Royce Ghost parked in front of the mansion. The chauffeur got out of the car and opened the door for someone. A beautiful man stepped out.
Nidia was curled up in a ball on the sofa, fast asleep. Her eyebrows were furrowed. It would seem she wasn't having a good sleep.
As Jackson entered the mansion, he noticed the woman who was sleeping on the sofa. It would seem Mariana had done a pretty good job. She had prepared long sleeved, purely cotton pyjamas for Nidia as well.
"Why is she sleeping on the sofa?" Jackson asked in his calm, deep voice. It was difficult to see through his emotions.
Mariana grew frightened and immediately explained, "Master, I tried convincing the mistress, but she refused to sleep in the bedroom."
Their conversation woke Nidia up. She then realized that this was no mere dream, and that she was indeed still in the mansion.
As her vision became clearer, she noticed a man standing in front of her. He seemed young and tall, and his beautiful features made him seem like a cold statue. His eyes were filled with such maturity, it was as if an old soul lived in his young body.
In the instant Nidia's eyes met his, a distant memory played in her mind like a movie.
It felt as if what occurred eight months ago in that VIP hotel room just happened yesterday. Everything flashed through her mind, the memories still as clear...
Mariana spoke up, "Mistress, I'll go heat up the fish soup for you. I'll have it served in a bit. The young master will want more milk after he wakes up, after all."
Mariana took the opportunity to rush back into the kitchen.
In this large, chilling, unfamiliar living room, Nidia slowly sat up on the sofa. Earlier this morning, she was too worried about the whereabouts of her child. Her whole body had become numb, as if she was a living corpse.
After being able to take some rest and relax, shifting her body so suddenly caused her wound to tear slightly. Nidia inhaled sharply, furrowing her brows as pain shot through her body once more.
"Mistress, the soup is ready." Mariana said, as she served the hot fish soup in a small bowl. She placed it on the dining table.
Seeing that Nidia was having a hard time standing up, Mariana then turned to her master, who seemed to be acting like a stranger to his own wife. "Master, the mistress has a tear down there. She shouldn't move around too much since she's still healing. You should be more caring towards her. Be a gentleman and help her to the dining table."
Nidia raised her head to look at Mariana. Then, she took a brief glance at the man.
She shook her head and said, "No, it's alright. It doesn't hurt."
"Are you still angry with the master? You must be!" Mariana looked as if she had experienced this. "It's very painful to give birth. Master, you should take better care of the mistress."
Jackson was wearing an open coat, revealing the grey dress shirt underneath. When he heard what Nidia had said, he wrapped his arms around her waist and legs, and immediately picked her up without her consent.
"Hey, put me down this instant!" Nidia yelled.
She would rather die than be picked up by him! Eight months ago, she had only wanted to inform him that he was being manipulated. He, on the other hand, decided that it was an appropriate time to kiss her and take her virginity.
Nidia felt extremely awkward. This cradling position would press her chest against his rock hard abs... As they headed to the dining table, the fabric of their clothes rubbed, causing friction. Nidia decided to hold her breath, afraid that her breathing would cause more friction between their bodies.
Even after being placed carefully on the leather chair, Nidia could feel her heart pounding like thunder.
"Now that's much better. Master, you should be more caring towards the mistress.
She almost lost her life during labour! I know I'm supposed to help the mistress apply medicine on her wound, but now I'll let you do it instead, master. Please help the mistress apply her medicine. She gave birth to your child. As her husband, it's only right for you to help her." Mariana said, placing the spoon next to the bowl.
Nidia felt her cheeks burning up. "I can apply that myself."
"And how would you do that?" Mariana said, matter-of-factly. "Your wound tears up past your behind. How would you know how far it tears, mistress? Even if you lowered your head, you still won't be able to tell. This requires proper treatment, or else the wound might worsen! On rainy days, the wound might even itch!"
"But I don't feel comfortable with having others applying medicine for me down there." Nidia said. She gulped down the fish soup.
The fish soup tasted weird, but she wanted to get it over and done with. All she wanted was to ensure her son had enough milk.
"Why did you only drink this little? Are you a cat?" The man stared at the small empty bowl. He then turned to Mariana. "Are you sure this would help her produce enough milk?"
Among the three, Mariana was the only professional with enough experience to tell.
Nidia knew he only meant well for their son, but his wording was a little infuriating.
Produce milk? Does he see her as a mere cow?
"Don't worry, I'll make sure that my baby has enough milk!" Nidia said abrasively.
"Serve her another bowl." Jackson said to Mariana, ignoring Nidia.
Nidia was infuriated. She really wanted to slap this man who had stolen custody of her baby, or perhaps yell at him so he knows his place. However, she was the one who wanted to give birth in secret. If she got into an argument with him, she would lose.
Nidia felt extremely helpless. She was just a mere office worker. She had nothing to compete against this rich and powerful man!
Just then, a doctor came from upstairs and stood at the staircase. "Mr. Cunningham, the child is awake. You can come and check up on him."
Jackson took a glance in Nidia's direction, and then went upstairs to check up on the child.
Nidia wanted to see her child as well. She tried doing so in the morning, but to her demise, she was stopped by the bodyguards.
Dylan explained, "Miss South, forgive us. We can't let you near the child. Before the child's condition stabilizes, you can only watch him through the surveillance cameras."
"Why?" Nidia asked. She was the mother of the child. It was only right for her to be able to see her child!
Dylan was conflicted, but he explained, "Miss South, as a mother who had just lost custody of their child, we don't know what extreme measures you might take. If you were to leave this place with your child... However, I must admit that is impossible. But if you happen to struggle and hurt the baby in the process, or perhaps even frighten it, Mr. Cunningham will be furious. None of us can pay the price for this."
Nidia decided it wasn't wise to make any sudden movements, but instead wait for a chance to have a talk. How could a child be separated from his mother after being born?
After finishing her soup, Nidia returned to her room. She laid on her bed and watched her baby through the surveillance cameras.
Jackson could be seen entering the room as he spoke to the doctors. During their conversation, his eyes were fixated on the small baby. His eyebrows were furrowed together, seemingly worried about the baby's condition.
Nidia on the other hand, could only read Jackson's expression to tell how her baby's health was doing.
Just then, from the surveillance cameras, he picked up the baby's small, wrinkly foot with his big hands. He then lowered his head to plant a gentle kiss on the baby's soft feet.
Only then Nidia realized how great a father's love was...
....
Seeing this heartwarming father-son moment, Nidia was unsure how to feel.
The baby woke up in the incubator. The doctor then fed him milk and changed his diapers. He kept sucking on his fingers, licking his chubby little wrists as well. It was as if he was still hungry.
Looking at the baby's pure and innocent face, Nidia smiled. He was extremely adorable, and his innocence seemed to be able to chase any rain clouds away.
After the man left the baby's room, he was out of the surveillance camera's field of vision. However, Nidia continued watching the cameras. She just wanted to keep watching her baby.
Jackson opened the door to Nidia's bedroom, catching her attention. The ethereal man seemed to be holding a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a pack of cotton buds.
Thinking back to what Mariana had said before, Nidia was slightly taken aback. Is he here to...?
This must be a joke! The famous tycoon Jackson Cunningham, applying medicine on her perineal tear? She already said that she didn't need him to, but he still came over. How is he such a creep?
Jackson, still maintaining a calm expression, opened the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and set it aside. He then took a cotton bud and dipped it into the solution. After doing so, he lifted her blanket and looked her in the eye.
"Are you going to take it off yourself? Or do you want me to help you with that?" His voice was brimming with charm.
"I said I don't need help from anyone." Nidia protested. "What do you not understand?"
"I'm not just anyone." Jackson said. "I'm the child's father, the one who caused you such pain."
So, does that mean that he has the responsibility to apply medicine for her?
'What kind of logic is that?' She stared at him, speechless. He put down the cotton bud in his hand and placed it on the bottle cap of the hydrogen peroxide.
Nidia let out a sigh, thinking that he was going to leave her alone now. However, in just a second, she felt a sudden force flipping her over. With swift movements, her pants were pulled down to her knees.
"What's wrong with you?" Nidia yelled as she was being pinned down with a soft blanket.
As Jackson applied the medicine onto her tear, she didn't feel any pain at all. She only felt extremely awkward, as if she was being drowned in awkwardness.
"Your condition was very urgent, so the tear was unpreventable. I apologize for what I've done to you that night." Jackson said in his cold, deep voice.
Listening to his apology, Nidia didn't feel like he was genuinely apologizing. His tone of voice sounded like he was showing off!
She then snapped back, "You're not as good as you think you are, you know? Don't you know that soil becomes more fertile while cows die of exhaustion?"
Nidia's cheeks flushed, painted a bright shade of red. She immediately regretted her words. How could she say such embarrassing things out of anger?
"Really now? I checked the doctor's reports, and your soil seems to be infertile though?" Jackson said, placing down the cotton bud. He seemed to have finished applying medicine, and his facial expression remained as calm as ever.
Nidia fell speechless again.
This man is a monster!
Jackson came and went like the wind. Nidia stayed still as she waited for the medicine to dry. However, she could hear the car engine starting from downstairs.
Nidia had no idea when and how she was able to fall asleep that night.
The next morning, just as Nidia opened her eyes, she started reminiscing about what happened last night. She drank a bowl of soup and had another nutritious breakfast.
After that, she extracted her breast milk with the pump and returned to her room quietly. She wanted to watch her baby through the cameras again.
Everyday was the same for her. All she could do was eat and sleep. This continued for a week, whereas Jackson had never come by the mansion again.
Apart from the team of doctors, only Mariana and Nidia stayed in the mansion.
Everything was quiet and peaceful. However, it didn't take long till this peace was interrupted.
After her afternoon nap, Nidia noticed Jackson was in the cameras once again.
The tall man was wearing a suit, as per usual. Even though the world's top specialists were in the room as well, they stood at the side, seemingly to be pressured by his extremely strong aura. Nidia, on the other hand, had an unrealistic idea pop up in her head...
She wanted to talk it out with him so that he could return her child's custody. He seemed to be a very busy man, after all. He's hiring others to handle the child, anyway.
Being able to only watch her child through cameras roused Nidia's desire to take care of her child. She wanted to be by her son's side, watching every second of his growth.
After quite a while, Jackson walked out of the room, the team of doctors bowing to him as he exited. Nidia saw this and immediately jumped out of bed.
Jackson went to the study room after visiting his child. The study room was 100 square miles wide, with books aligned on every shelf.
It would seem that... Jackson was having an online meeting, and they were discussing the procedures on the land in the Imperial District.
After 20 minutes or so, Nidia overheard the meeting had ended. She took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Jackson said without looking up. He had assumed one of the doctors was at the door.
However, it was a female's voice. "Are you free?"
Jackson looked up, his features beautiful and defined under the sunlight.
It would seem that there was still a person left in the meeting. This person didn't catch Nidia's faint voice and thought Jackson was alone in the study room. Suddenly, a cheery voice bounced off the laptop's speakers.
"Pfft! I heard our stone hearted fourth brother had finally succumbed to lust! Haha!
Tell us, how many times did you f*ck her, huh? She even took birth control pills, but she still ended up pregnant!"