😂

"Shhh... Lower your voice Ms Jones or else you will wake the child up." He said placing his finger on her lips.

She wasn't sure whether it was embarrassment or something else but she really hated the colour that crawled up her skin and was now heating her cheeks.

"Do you really think with your income as a translator you will be able to give him everything he would need? Eh, Ms Jones?"

Lilly looked at him narrowing her eyes.

"How do you know I work as a translator?"

Putting his hands in the pocket of his trousers he smiled at her.

"Proficient in English, French and German language. You have been doing some internships since your college days and working with J&K as a translator for almost an year now. Of course, I had a report on you. I needed to know who was looking after my nephew during all this time."

His eyes were gleaming with I-know-it- all look as he continued, "I must say I was impressed and looking at Sam so healthy I am even more impressed."

She looked at him speechless not sure what to say.

Ashton tilted his head a little as he smirked.

"So Ms Jones, my people never miss a thing. They never provide any wrong or incomplete information."

The pride at his team was evident in his voice.

'Though they didn't write how beautiful Miss Lilly Jones will be in person. Intriguing and fiery too. I think I will let them go on this one,' he added silently.

'What. The. Hell!' she screamed inwardly when she realised that he had a full report on her.

"Look," his voice caught her attention once again, "If you want to turn this simple deal into an ugly battle then I won't mind but you know well enough what the result will be. We both know that in the end you will lose at least nine tenth of your savings and also the chance of meeting Sam ever again."

Shrugging his shoulders he continued, "So be ready Ms Lilly because I will be coming back day after tomorrow with DNA reports in my hand and we will discuss the rest then. Till then you can decide the amount you want."

She stood rooted to the spot. Her body unmoving and her brain in revolt. Even though she hated to admit but she knew well enough he was stronger. He had a team of lawyers at the snap of his fingers and he would follow by every word he said just now.

"I don't care for any reports and my Sam is not a commodity." Lilly said seething with fury.

"And you are not here because you think he is a part of your family. You see him as a heir and not a family member. If all you worry about is inheritance then how about you go and marry someone and produce as many heirs as you want."

Her ferocious eyes met his as she continued, "Or is it that you are unable to Re.Pro.Duce.?" she spelt the last word slowly so that it was more clear to his ears.

Seeing an angry flush on Ashton's cheeks her heart smiled with satisfaction. She knew she should stop but the satisfaction she got from seeing a change in his contour was so immense that she couldn't stop herself more anymore.

"Huh. I knew it! That's why you- "

She couldn't even complete the sentence when Ashton pulled her from her waist and she collided with his hard chest.

Snaking an arm around her waist he held her tightly while she struggled in his hold.

"Miss Lilly Jones, don't play with fire or you will end up getting burned."

His taut muscles, thinned lips and clenched jaw indicated how hard he was trying to hold his anger.

Pushing her away he walked past her ready to leave.

'I would rather leave this house with Sam then let you win his custody.' she decided.

He stopped by the door and turned a little to look at her.

"Don't even think about trying to run away with my nephew. My bodyguards will guard this house and if you tried to run I will not even wait for two days for taking Sam with me."

Lilly was shocked to hear this. She was sure she hadn't said it out loud.

"And one more thing," he turned and looked into her eyes as he continued, "Sebastian died two months ago in a car accident."

With that he turned around and left through the door he had entered.

Lilly slumped on the floor shocked at the incidents that happened in the past 20 minutes of her life.

"Is he really dead?" she ran to her laptop and ran a search on the Sebastian King. Among the news and pictures of him partying with girls in pools and clubs there were articles which read..

"Sebastian King met with a deadly accident."

"Hier of King's empire is no more

There were many such articles along with the pictures of his funeral.

She couldn't believe her eyes. She wasn't sure if she should be happy that the person who was responsible for her sister's misery has died or whether she should feel sadness for the departed soul for he died in such a young age.

But at the moment what she felt the most was pity that he never got to see what a beautiful child he had created. Pity for the little Sam who lost both his parents even before he had ever seen of this world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- 2 Days Later -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ashton was driving to Lilly's house. Samuel really was Sebastian's child and the DNA report which were lying on the passenger seat was screaming the fact out loud. This time he was determined to fulfill his promise and no matter who it is this time he will not let anyone come in his way, the determination shone in his eyes.

"Even the little Miss fiesty Lilly Jones won't be able to stop me." he said to himself as his lips lifted a little from the corner adorning his face with the small smile.

It had been two days since he had last met her and he could still remember the daggers she had glared at his back and even in his eyes. He chuckled at the memory.

The figure of the women who had stood up to him stretching to her full height with fire in her eyes entered his mind making him wonder if the firey Miss Lilly was equally passionate in bed.

He stopped the car as the signal turned red and he eased his grip on the steering wheel. He still remember how a month ago his stepmother had entered his Seattle office and had told him about Sebastian's love child.

Ashton was the one who always had to deal with the women who came to him claiming that they were pregnant with Sebastian's child and he was way too tired to deal with that stuff anymore. They all were looking for a chance to squeeze the money out of him but this time it was different.

When his stepmother showed him the last recording of Sebastian in which he had confessed that he had got a woman named Sarah Jones pregnant. He had requested Ashton to at least check up on the child. Minutes later that confession Sebastian took his last breath.

Looking for Sarah Jones in this big blue world was like looking for a needle in a haystack but if the girl had Sebastian's child then that implied that Ashton had gotten one more chance to fulfil his promise and this time he will leave no stone unturned to fulfil those words.

It had taken a month's hard work by his team of detectives to find the women and create a complete report on her.

Sarah Jones, 24-year-old English woman was in relationship with Sebastian for more than one year and later she got pregnant and died soon after giving birth to a baby boy. The boy was named Samuel Jones who was now in the care of his aunt.

And an image of Lilly Jones looking angrily at him appeared again in his mind.

* Honk * Honk *

Sound of an impatient horn made him realise that the signal had turned green.

"Come on, man move!" the irritated man shouted from behind.

Pressing on the gas he moved the car to Ms Jones' house.

"This time I won't lose to anyone." he promised to himself.

~~~~~~~~~

Lilly was still in her nightshirt and silk shots as she started preparing the breakfast.

Placing a bread covered with jam and sipper filled with milk in front of the toddler she complained, "Come on! Sam. Was it really necessary for you to wake me up so early in the morning?"

"Maa...mee" the toddler replied as he picked up the sipper and started drinking the milk.

Lilly realised recently Sam had started calling her "Ma" instead of "Li".

Even though she was trying her best to fulfil the promise she had made to her sister, to care for Sam just like her own but she still couldn't bring herself to ask little Sam to call her mom because it felt like taking her sister's right and betraying her.

But during their recent visits to the park where she used to take Sam to play with other kids he had started learning new words everyday. Though his gibberish language was still not very clear but he still seems to make an effort seeing the other children talk.

When the kids in the park run to their mothers calling Mom he would run to Lilly calling 'Ma'.

Oh how that melt her heart every time. It brought a smile on her lips and tears of joy in her eyes.

" Sam ?" she called to the toddler who was still busy with his sipper.

Sam looked at her with his big doey eyes as she continued, "I promise I will never let anyone trouble you or take you away from me. I will never leave you alone. OK?"

"Kay! Kay!" he repeated banging his hands on the table as if agreeing to her words.

"I will not allowed even that stupid-" she stopped mid-sentence as she realised that she should use her words carefully in front of a toddler who had started adding new words in his dictionary.

Taking a deep breath she started again.

" I will not let that Ashton King come anywhere near you. We will not even take his name in this house because even his name is a bad omen." she said the last line more to herself than to the toddler.

Just as she took a bite from her toast the doorbell rang.