After Prison I Rushed into Marriage with a Comatose Tycoon-Chapter 96: An Erratic Heartbeat

’I can protect my own mom.’

That sentence was clearly written in the little guy’s innocent eyes.

Shane Lockwood stared coldly at the little thing before him, his imposing aura washing over the boy without restraint.

Emmett Lockwood’s face turned deathly pale, his frail body swaying as if it might collapse. But the look on his small face grew even more defiant as he enunciated each word, "This is the last time."

After a long moment, Shane Lockwood suddenly smiled. "Not bad. You’re my son, after all."

Shane Lockwood’s aura was one forged from years in a position of power. Even a grown man would have buckled under it by now, but Emmett Lockwood held on. He even lifted his small head defiantly, not backing down for a single moment. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Emmett Lockwood huffed. "I’m amazing because I’m Mom’s son."

As he said this, the expression on Emmett Lockwood’s little face suddenly dimmed.

No matter how loudly he proclaimed it, he knew deep down that she wasn’t his birth mother.

The next second, Emmett Lockwood’s spirits lifted again.

’It’s no big deal.’

’He was too little when he was born to choose his own mom.’

’But it’s different now. He’s grown up, and he’ll get even bigger. Can’t he even decide who his mom is? Of course he can.’

Shane Lockwood ignored Emmett Lockwood and turned to look at Eliza Sutton, who was playing dead off to the side.

"What are you standing there for? Get over here."

"Oh." Eliza Sutton walked over and forced herself to address him. "Mr. Lockwood."

"Mm. Let’s go." With a taut expression and a heavy tone, Shane Lockwood turned his wheelchair around.

Eliza Sutton followed behind, holding Emmett Lockwood’s hand.

Seeing Eliza Sutton’s silence, Emmett Lockwood thought she was scared and whispered comfortingly, "Don’t be afraid, Mom. Dad won’t dare do anything to you. I’ll be the one in charge of the Lockwood family in the future."

Eliza Sutton wanted to say that she wasn’t scared, just guilty.

It felt like getting into a fight at school and having the teacher call your parents.

Although, after her mother died, she’d never had a teacher call her parents again.

Not because she never made mistakes, but because she didn’t have any parents.

There’s a saying that once a stepmother arrives, your father becomes a stepfather. That certainly held true in the Sutton family.

On the way back, Emmett Lockwood wanted to ride with her but was led to another car by Erik Irvine.

Inside the Bugatti Veyron.

Eliza Sutton sat to the side while Shane Lockwood handled some documents. The only sound in the car was the scratching of his pen on paper.

Eliza Sutton was the first to speak. "Mr. Lockwood, I was in the wrong today."

"Oh? And what exactly were you wrong about?" Shane Lockwood’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was filled with pressure.

Eliza Sutton said in a low voice, "I was wrong to drag Emmett into my reckless behavior."

Emmett Lockwood is the Little Prince of the Lockwood family, and he might even be Shane Lockwood’s only child in this lifetime. His status is precious. The punks they ran into today were nothing, but in this world, there’s always a ’what if’.

That was a ’what if’ that neither she nor Shane Lockwood could afford.

"You think that’s what you did wrong?" Shane Lockwood’s brows furrowed, and his tone grew heavier.

Eliza Sutton was a bit stunned by his question. ’What... what else could it be?’

Eliza Sutton wondered if her attitude wasn’t sincere enough, making Shane Lockwood think she wasn’t truly admitting her mistake.

Eliza Sutton put on an expression of deep remorse. "Mr. Lockwood..."

"Just be quiet," Shane Lockwood interrupted her. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he couldn’t help but say, "Idiot."

As he spoke, he flicked her on the forehead.

"..." Eliza Sutton clutched her head, completely dumbfounded.

’I mean, scold me if you’re going to scold me, but why the personal attack? And why flick me? Where are your manners?’

Shane Lockwood said, "Still won’t admit you’re an idiot? If you had been willing to take bodyguards with you when you left, none of this would have happened today."

The Lockwood family’s bodyguards are all elites. Even a hundred punks like that wouldn’t have been able to get close.

"I admit I was reckless in that regard."

She was used to being on her own.

"But the reason we got into a conflict today was because that kid called Emmett a bastard with no mother. This isn’t a small matter. It’s his classmates bullying him."

Eliza Sutton’s tone was pained.

’Bullying.’ Just hearing the word felt like it was dripping with blood. She, who had lost her mother, had experienced it before. And now Emmett Lockwood, whose status was a thousand times more privileged than hers had been, was also going through it.

Shane Lockwood hadn’t expected to hear that word from Eliza Sutton’s mouth. His expression was one of astonishment, but he could tell from her face that it was true.

Shane Lockwood suddenly lowered his head toward Eliza Sutton and said, apologetic and grateful, "Thank you for telling me this. I’ve been neglectful of Emmett. It won’t happen again."

Eliza Sutton froze.

She never thought Shane Lockwood would bow his head to her, that he would admit his fault, that he would say it wouldn’t happen again.

Suddenly, Eliza Sutton realized she had been wrong.

Shane Lockwood had reached a high position at a young age. He had all the pride of a man of his status, but he was also different.

He was also a father—a father who truly doted on his child and was willing to lower his head for his child’s sake.

"Oh... Okay."

For some reason, Eliza Sutton felt her heartbeat fall out of rhythm.

Shane Lockwood smiled slightly and looked up at Eliza Sutton. "My previous offer still stands. I hope you’ll consider it carefully." He paused, then added, "Eliza Sutton, I won’t treat you unfairly."

Shane Lockwood said he wouldn’t treat her unfairly.

And Eliza Sutton believed him.

Although everyone said Yama Lockwood was ruthless—and she used to think so too—after spending time with Shane Lockwood...

Eliza Sutton knew that no matter how ruthless his methods were, he never mistreated his own people.

But Eliza Sutton’s flustered heartbeat returned to normal.

’Trusting a man is exceedingly foolish, and no one gets away with it without paying a heavy price.’

Eliza Sutton had been foolish once before; she didn’t want to be that foolish again.

"Okay. I’ll consider it carefully," Eliza Sutton agreed with a smile. She paused and then said, "I want you to believe, Mr. Lockwood, that even if our marriage ends, nothing will change for me when it comes to Emmett. As long as he’s willing, he can always be my son. I think..."

’I think my two babies would like Emmett.’

It had been over a month since she was released from prison.

Ever since she found out Theo was missing, she had Woody arrange for countless people to search, but they still hadn’t found him.

It was as if Theo had never existed.

The thought of Theo, only two weeks old when he was lost, made Eliza Sutton’s heart feel like it was being dropped into a wok of boiling oil.

She had to find her lost Theo, even if it took everything she had for the rest of her life.

Shane Lockwood waited a moment before asking, "You think what?"

"Nothing." She remembered Shane Lockwood’s fury when he learned she’d had another man and other children. She didn’t want to bring it up with him again.

Shane Lockwood looked at the smile on Eliza Sutton’s face, his brow twitching slightly, but ultimately, he didn’t press the issue.

"Where are you planning to go?"