Annie shrugged. "If you don't believe me, you can have a professional confirm whether this hair is yours." Jethro lowered his head, silent, as if deliberately giving himself time to process a fact. Namely, that he had apparently gained a son out of nowhere. An instant father. Jett... His gaze drifted back to the boy. His fingers tightened slowly. A strange sensation prickled at his heart. The child's eyes did bear a faint resemblance to his own. If he weren't absolutely certain nothing had happened between him and Annie, he might have had a moment of doubt.Jethro shook his head slightly, shifting his attention away from Jett Roby. "What do you want from me?" he asked Annie bluntly. A thrill of excitement shot through Annie. She had expected to wait much longer, but everything was unfolding so smoothly. Was Jethro actually believing her this easily? It far exceeded her expectations. No, stay calm. Don't get carried away. Can't let him see through me. Annie lowered her eyes, adopting a humble tone. "Jethro, I don't need anything from you. Having Jett was my decision alone. I don't regret it, and I never expected the Blackwood family to acknowledge him. I just want him to grow up safe and healthy. I didn't mean to tell you about him—honestly. If Ms. Gale hadn't been so aggressive, I—" "Enough." Jethro's sharp gaze cut through her. "I know Darcy better than you do."He glanced at his watch. "I have business to attend to shortly. We'll end here for today. Where are you and the child staying?" "My foot isn't fully healed yet. I need regular check-ups," Annie said, offering a weak smile. "So, Jett and I are staying at a hotel near the hospital." Her smile turned sorrowful. "Once I've fully recovered in a little while, we'll leave. Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble or affect your relationship with Ms. Gale." Jethro ignored her last statement. Instead, he pulled a pen and a checkbook from his inner pocket. Annie's hands fluttered nervously. "What's this?" "Since the police ruled the accident was my fault," Jethro stated matter-of-factly, "the medical bills, subsequent rehabilitation costs, and compensation for lost wages are naturally my responsibility." He finished writing, tore out the check, and slid it across the table. Annie felt a flicker of disappointment at first.But when her eyes landed on all those zeros, her eyelashes fluttered wildly. She counted silently in her head—tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, a hundred thousand, millions... Six million dollars... This wasn't just for medical bills. This was— Child support! Annie clutched the check tightly, gazing at Jethro with rapturous eyes. She knew it. He still cared for her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have believed in Jett's existence so readily, and he certainly wouldn't have had a check prepared in advance. As Jethro left, he felt an intense, unmistakable gaze boring into his back from the coffee shop. He paused, his instincts kicking in, and scanned the surroundings with a wary eye. Seeing nothing suspicious, he continued on his way. "Did you get everything? All the angles?" Once Jethro was definitively gone, Annie asked eagerly, turning to the man at a table to her left. "Yes, Ms. Roby. Everything as you instructed." Annie took the digital camera and began scrolling through the photos, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "Good. The angles are perfect." Especially the shot of him handing over the check, with the child's profile perfectly framed in the background. Anyone seeing it would immediately wonder about the relationship between Jethro and the boy. And that was precisely the effect Annie wanted. "Sort these photos and send them to the toughest gossip hounds online," Annie instructed. The man hesitated.A few days ago, he'd seen Annie's gig posted online. He thought it was a regular shoot. Turned out it was a covert one. Now she wanted him to send the shots to the paparazzi. "That's... not right, is it?" he ventured, frowning. "Sending these to paparazzi is a major privacy violation." He was too far away to catch their conversation, yet the whole picture unfolded plainly enough: a classy guy, a woman, and a child. The classy guy handing over a check. Anyone with eyes could guess the child was the man's secret offspring. He'd bet anything the man was filthy rich, some corporate tycoon or scion of a powerful family. Messing with people like that sounded dangerous. Before he could voice a refusal, Annie pushed a black duffel bag across the table towards him. Rip— She pulled the zipper open just enough.Peering through the narrow gap, the man's eyes bulged. He swallowed hard. Annie smiled knowingly. "Don't worry. It's a cash transaction. Untraceable to you. Perfectly safe." The man wrestled with his conscience for a long moment. Finally, his greed won. "Alright. I'll send them." What do I have to fear? I'll send them and lay low. This much cash will set me up for years. A few days later, online platforms and local news feeds exploded with a bombshell story. Aethelburg's top-tier Blackwood heir had an illegitimate son.