Chapter 173
Isabella stepped into the study and settled onto the plush leather sofa.
She met Nathaniel’s gaze directly. “I want to talk about Oliver’s grandparents,” she began. “He’s mentioned things to me. It sounds like they don’t approve of him. I believe his seizures might be connected to that emotional distress. To truly help him heal, we need to address the pain he’s carrying inside.”
Logically, a child conceived through IVF surrogacy would still be a Blackwood. He would still be their grandchild. There was no reason for such deep-seated animosity.
Nathaniel’s expression darkened instantly. The world believed Oliver was a surrogate child, but he knew the painful truth.
Five years ago, under the influence of a powerful drug, he had spent a night with a mysterious girl at The Grand Monarch hotel.
High society deemed the incident a sordid scandal. His grandparents and parents were utterly disgusted by the unknown woman he had been with.
He could still vividly recall her: fragile, sweet, and trembling like a frightened dove. He had been completely captivated.
Afterward, he had searched for her relentlessly. He turned the city upside down. His efforts yielded nothing.
He found Oliver later that same year, during a bitterly cold winter. The infant was in a morgue, his breathing faint. Nathaniel’s heart shattered. He brought the baby home. Oliver clung to life inside an incubator.
A subsequent blood transfusion confirmed the shocking truth: Oliver was his biological son.
Nathaniel was certain the girl from that night was the mother. She was the only one. The discovery tore the Blackwood family apart.
They viewed the sickly child as a burden. They believed his mother was a curse. Some were convinced it was a calculated scheme to exploit the Blackwood fortune.
The Blackwoods were pillars of aristocracy. Oliver’s existence was seen as a stain on their legacy. The family pressured Nathaniel relentlessly to send the boy away, overseas.
He fought them all, defiant. He kept Oliver by his side. This was the reason he now avoided the family estate entirely.
Isabella’s question left him speechless. Should he confess that Oliver was his biological son? Should he reveal the truth about that night and the other woman?
Would she be able to accept his past? The fear that the truth would make her despise him was paralyzing.
“It’s nothing serious,” he finally said, his voice tight. He took a slow sip of coffee. “They are just traditional. They disapprove of the concept of IVF. Oliver has had seizures since infancy. They see it as a bad omen.”
‘Is that all?’ Isabella frowned, unconvinced. “Mr. Blackwood, you must resolve this. It’s difficult enough for a child to grow up without a mother. Having his own family reject him is too heavy a burden for a young heart. A child needs a real family, not just a father.”
Nathaniel nodded slowly. “You’re right, Ms. Montgomery. I will speak with them. I will try to change their minds.”
Isabella trusted he would keep his word. Satisfied, she left to prepare a fruit platter for Oliver.
The moment the door closed, Nathaniel’s composure broke.
A wave of anxiety crashed over him.
‘What if Isabella discovers my past? Will she still look at me the same way?’
‘What if she finds out about that girl? What will I do?’
Tormented by doubt, he picked up his phone. His fingers moved quickly, sending a message on WhatsApp.