No Strings Attached

Chapter 496

Connor looked genuinely puzzled. "Why? You guys were so in love. How did it end in divorce?"

Teo just shook his head with a wry smile. "It's a long story, and I'll tell you some other time. You guys go ahead. I've got to run."

Turning on his heel, he climbed into his car and drove off.

As Teo's car disappeared into the distance, Connor suddenly asked, "Do you like him?"

Katherine didn't bother to hide her feelings. "He's Brodie's father, but for the life of me, I can't remember when we were together. The injury I suffered was at the hands of his ex, Leonora. She's been after me, too, but I can't seem to remember who I am to press charges against her. That's why I want to try desensitization therapy."

At her words, Connor's usually gentle face instantly grew cold.

"I don't agree with you doing this! Dad finally found you, and I won't let anything happen to you. He must have wronged you back then. In school, there were so many girls lined up, ready to have his babies."

Katherine looked at him curiously. "You’re not still holding a grudge that he married Leonora, are you? Though that woman's as cruel as they come, you dodged a bullet not marrying her."

Connor's gaze darkened as he looked at Katherine, his voice low. "She wasn't always like that. She was kind, gentle, and virtuous. It must have been Teo's wild ways that changed her."

Hearing him defend Leonora like that, Katherine felt oddly uncomfortable.

She couldn't shake the feeling that Connor's eyes were off when he looked at her, as if he was seeing someone else through her.

Did he think she bore a resemblance to Leonora?

---

In the president's office at Hayes Corporation.

Anders knocked before entering. Ian was on a tense phone call, his brows knitted together in frustration.

He hung up and turned to Anders. "Has Leonora confessed yet?"

Anders shook his head. "No, she's admitted to everything else but won't talk about hurting Katherine. I think this must be tied to her and the organization behind her. She'd rather die than spill anything." Content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Ian took a deep breath. "She's the only one who's seen the real Zachary. If we put her to death, it'll only make it harder to find him."

"He's targeting Hayes Corporation again?"

"Several big consortia in Europe are ganging up on us, and from what I've gathered, they’re all part of the Devil's Claw. The situation is getting more dire. If we can't find Zachary soon, Hayes Corporation could be facing an even bigger crisis."

"I'll think of another way to pry open Leonora's lips. If we just knew what Zachary's current identity is, we could deal with him. We have a childhood photo of him, right? We could create a digital composite and use AI technology to get an idea of what he looks like now, make it easier to track him down."

Ian nodded. "That's already in motion. By the way, how's Elle doing? The last ultrasound raised some concerns about the baby."

At the mention of Elle, Anders' expression darkened a bit, and he spoke in a subdued tone.

"The doctor said one of the twins has a heart condition. Even if born, the child would have congenital heart disease."

Ian frowned. "Don't worry about that now. We'll deal with it once the baby is born. If necessary, we'll do a heart transplant. I'll find a donor."

"It's not that simple," Anders said. "The doctor thinks the baby might not make it to ten months. If complications arise, Elle will need to have a C-section and deliver both babies prematurely."

Elle was just over six months pregnant, with about four months to go. Even for twins, who often arrived early, usually at least make it to nine months. A premature delivery could seriously impact the other child's development.