Chapter 747

Nathaniel's jaw set in determination. "Yes, I want Charlotte. Full custody."

A fire ignited in Harrison's chest. Before she could stop herself, her hand flew up to strike his perfect face. But Nathaniel caught her wrist effortlessly, pulling her flush against his hard chest. "Trying to hit me, sweetheart?"

Harrison's voice was sharp. "You think you have any right to take Charlotte from me? I carried her, I raised her—what have you ever done?"

With effortless strength, Nathaniel lifted her and strode forward, depositing her onto his polished mahogany desk. He caged her in, palms flat on the surface, his towering frame blocking any escape.

"Who says I didn't contribute?" His smirk was infuriating. "Without me, Charlotte wouldn't exist. You stole my genes to make her."

Harrison's lips parted, then pressed into a thin line. He wasn't wrong—Charlotte did have his striking features, his sharp intellect. Gabrielle and Rosalind had joked that his genes were too good to waste.

But she'd be damned before admitting that now. "I don't want to discuss this!"

"Then what do you want to discuss?" His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "The fact remains—Charlotte is my daughter. If this goes to court, do you honestly think you can win? The judge will side with me."

Her stomach twisted. The power imbalance was undeniable. Judges favored stability, resources—things Nathaniel had in spades.

Her gaze locked onto his piercing eyes. Desperation clawed at her throat. "Please," she whispered, voice breaking. "Don't take her from me. She's everything to me. For what we once had—just let me keep her."

Nathaniel studied her, a predatory gleam in his eyes. His lips curved. "Is this you begging, Harrison?"

She swallowed her pride. "Yes. Nathaniel—Mr. Hawk—I'm begging you."

A dark chuckle rumbled from his chest. "This is a pathetic attempt. Where's the sincerity?"

She bit her tongue, mentally cursing him—sparing only Charlotte and Victoria. Externally, she forced her eyes to glisten. "You're the most brilliant, powerful man I've ever known. No wonder women fall at your feet."

His brow arched. "If I'm so irresistible, does that include you?"

"I—"

Harrison froze. Every answer was a trap.

Her mask slipped. "What do you really want?" Her voice turned icy. "If you're set on court, fine. I'll fight you with everything I have. I might not lose."

Nathaniel cupped her chin, his thumb brushing her jaw. "Marry me."

The words detonated in her skull.

"Marry me," he repeated, voice rough. "Give Charlotte the family she deserves. I've missed years of her life. She needs a father."

Harrison stared. "You're engaged to Isabella."

"I ended it today. Told the Lancasters I'd never marry their daughter."

She scoffed. "Isabella is the Lancaster heiress. What happens when you change your mind? How will you explain that to Charlotte?"