Ms. CEO’s Baby Daddy Is the Merchant of Death – Episode 33
Connor opened the door but blocked the entrance with his body. Richard Reed looked older than the man Connor remembered, though his posture still commanded every room. Neither offered a greeting.
Lily stepped between them before pride became violence. She hugged Connor despite his resistance and whispered that their father had not slept since the attack. Connor answered that worry did not erase years of silence.
Richard blamed Connor for vanishing into Dominion’s secret wars. Connor reminded him that he had built those wars with Reed money and expected obedience in return. The argument carried the weight of every conversation they had avoided.
Scarlett interrupted before Summer could hear more. She introduced herself without deference and warned Richard that wealth granted no rights over her daughter. Richard surprised her by agreeing.
He admitted that he had failed Connor by treating strength as the only acceptable emotion. Learning about Summer from television had shown him what that failure had cost. He asked for one meeting, not forgiveness.
Summer stepped from behind Scarlett. She studied Richard’s silver hair and then looked at Connor for permission. Connor could not make the choice for her and gave a reluctant nod.
“Are you Daddy’s daddy?” she asked. Richard lowered himself to one knee and said that he was, although he had not always been very good at it.
Summer considered the answer with solemn care. Then she asked whether that made him her real grandfather. When Richard said yes, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
The embrace broke something in both Reed men. Richard closed his eyes as if holding a treasure he had never expected to touch. Connor looked away, unable to decide whether he felt anger or grief.
Lily introduced herself as Summer’s aunt and immediately earned a smile. Summer asked whether Lily knew embarrassing stories about Connor. Lily promised enough stories to last until adulthood.
Richard opened the velvet box. Inside lay a small gold pendant engraved with the Reed crest. It had passed through the family for generations.
Scarlett hesitated, fearing the gift carried expectations. Richard placed the box in Summer’s hands but told her it represented belonging, not obligation. She could wear it, hide it, or refuse it.
Summer chose to wear it. She asked Connor to fasten the chain, forcing father and son to stand close without fighting. Connor’s fingers tightened briefly around the familiar crest.
Over breakfast, Richard learned that Summer loved strawberry pancakes, rescue dogs, and asking impossible questions. He listened more than he spoke. Scarlett noticed how carefully he avoided issuing instructions.
The peace ended when Richard raised Dominion. He offered to restore Connor’s board authority and silence the directors who opposed reform. Connor rejected any rescue purchased through his father’s influence.
Richard accused him of confusing independence with isolation. Connor replied that he would not let Summer grow up believing family love came with corporate terms. Their fragile truce cracked.
Scarlett ordered both men to stop using her daughter as proof of their arguments. If they wanted a relationship, they would build it through honesty and time. Neither fortune nor guilt would speed the process.
Richard accepted her boundary. Before leaving, he invited them to a public city-recovery gala. The Reed Foundation would compensate victims of Cross’s attack and support affected businesses.
Connor suspected the event concealed another strategy. Lily admitted it would also introduce Summer to the extended family, but she promised no announcement without Scarlett’s approval. Summer immediately asked if grandfathers danced.
Across town, Bennett watched footage of Richard embracing Summer. He crushed the glass in his hand and called an attorney. If the Reed family intended to protect Scarlett, he would take control of her company before the gala began.
