Chapter 17: Do You Want Me to Say It Again?
Chapter 17: Do You Want Me to Say It Again?
It had been three days since Claudia had given birth to her baby. Nobody else but Kim and her
housekeeper had visited her.
Now that Claudia was recovering and could walk slowly, the first thing she did was go to see her son in
the incubator.
However, when she got there, she found that her baby was taken away long ago.
Stunned, Claudia grabbed the doctor’s arm, with her face pale out of panic.
“He was taken away. He should be brought back to his room by his grandmother,” explained the doctor.
Claudia’s mind went blank, despair choking her words.
Seeing that, the doctor comforted her, “Don’t worry. You need proper rest. Let me check his room
number for you...”
When the doctor told her his room number, Claudia went upstairs in spite of her weak body. However,
the elevator was out of order, while the rest ones were full.
Claudia couldn’t wait anymore, so she chose to walk upstairs.
Therefore, she climbed to the 15th floor from the 5th floor.
It had just been three days since Claudia had given birth, yet now she struggled her way up for 10
whole floors. Conceivably, women were extraordinarily strong after becoming a mother.
Finally, Claudia arrived at the door of the said room. Before she could knock, the noise of Winifred
cooing over the baby came from inside the room.
“Aww... aww... my baby boy, why are you so cute!”
“You look just like your father when he was little!”
Claudia could feel Winifred’s love for her grandson from outside the door. She stood outside alone,
gasping.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.
Claudia didn’t really want to intrude upon the intimate and sweet moment between a grandmother and
her grandson.
However, her housekeeper happened to come out of the room at this moment. She saw Claudia once
she pushed the door open and exclaimed, “Mrs. Crawford, why are you here?”
The housekeeper’s voice disturbed Winifred inside the room.
She put the baby into the crib immediately and walked out.
Winifred stared indifferently at Claudia and said in a cold voice, “What are you here for?”
Claudia dropped her eyes subconsciously. However, she was so eager to see her baby that she
couldn’t help but look into the room.
Winifred realized something at the sight of that. She held the door frame with one hand and stood in
the way, asking, “You want to see your baby, don’t you?”
Claudia kept nodding.
“No way! Don’t even think about it!” Winifred refused decisively.
These words lingering in her ears, Claudia felt as if she was stabbed in the heart, devastated.
“Take a look at yourself! You’re a mute, and you can’t even speak. How can you look after a baby?”
Aggressive and overbearing, Winifred added, “This is the baby of the Crawford family, and he will
inherit everything in the future. What if you pass your speech defect on to him?”
As if struck by lightning, Claudia fell into despair.
Her breath coming in convulsive gasps, she glanced across at the crib in the room helplessly. That was
the baby she had carried for ten months at the risk of her life. Couldn’t she even have a look at him?
Tears misted her eyes and streamed down her cheeks instantly.
The next second, Claudia fell on her knees.
She kowtowed again and again.
All she wanted to do was have a look at her baby!
“No way! Don’t even think about it! Now get back to your room!” Winifred ordered and signaled the
housekeeper to drive Claudia back to her room.
The housekeeper had to obey Winifred’s order. Before she could take actions, a strong hand threw the
housekeeper’s hand away and grabbed Claudia’s arm, pulling her up.
Ben’s sudden appearance stunned Winifred.
Even Claudia didn't expect this. If it weren’t for her tiny wrist being gripped by him, which hurt her a
little, she would have thought it was a dream.
Ben pulled Claudia up off the floor, enfolded her in his arms and looked up at Winifred coldly,
questioning her, “Mom, what are you doing?”
“What?” Blushing, Winifred became embarrassed.
Ben stared at her and went on, “Claudia gave birth to the baby. Why did you take him away without her
permission?”
“Claudia did give birth to her baby, but the baby is also my grandson! As his grandma, I also have the
right to hold him!” Winifred asserted. She made no concession to the custody of the baby.
Ben could tell what his mother was planning and gave a sneer. “You can hold the baby whenever you From NôvelDrama.Org.
want. I don’t think you have to do it this way!”
Winifred heaved a sigh and confessed, “Well, I’ll come straight to the point. I just don’t want Claudia to
touch the baby, OK? She’s a mute and she can’t even speak. How can she look after a baby?”
Ben's brows furrowed as Winifred said that.
Ben had heard people blaming Claudia for her speech impairment within a few days.
Must they remind him of it constantly?
Anger welled up in Ben all of a sudden and he met Winifred’s gaze sternly. “So what if she’s a mute?
It’s the baby’s destiny to have a mother like her! If he won’t speak because of Claudia, then that’s his
problem, not hers!”
Ben defended Claudia.
Meanwhile, Claudia was moved by the effort Ben put in sticking up for her.
The next moment, Ben let go of Claudia and told her, “Go! Take the baby!”
Stunned, Claudia stared blankly at him.
“Do you want me to say it again?”
The cold and decisive voice rang out again.
Claudia came back to her senses and greeted Winifred with a nod, but Winifred remained at the door
and demanded aggressively, “I’d like to see who dares to touch my grandson...”
Before Winifred could finish her words, Ben grabbed her arm and yanked her aside. Meanwhile,
Claudia seized the moment, rushed into the room, and picked up the baby.
Ben warned in a low voice, “Mom, stop!”
“You...” Winifred gritted her teeth in anger and shoved Ben away. “It’s just been months since you
married, yet now you’re all on her side!”
His face sullen, Ben looked into Winifred’s eyes. “I don’t care if you like her or not, she’s my wife, and
the mother of your grandson. If you respect me and the baby, you should respect her too!”
“But she’s a mute! How can she look after her own child if she can’t speak?” Winifred was
overwhelmed with anxiety. What if something happened to her only grandson?
Ben replied, “You can pay a regular visit to him, and I’ll hire some more nannies.”
“Well...”
Before Winifred could declare herself, Ben saw Claudia coming out with the baby and joined them
before they went downstairs together.
Winifred was trembling with anger. What a vixen Claudia was! It hadn’t been long, but Ben was already
obsessed with her!
They went back to the ward. Claudia held the baby and wouldn’t let go. Staring at the baby’s fair face
and long eyelashes, Claudia couldn’t help but give a happy smile. It was such a beautiful baby! She
thought to herself.
Ben stood aside, watching this scene silently. After a long time, he said, “Conrad Crawford, Conny.”
Stunned, Claudia looked at him surprisingly.
“It’s the baby’s name,” explained Ben.
Claudia thought a moment. Conrad Crawford, Conny...
Sounded great!
Claudia nodded with pleasure and held her little boy closer, as if all the miseries had dissipated.
Ben had to leave because he still had some business to attend to. Claudia, however, put down Conny,
rushed up to him and made a bow with courtesy, expressing her gratitude.
If it weren’t for Ben just now, Winifred wouldn’t have compromised, even if she kowtowed a thousand
times.
Nevertheless, Ben frowned dangerously as she bent down.
“What do you mean by doing this?”
Hearing him, Claudia thought Ben didn’t know why she was doing this, so she made another bow to
thank him.
Ben’s frown deepened, “Stop.”
Claudia was slightly shocked. She looked around innocently, thought about it and decided to bow
again. But once she bent down, Ben heaved her up.
“There’s no point doing this. Just take good care of him.”
He told her and hurried away.
Meanwhile, the image of Claudia bowing down kept running through his mind. She surprised him with
her bows.