Where Did My Child Go?!

"Three votes are still undecided, but the outcome is already set."

After confirming the voting intentions of nearly all the senators over the phone, Madelyn turned back and winked at Homelander, her face blooming like a flower.

Vought was about to enter the defense system, and she, who had spearheaded this achievement, might have a chance at promotion, climbing even higher.

"You don't look happy. Is something troubling our Homelander?"

Sitting down beside Homelander, who was frowning on the sofa, she placed her hand familiarly on his shoulder, her entire body almost pressing against him, as if comforting a moody child with the tone of an elder female relative, smiling.

"Do you remember that woman from the marketing department?"

Homelander remained unmoved, rare in his serious expression toward Madelyn, suddenly bringing it up.

"Who, Ashley? Why bring her up?"

Madelyn's expression didn't change, feigning ignorance, and smiled.

"Now isn't the time for us to celebrate this together.

You and I have achieved something great, successfully getting Vought into the Department of Defense."

She raised her hands, making a gentle motion to pull Homelander into her embrace.

In the past, Homelander would have been stirred, his heart itching, and he would have lain down compliantly.

"No."

But today, he was out of character, not moving an inch.

"It's Becca, from eight years ago."

The one currently handling his market PR was Ashley, but eight years ago, it was that woman named Becca.

"Becca? Becca Butcher?"

Madelyn looked as if her memory was hazy, thinking for over ten seconds, puzzled.

"What about her?"

"She disappeared, gone for eight years, just coincidentally vanished after that incident."

As Homelander spoke, his tone suddenly shifted.

"What's even more coincidental is that the moment I mentioned her, your heart rate suddenly spiked, over a hundred."

He stared intently into her eyes, his tone hostile.

"You're nervous, your heart is about to jump out of your throat!

Why? Because of a woman whose name you had to think about for half a minute?!"

"I..."

Caught off guard by the sharp questioning, Madelyn didn't know how to defend herself. Her acting was flawless, with no cracks, but unfortunately, Homelander was a human lie detector.

Before, when he was with Madelyn, he would be completely relaxed, thinking nothing, doing nothing, like a child simply basking in the warmth of a mother's embrace, but today, he had lost that mood.

"Tell me—is there something in this that I don't know?!"

A sharp stare, a voice tinged with anger, rose. Concealment equaled betrayal. Homelander hated betrayal from those he loved most, especially when he was in a terrible mood.

"Alright, calm down."

Madelyn raised her hands in slight fear, her lips trembling as she spoke.

"You usually carry too much on your shoulders. I did it for your own good.

That Becca was pregnant with your child after that."

"Child?"

Homelander was stunned, pointing at himself.

"Whose child? Mine!"

He stood up abruptly, losing his composure, exclaiming in shock.

"You told me I couldn't have children!"

Vought had always told him that his 'tadpoles' were too powerful, that a woman's egg couldn't withstand them, unable to conceive life.

"You did have a child once, but the child miscarried. I was afraid you couldn't handle the blow, so I hid it from you."

She quickly continued.

"The... the child died?"

The joy that had just been born was extinguished like cold water poured on it. Homelander's expression was dazed, unable to accept it.

"Why did my child miscarry?!"

"Because the mother's body couldn't provide enough nourishment. The fetus couldn't continue once it had just formed."

Madelyn let out a timely sigh of lament.

"I actually had a child?"

His eyes reddened, lost and sorrowful, he asked casually, "What happened to his body after he died?"

Homelander's feelings for Madelyn were far from ordinary—he was already starting to believe it.

"Corpse?"

Madelyn's hand, reaching to comfort him, froze mid-motion. She had never expected Homelander to ask that question.

Something from eight years ago—why ask about the corpse of a dead infant?

"Why aren't you talking?"

Sensing something was off, Homelander frowned, as if recalling something. Like an enraged dragon, his voice gradually turned icy.

"What did you do with his body? Did you dissect and study him like a lab rat?"

"Of course not."

Ignoring Madelyn's denial, the pent-up frustration and anger he'd accumulated over days because of Ron finally erupted. His voice was cold as he pressed.

"Vogbaum said I was far stronger than any other superhuman—a miracle that should be nearly impossible. So why—why is there suddenly another Ron?"

Dr. Vogbaum, Vought's former chief strategy officer who had created him from a test tube, had proudly told him that many times.

Now another Ron had appeared, matching his strength. How was that supposed to be explained?

"Ron?"

Hearing Ron's name unexpectedly while talking about Homelander's child, Madelyn flinched, thinking he had discovered the truth.

"Right. Did you conduct research based on my child's corpse, and then Vought created Ron?"

His voice was frigid, as if he wanted to devour someone.

"No, of course not."

Knowing he hadn't uncovered the truth, Madelyn still didn't dare follow that line of thought.

Homelander had grown up in a laboratory, studied by people. His nightmare of a childhood had left him with massive psychological scars—this was the dragon's reverse scale.

Seeing the woman he had once clung to and regarded as family becoming more suspicious by the second, he couldn't tolerate anyone betraying him.

Homelander flew into a rage and did something he had never done to Madelyn before.

On the sofa, his hand clamped around her neck, yanking her roughly up to his eye level.

"Then tell me—where is my child's body? His remains? His ashes?!"

His eyes blazed with terrifying laser light, like a powder keg about to explode.

A familiar scene.

The same place, the same sofa, the same blinding, horrifying eyes.

"He... he..."

Fear flooded over her like a tidal wave, nearly drowning her. Madelyn couldn't breathe, unable to fabricate another lie.

Could she tell the enraged Homelander that she had thrown his child's body away like trash? And if she hadn't, where were the remains?

How could she produce them on the spot?

"Your child is still alive!"

With no other choice, she forced out the words loudly.

"Still alive?"

Completely unprepared for that statement, Homelander loosened his grip in shock.

"Th... that's right. Still alive. Becca is alive too. They've been imprisoned by Vought—a contingency plan to control you."

Madelyn clutched her neck, coughing violently, and repeated herself.

She had wanted to keep Homelander firmly in her grasp, but the way he had looked at her moments ago—like he might burn a hole through her skull with his lasers at any second—left her no room for fearlessness.

"I'll just have to pin it on the company board..."

On the green lawn, Becca and her son Ryan sat in front of the house. A maternal smile on her face, she played with toys alongside her child.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the sound of something breaking the sound barrier and descending rapidly rang out.

Bricks shattered. A figure landed on the path in front of the house.

Becca looked up, and her smile froze as if she had seen the most terrifying nightmare.

"Is... is it you?"