Chapter 172
“Pregnant?”
There was no joy on Clayton’s face, only disbelief and shock.
He had only slept with Valerie once, that drunken night. Since their wedding, he hadn’t touched her.
She’d made a few attempts to initiate things, but after getting beaten to the point of being sore all over, he lost any interest.
He wondered, ‘So she got pregnant… from that one time?‘
The doctor started to explain that if they wanted to keep the baby, she’d need to be careful with painkillers and antibiotics. But when he looked up, Clayton was already gone.
He drifted toward the payment counter on the first floor like a man sleepwalking.
He was going to be a father, but he felt nothing close to happiness.
Just then, his phone rang. It was the friend who needed to ask his wife before lending him money.
Clayton stepped aside to answer.
He felt a bit embarrassed. He’d only asked for thirty thousand, but Valerie’s news had turned everything upside down.
“Hey, man… I might need more. Thirty thousand’s not gonna be enough.”
“Sorry, bro.” The voice on the other end sounded apologetic. “My
wife
said no.”
Clayton’s grip tightened. Anger flared inside him, but he forced it down. He still needed help.
“Come on. Just give me a week. Once things settle, I’ll pay you back. You know I’m good for it.”
“Of course I trust you,” the man said, hesitating. “But my wife… she said this is karma. Said all this happened because you cheated on your ex.”
She’d even warned him that staying friends with Clayton would bring bad luck, that he’d end up just like him.
Out of decency, the friend didn’t mention she wanted him to cut ties completely.
He softened it instead. “My wife’s pregnant now. She’s the center of our world. Anything that upsets her is a crime against the whole family. Look, I’ve got some cash stashed away. Just over seven grand. I’ll send it all,/Hope it helps for now.”
After the call ended, Clayton couldn’t shake the words that Cheaters get what they deserve.
Cheryl went to ask a nurse to change Valerie’s dressing, only to find that Clayton hadn’t paid a cent.
She called him in a fury. But by then, Clayton had already returned to the Ironhaven Medical Center.
“Clayton! Where the hell did you go?”
“I gave you three hundred grand before. Use that for now. I’ll sort it out once my case is done,” he said flatly, then hung up before she could explode.
Cheryl had already given the money to Valerie to buy the emerald brooch. With no better option, the two women turned their attention to Lillian.
That night, two things happened.
Cheryl showed up at the Patel Manor, screaming at the top of her lungs, “My daughter’s pregnant with your family’s child, and you people hide like cowards! No money, No help. What kind of family are you?”
1/3
08:49 Mon, 9 Jun Bo
Chapter 172
Lillian stayed inside, pretending not to hear. But when she caught wind of the pregnancy, she rushed out, only to find the front door surrounded by curious neighbors.
Cheryl was shouting accusations of betrayal and ingratitude, her words cutting deep. Ashamed, Lillian flushed, then hurried to follow them to the hospital.
At the same time, the eighty thousand dollars Clayton had just borrowed was automatically deducted from his account. A call to customer service revealed the cause. Valerie had bought a designer bag with his credit card, and the payment had just gone through.
Rage surged through him, and he vomited.
Then the room began to spin.
He could only press the call button and wait for a nurse to come clean up the mess.
While chaos unfolded in the Patel family, Royal House was steeped in something far more ambiguous.
Audrey struggled to meet Yann’s demands.
“I don’t know how…” she said, her cheeks burning as she looked down at Yann, her hand braced against the heat of his chest.
“Take your time,” he said, one hand gripping her waist, guiding her.
7
She shut her eyes, unwilling to see the look on his face, that maddening mix of craving and restraint.
‘What exhausting work,’ she thought.
She couldn’t imagine where he found the energy to keep going all night and still show up to work the next morning, clear–headed and sharp. It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes, and her legs already felt like jelly.
“I’m done…”
She collapsed onto him, breathing heavily.
But Yann was far from finished. He flipped her over, his voice low and teasing. “I’m not.”
Audrey felt like a lone skiff caught at sea, sometimes drifting under clear skies, sometimes tossed in a storm. When it finally ended, a downpour washed over her, leaving her completely spent.
She lay curled in the blanket, body damp with sweat, not even the strength to lift her eyes.
Yann ran a bath, then returned to carry her over.
Soaking in water just warm enough
cout a contented sigh.
As he lathered her hair, she reached back and pinched his thigh. “Are you a machine or something?”
He chuckled behind her, fingers threading gently through her hair, massaging her scalp with practiced ease. “Feels nice?”
“Ye… No.”
“Where doesn’t it?”
The same game, every time.
She could already hear the line coming.
“Too much pressure… or the position’s wrong?”
08:49 Mon, 9 Jun 3.
Chapter 172
B
She spun around and slapped a hand over his mouth.
But her slippery skin gave way, and with a splash, she slipped straight into the water.
He caught her at once and wiped her face dry, his eyes gleaming with wicked amusement.
“I know what you’re…”
“Don’t you dare!” she snapped, lunging forward and silencing him the only way she could.
81%
(20)
The next afternoon, Audrey arrived at Baldwin Biotechnology, carrying a pouch of traditional medicine.
The company’s main collaboration with Stride Commerce was in supplements, though they had dipped into cosmetic medicine, with a modest market share and limited visibility.
“Mr. Connor is in a meeting. Please wait in the lounge,” the secretary told her politely.
Inside the conference room, Baldwin was meeting not an outsider, but his brother–in–law, Nash.
“Hawdia Group’s project is opening for a second round of bids. Get ready.”
“Do you know the previous bid figures?” Baldwin offered him a cigarette.
Nash took it, tapped the filter against the table, and shook his head. “Not hard to find out. I’ll arrange something. You meet the boss of Hawdia Group directly. He got screwed last time. He won’t let that slide.
“If you offer him a share, he might move things for you quietly.”
The fact that Hawdia Group had the contract once meant they still had clout.
Baldwin didn’t have the right background, but if he stayed upfront and Hawdia Group pulled strings in the dark, both sides could come out ahead.
“I owe you,” Baldwin said, lighting Nash’s cigarette.
Nash took a drag, the smoke curling upward. “You’re not the only one trying to get close to Hawdia Group. Be flexible. If you win the project, you might get a shot at Mr. Winifred himself. Climb that ladder, and it’ll only benefit you.”
Baldwin nodded along, and then his eyes sparked. “What if we start with Mr. Jenkins?”
Yann was untouchable, but Calvin was local. With the right connections, getting to him might not be that hard.
Win over Calvin, and that could open the door to Yann.
Nash stood, flicked the ash, and headed to the door.
“They were both at Mr. Adams‘ strategy meeting. Calvin has some weight with him…”
He s
At the m
ead.
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