Chapter 12
I arched an eyebrow at him as he hung up, just as the ambulance arrived.
He rose gloomily. “Hannah, I’ll treat you to dinner another day.”
With that, he dragged Layla toward the exit.
Blood trickled behind her all the way.
I watched this farce unfold with great relish, finding the dishes before me utterly delicious.
Suddenly, I retched.
Stunned, I locked eyes with Mason. He leapt up excitedly. “Pregnant?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
My periods had always been irregular–otherwise, I wouldn’t have remained oblivious during my last pregnancy.
Adam drew ten tubes of my blood before I passed out.
When I awoke, the doctor informed me I’d been pregnant, but the baby
didn’t make it.
Mason immediately scooped me up. “To the hospital.
“Congratulations, sir and madam. Your family will soon welcome a new member.”
Mason excitedly spun me around before carefully setting me down.
Chapter 12
He kissed my hand tenderly. “Hannah, I’m so happy.”
Suddenly, Adam appeared behind us, looking utterly devastated.
“Hannah…”
A nurse urgently pulled at him. “Sir Acrea, what are you doing here? The mother’s hemorrhaging requires your signature!”
He got dragged back by the nurse.
Only a day later did we learn Layla had delivered twin girls.
Howard and Maria Acrea merely glanced at the infants before leaving, pulling Adam along. “We found a well–bred young lady for you. Go meet her.”
Abigail and Layla clung to Adam like madwomen. “Adam, you can’t abandon us!”
Howard and Maria flew into a rage, roaring at their bodyguards: “Throw these tramps into the slums!”
“Nothing but bad luck! Since these bitches showed up, our Adam has become like this, nearly bankrupting the Acrea Group!”
Over half a year later, I gave birth to a daughter.
The Harlan family stayed up all night celebrating, issuing a formal announcement the next day proclaiming their new granddaughter to the world.
Mason guarded his daughter like his own eyes, snatching her back the moment her grandparents held her.
At the full moon celebration, he paraded her around proudly.
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Chapter 12
I kept smiling as I watched him, suddenly sensing a piercing gaze burning into my back.
Turning around, I saw Adam.
He was no longer as dashing as before, looking much more haggard.
Beside him stood a radiant woman–I recognized her as Katelynn, a Chicago socialite ten years his senior.
The Acrea Group, due to Adam’s poor management, could only survive through marriage alliances.
So Adam’s parents pushed him toward Katelynn, who was on her third marriage with two children.
When Katelynn saw me, her eyes held no hostility. She approached with. a smile: “So you’re Adam’s ex–wife. Quite pretty, but too soft–hearted. They’re just a couple of kept women–toss them into the red–light district and they’ll behave.”
Adam looked grim, murmuring my name.
I turned away, taking the daughter from Mason’s arms to soothe her.
Then she smiled at Katelynn and said, “Enjoy your meal, ladies. I’m taking the baby for feeding.”
Mason then guided me and our daughter away.
After that, I didn’t hear about Adam for a long time.
The only update was a news segment showing Adam hospitalized after a physical altercation with his wife.
Chapter 12
But I had zero interest and immediately changed the channel.
Back in our room, I saw Mason gazing tenderly at our daughter in the cradle, warming my heart.
I walked over, wrapped my arms around Mason, and gently touched our baby’s cheek. The turbulence of my earlier years had been completely filled with contentment.
