Chapter 295

Vanessa's hatred for Evelyn burned like acid in her veins.

"If only Evelyn hadn't been kidnapped," she seethed silently, "my baby wouldn't be suffering like this."

The moment the doctor stepped out, Ethan's voice cut through the sterile hospital air.

"Vanessa," he said, his tone chillingly detached, "you need to terminate the pregnancy."

Her breath hitched.

For a heartbeat, she wondered if she'd misheard.

"What... did you just say?"

"I'll arrange the finest specialists. No complications. No risks." His expression remained unreadable. "And I'll add another hundred million to your account—enough to secure your future."

He might as well have been discussing stock options.

When she didn't respond, his voice sharpened. "End this, and we'll finalize the divorce."

"No!"

Tears blurred her vision as she clutched her stomach.

"Ethan, I refuse! This child is ours—it's proof of what we shared!"

Her voice cracked on the last word, raw with desperation.

The heart monitor beeped faster, matching her racing pulse.

Ethan didn't flinch.

His next words landed like a guillotine.

"It's not a request."

Ethan's lips curled into a bitter smirk. Love? The word tasted like ash in his mouth. Is that what Vanessa and I ever shared?

Before he could voice his thoughts, Eleanor swept into the room.

The Caldwell name carried weight—enough that Vanessa's kidnapping had made headlines across Cresthaven.

Though Eleanor had never warmed to her daughter-in-law, the text she'd received at dawn had shaken her: I'm pregnant.

Her sharp eyes zeroed in on Vanessa's stomach. "Tell me everything. Is the child unharmed?"

Vanessa clutched Eleanor's arm like a drowning woman. "The baby's fine. But Ethan—he wants me to end it."

Eleanor whirled on her son, horrified. "Ethan! This could be your heir! How could you even consider—"

"Because he's leaving me!" Vanessa sobbed, her voice breaking. "He's choosing Evelyn! That scheming witch has him under her spell!"

Ethan's expression darkened, his glare sharp enough to draw blood.

Vanessa flinched but held her ground. She was out of options.

Eleanor's face paled. "Evelyn? But she's married to—"

The unspoken name hung between them like a guillotine. Alexander Whitmore.

Ethan's jaw tightened. This conversation was spiraling out of control.

Vanessa pressed her advantage, tears glistening. "He won't listen to reason. You have to make him see—this baby is a Caldwell!"

Eleanor's gaze flickered between them, calculating. A grandchild—or a scandal?

Ethan exhaled sharply. "This isn't about Evelyn."

"Liar!" Vanessa shot back.

Eleanor raised a hand, silencing them. "Enough." Her voice turned icy. "We'll discuss this privately, Ethan. After the doctor confirms the pregnancy."

Vanessa's breath hitched. Confirms?

Ethan's silence was answer enough.

Eleanor's heels clicked against the marble as she strode out, leaving the tension thick enough to choke on.

Vanessa's fingers trembled against her abdomen. She'd played her card.

Now, she could only wait to see if it would save her—or destroy them all.

"Ethan Caldwell, tell me the truth—did that woman actually seduce you?" Eleanor's voice was sharp with accusation.

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. "No, Mother. My decision to divorce Vanessa has nothing to do with Evelyn."

Vanessa's hands trembled as she clutched Eleanor's arm. "Eleanor, did you hear that? He said her name like she means something to him!"

Her voice cracked. "He's so obsessed with her that he's willing to abandon his own child! Please, make him see reason!"

Eleanor's expression darkened. "Evelyn Carter is shameless! After marrying Alexander Whitmore, she still dares to meddle in your life?"

She gripped Ethan's arm. "Have you forgotten how Alexander humiliated your father at Titan Capital? Don't provoke him again!"

Ethan had reached his limit.

"Vanessa!" His voice was ice. "Are you done with this ridiculous act? Stop dragging my mother into your delusions!"

He had tried to be civil, but this was the final straw.

Vanessa had always twisted the truth.

Evelyn had done nothing wrong.

Yet, Vanessa blamed her for everything.

Had she always been this manipulative?

The hospital room was silent except for the steady beeping of monitors.

Alexander's skin burned beneath Evelyn's fingertips as she pressed a cool cloth to his forehead. His fever had spiked dangerously high.

"You need to rest," she murmured, dabbing at the sweat along his jawline.

But the moment her fingers brushed his bare chest, everything changed.

In one swift motion, Alexander's hand shot out, gripping her wrist. Before Evelyn could react, he yanked her forward, flipping their positions with surprising strength for someone so ill.

"Alexander!" she gasped as his weight pinned her to the mattress.

His lips crashed against hers, hot and demanding. The taste of medicine mixed with something distinctly him—dark, intoxicating.

Evelyn turned her face away. "You're delirious with fever—"

His teeth grazed her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine. "I'm perfectly aware of what I'm doing."

The raw hunger in his half-lidded gaze made her breath catch. Even sick, Alexander Whitmore radiated dangerous magnetism.

She pressed her palms against his shoulders. "This isn't—"

"Tell me you don't want this," he challenged, his voice rough with fever and desire. His fingers traced the rapid pulse at her throat.

Evelyn's protest died in her throat. The hospital sheets tangled between them as Alexander's mouth found hers again, his kiss burning hotter than his fever.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a warning bell rang—he was injured, they were in a hospital, this was madness.

But when his hand slid beneath her blouse, all rational thought evaporated.

The heart monitor's beeping grew erratic.

Just like her pulse.