Pregnant?Lisa couldn’t believe her ears. If she were truly pregnant, then everything she had worked for would crumble. She had only just managed to wait for Tedmond’s return and was about to put her plan into motion. And now, it was all going to be ruined by a sudden announcement of pregnancy.This wasn’t what she wanted.She didn’t want a baby. She just wanted to be the wife of a rich man, and that could have been the case if Max had been competent. But he wasn’t.A baby would only hold her back and ruin everything.Meanwhile, the reaction from the rest of the room couldn’t have been more different. Max turned to her sharply, stunned. Maxine gasped. Evelyn’s expression twisted into something unreadable.“No,” Lisa whispered. “No, no, no—” Her breathing quickened. “This…this can’t be happening. No. No!”“Ma’am!” The doctor stepped forward, but Lisa began shaking her head violently.“I can’t—he won’t—no—!”Her knees buckled as panic overwhelmed her. She dropped to the floor, screaming

Persis was pissed.She had been waiting for Tedmond to call her when he got back, but he didn’t. She had tried calling him, but the call didn’t go through. And now, after several hours of silence, he was only calling her.She had been worried that something terrible had happened. Hearing his voice brought some relief, though she wasn’t ready to let it go so easily.“Sorry for not calling earlier,” he said gently.“You should be,” she snapped, her voice tight with emotion. “Do you know how worried I was? I kept checking my phone, wondering if something had gone wrong. I even thought about flying back.”“I know,” he said quietly. “It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t have access to my phone until now. A lot happened, but I’m fine. I promise.”There was a pause on her end before she exhaled slowly. “Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”“I’m really sorry, Persis,” he added sincerely. “I didn’t mean to scare you. If I could have called, I would have. I’ll make it up to you when you return.”She

The next day, Tedmond sat on the couch, a tablet in hand as he browsed through the files he had been tasked to review. His brows were slightly furrowed, not from the difficulty of the work, but from the weight of everything still left unresolved.His mind kept drifting.The Griffin family.He couldn’t get over the fact that they were still silent, even after his escape. That silence gnawed at him. It didn’t make sense, unless something else had taken their attention. Something strong enough to distract them completely.They had all rushed out to the hospital that day. He still didn’t know what had happened. But whatever it was, it must have been big. And if he wanted to find out, he couldn’t go back there by himself.It would be better if they still believed he was locked up in the basement. That way, by the time they realized he was gone, enough time would’ve passed to confuse them.He needed someone else to go to his place. Someone they wouldn’t suspect.And suddenly, it came to him

Lisa immediately swung her legs off the bed and stood slowly, making sure she wasn’t being watched. She crossed to the window, peeked outside, then crept over to the door and opened it just enough to listen. When she was sure the hallway was empty, she slipped out like a shadow and began her descent down the back staircase.She needed to reach Tedmond before things spiraled again, before someone else got to him. She had come up with a new plan, a better one, something that would ensure he wouldn’t do anything reckless or foolish.‘He had to listen this time.’The Griffin family was going to deal with him soon, and he would have no choice but to listen to whatever she had to say. There was no way he’d want to be beaten up again.She hadn’t gotten the seal yet, but finding Tedmond came first, especially since she had disappeared the day before without telling him anything.Her footsteps were silent on the basement stairs. Her fingers skimmed the cold stone walls for balance, and she pre

As long as they could butter her up, they were certain they’d find a way to secure a partnership with her powerful family, and if they played their cards right, maybe even get the Lin family to invest in their company too.But behind the polite smiles and softened expressions, the minds in the room were already calculating. Each of them was thinking of ways to get the attention and trust of the only daughter of the Lin family.“It’s great that you’re interested in one of our sons,” Adeline said, her brows rising. “But you’re aware that Max is married, right?”“I do,” Neil replied without hesitation.The others shot Adeline sharp glances, like she’d said something she shouldn’t. But she didn’t care about their stares. She went on.“What if I introduced you to one of my sons?” she suggested. “His name is Oscar. He’s a good boy.”The moment Adeline said that, silence swept through the room. Then—panic.They all straightened, alarm flashing in their eyes. Was she seriously considering han