Chapter 4

Nina's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She had tried everything to escape from Shane—every trick, every tactic. But in the end, she was locked in a room by him, nearly missing her graduation defense. She had begged him to let her go to school. And what had Shane said to her? Nina clenched her palms and, with her eyes closed, leaned forward. Her cool, soft lips brushed against the corner of Shane's lips. It was a fleeting touch—nothing more. Compared to Shane's kisses, this was nothing—light and insignificant. But fortunately, he didn't make things difficult for her. He simply turned away and started the car. Nina finally felt her heart settle back into place after nearly jumping into her throat. … The next day, Nina woke up early and headed straight to the hospital. Luckily, it was the weekend, so she didn't have to come up with an excuse to take leave from work. She called Lisette, who was busy with a patient and couldn't step away, so she told Nina to come upstairs to find her. The elevator was too crowded, and just waiting for it would take forever. So, Nina decided to take the stairs. But as soon as she turned the corner on the third floor, she ran straight into Wendy. Wendy saw her, too, and her face immediately darkened. "What are you doing here?" The third floor was the obstetrics and gynecology department. A realization struck Nina. She glanced at the medical report in Wendy's hand—it was a pregnancy test result. Wendy was pregnant. Nina didn't know what expression she should make. Her throat felt unbearably dry. "Speak! What are you doing here?" Wendy had already stormed up to her, grabbing her by the collar. "I knew it! You're like a dog chasing after a bone—wherever Yvan is, that's where you go! Do you have no shame?" Nina lifted her hand to block, but she was a step too late. With a loud ripping sound, her shirt was torn open, revealing the faint but unmistakable marks on her skin. Wendy's eyes landed on them, and her expression twisted as if someone had stabbed her raw nerves. Before Nina could react, a slap landed hard across her face. "Bitch!" Wendy was still screaming hysterically. "Was it not enough that you stole my identity? Not enough that you spent over 20 years living as a wealthy heiress? And now you want to steal my fiancé, too? How can someone be as despicable as you?" The commotion had drawn a crowd. Dozens of eyes landed on Nina, disheveled and exposed, their murmurs buzzing around her. Her face stung from the slap, her ears ringing. Wendy's voice remained sharp and piercing. "Why are you in the obstetric department? Who's the father of your child this time?" She lunged forward again, hands ready to strike, but someone grabbed her wrist. "Wendy!" A man rushed over, exhaustion written all over his face. He caught Wendy's hand and pulled her aside, lowering his voice in warning. "Enough." Wendy looked up at the man and instantly shrank back. The arrogance she had just displayed vanished, replaced by a demure, delicate demeanor. She nestled into his arms. "Yvan." Following her gaze, Nina looked up and met Yvan's eyes directly. With Wendy at his side, Yvan no longer paid attention to Nina. Wendy clung to his sleeve, softening her tone. "Yvan, we're about to get engaged, and yet she's still clinging to you. She even followed you here—it's disgusting." Yvan's expression remained neutral. He didn't respond to her accusations, only dropping his gaze to her belly. "Didn't the doctor tell you you can't have any strenuous movements during pregnancy? What if you miscarry?" Wendy finally remembered her condition. She wasn't used to being a mother yet, and Yvan's words made her panic. "Let's go back and check again." Losing their child over Nina, that wretched woman, wouldn't be worth it. Yvan gave a faint nod, took Wendy's hand, and led her away. The crowd, seeing the drama come to an end, gradually dispersed, leaving only Nina behind. Nina felt choked up. Yvan's gaze from earlier lingered in her mind, impossible to shake off. She forced herself to shut her eyes, willing herself to forget. Ever since Wendy returned, she had known there was no future between her and Yvan. Since that was the case, why should she torment herself? She turned to head upstairs but abruptly stopped in her tracks. Someone was standing there—Shane. She had no idea how long he had been there or how much of the spectacle he had witnessed. Nina's fingertips went numb. It was Shane who broke the silence first, stepping forward and looking down at her. "What are you doing at the hospital?" Shane never asked questions directly. What he really wanted to know wasn't why she was at the hospital, but why she was at the obstetrics department. Nina pressed her lips together. "Just picking up some medicine. Passing through." "Passing through?" Shane repeated the words slowly, rolling them over his tongue, his gaze dark and unreadable. "Is that so?" Nina's palms were damp with sweat, her back stiff. "Yes. You saw the report yesterday. The doctor said I need to take medicine for a while." As soon as she finished speaking, the elevator chimed open. Lisette rushed out, calling her name, only to freeze mid-step when she saw Shane. "Mr. Lawson." Lisette touched the tip of her nose, then glanced at Nina. "I was just about to take Nina to pick up her medicine. You know she hasn't been well. Want to come with us?" Shane's response was indifferent. "No need." He lowered his gaze back to Nina. "I'll wait for you outside." With that, he turned and left. Only after Shane had walked away did Lisette move closer. "That scared me to death! We almost got caught." Nina could only offer a bitter smile. She knew there was no way she could get her checkup done today. Lisette got her the medicine based on the report and chattered the whole way, "At first, I thought keeping the baby might be a good idea, considering how hard it is for you to get pregnant. But now, I think you should just get rid of it. The Lawson family is insane." "That's assuming I can even get rid of it." Nina felt the weight of it all pressing down on her. Shane's surveillance was everywhere. He appeared without warning, just like today. Could she really go through with the abortion without him finding out? She walked out of the hospital with the medicine in hand, and sure enough, Shane's car was there. Nina got in. Shane hadn't brought a driver today. He sat in the driver's seat alone, flipping through some documents with an unreadable expression. Once, Nina had seen Shane as her older brother. As a sibling, he had been perfect—gentle, patient, indulging her every whim. She still remembered when she was little, breaking an antique vase her father, David Lawson, had brought back from an auction overseas. David had been furious, but Shane took the blame for her, enduring a severe beating. That was before everything changed three years ago. Since then, the Shane she knew had ceased to exist. No matter how much time passed, she could never figure out what he was thinking—just like now. She had no idea if he had believed her lie earlier or what his mood was at this moment. As soon as she buckled her seatbelt, Shane spoke, his voice heavy, "Do you really want to get married?"