?Chapter 1340:


    The servant, startled, followed a step behind. “Ms. Russell? Are you okay? Should I call the doctor?”


    Ste shook her head, turned on the faucet, and rinsed out her mouth. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the towel.


    “I’m fine,” she murmured, straightening up. Her face looked pale in the mirror. “Just… take the soup away. It’s too greasy.”


    The servant hesitated. “But Mr. Briggs told me to make sure you finish your meal.”


    Ste blinked. Then her lips turned up in a bitter smile.


    Of course he did. Now even her appetite wasn’t hers anymore.


    Ste sank back into the couch, her expression tired, her voice t. “If he really wants to see me throw up everything I’ve eaten, I can down the entire bowl of chicken soup.”


    Even looking at it made her stomach churn. She didn’t even want to imagine how much worse it’d feel going down.


    The servant looked torn, clearly not sure what to do. After a moment of awkward hesitation, she finally said, “I’ll go ask Mr. Briggs. Please wait a moment, Ms. Russell.”


    Ste didn’t reply. Her gaze drifted back to the window.


    The branches outside swayed gently, full of deep green leaves. The golden hue of the setting sun spilled into the room, casting a warm glow over everything. Yet all she felt was cold—bone-deep and lingering.


    Maybe her health really was getting worse.


    A few minutes passed before the servant returned, picking up the bowl of soup and quietly leaving with it.


    Ste exhaled, finally able to breathe. She turned back to the other dishes and ate in small, slow bites.


    It took her nearly forty minutes to finish most of the food. By the time she set her fork and knife down, she was drained.


    g?lnσν????s is where magic happens


    The servant, who had been waiting nearby, rolled the meal cart away. Ste was just about to wash up and head to bed when—click—the door handle turned again.


    Her whole body tensed. The door opened, and William walked in, tall and imposing like always. His presence filled the room, suffocating and cold.


    He was holding something wrapped in blue packaging. He walked straight up to her and held it out.


    Ste looked at thebel and immediately scoffed. “You’re joking, right?”


    It was a pregnancy test kit.


    William’s brow creased slightly. “The servant said you felt nauseous after smelling the soup. Go to the bathroom and take a test.”


    Her stomach twisted. All she could picture was herself, pinned down under him—again. Her fingers itched to fling the test kit right out the window.


    She lifted her gaze to his face, her eyes sharp with disdain.


    “You really think I’m pregnant with your child?”


    Her voice shook by the time the words left her mouth. Maybe she feared the idea of being pregnant even more than she feared him.


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