So I spent the whole New Year under a dark cloud. I can''t even enjoy a single day. Lenora ended up in the ERst night. I don''t know if she was trying to drown her sorrows or just needed an excuse to explode, but she drank herself into alcohol poisoning.


    Zacharias only showed up at the hospital on New Year''s because of that.


    Anneliese couldn''t care less why he was there. She definitely didn''t expect one throwaway sarcasticment to make him think she was worried about him.


    She lifted a hand to cut off whatever fantasy he was spinning. "Stop. We''re not close. Move."


    She stepped forward to leave. Zacharias suddenly reached out to grab her. "This is the maternity floor. Anne, why are you even here? Wait... are you pregnant?"


    He had just noticed the sign behind her, and something in those usually seductive eyes went sharp and dark as he pressed her.


    There was no way she''d let him put a hand on her. She swung her bag at him on instinct.


    The metal trim on the strap scraped across the back of his hand and left a thin line of blood, but he barely reacted. He tried to grab her again.


    "Zacharias, what is wrong with you? Back off!" Jessica moved to shove him without thinking. Anneliese panicked. Thest thing she wanted was a pregnant Jessica getting dragged into this mess.


    She fumbled to pull Jessica away. "Don''t bother with him. Let''s go."


    Jessica managed to step back, but the few test reports Anneliese had been holding slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor.


    She crouched to grab them, but another hand moved faster.


    "Give it back." She snatched the papers right out of Zacharias'' hand.


    He had already seen them. The report clearly said eight weeks pregnant.


    Anneliese is actually pregnant. She''s carrying another man''s baby.


    For a split second, Zacharias felt his mind gopletely nk. It was like something just drained every bit of strength out of him.


    Anneliese took the chance and snatched the test results back without even trying.


    He staggered a step backward, and his vision blurred out.


    Anneliese didn''t bother to check on him or wonder how he felt. She stuffed the paper away, grabbed Jessica''s hand, and pulled her into the elevator. She kept jabbing the close button like her life depended on it.


    Luckily, the elevator started going down while Zacharias was still standing there, looking lost.


    "Tsk. He looks really messed up," Jessica muttered. She had seen the empty, crushed look on his expression just as clearly.


    But really, who can he me? He dug this hole himself. Anneliese isn''t pregnant this time, but it''s only a matter of time. Does Zacharias seriously think Anneliese and Jonathan are going to divorce, and she''lle running back to him? That''s just him being out of his mind.


    "Don''t worry about him," Anneliese said, her voice calm and detached.


    Jessica nodded but couldn''t hide the worry creeping into her eyes. "He thinks you''re pregnant, right? Did you see the way he acted just now? What he does something... crazy? Maybe we should just be upfront with him."


    After all, we can''t mess with crazy people.


    But Anneliese shook her head. "It''s fine. Exining it will just make him overthink."


    "True." Jessica nodded.


    The elevator slowly came to a stop-it had reached the first floor.


    They didn''t speak anymore and started stepping out, but before they could get all the way out, a figure suddenly lunged toward them.


    It was Zacharias.


    He had clearly rushed down the emergency stairs. He was panting hard, hair falling messily over his forehead, shadowing his eyes.


    Sweat dripped down along his brow, highlighting a pair of bloodshot eyes locked onto Anneliese. His gaze was intense, obsessive, terrifying.


    "What are you doing?" Anneliese stepped back, shielding Jessica, as Zacharias pressed against the elevator wall.


    "Anne, how could you! How could you have a baby with Jonathan! Don''t you remember? You promised me we''d have two kids, a boy and a girl, and you even said one of them could have thest name ude


    agreed, and now... did you just forget?"


    Anneliese stared at Zacharias, catching the hint of madness in his expression. Her palms were slick with nervous sweat.


    "Zacharias! This is a hospital! What do you think you''re doing? Step back!" she shouted.


    But instead of stopping, he seemed provoked by her sharp tone and the cold emptiness in her eyes.


    He reached out for her. She was already cornered in the elevator.


    Anneliese swung her bag at him. Jessica kicked toward him, too. But it was like Zacharias didn''t even feel it. Pain and obstacles didn''t register with him.


    Just as his hands were about to mp down on her shoulders, she instinctively shut her eyes.


    But the next second, instead of being grabbed, there was a loud bang.


    Anneliese opened her eyes and froze in shock. Zacharias had been kicked, flying across the elevator hall.