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Chapter 10:
Next Morning
After getting Spencer king's number,from his assistant, Jessica Cooper sat on the edge of her bed, phone trembling slightly in her grip.
She rehearsed the words once in her head, took a deep breath, and tapped the dial icon.
The line clicked almost instantly.
"Thank you so much for what happened last night,
Mr. Dixon," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I wanted to invite you to dinner today, but I know you're a busy man with a lot on your plate, so you probably don't have time-"
"I have time," came his deep voice, cutting her off.
Jessica blinked, her heart stalling. What?
"I said," his voice repeated, even smoother now, "Where are we eating?"
It took her a second to realize her mouth had parted but no sound came out.
"Time and place?" he asked again, crisp and direct.
"C-Canton Sea Grand Hotel. Three o'clock tomorrow afternoon," she blurted, scrambling to collect her composure.
It was all Cecilia's doing-the high-end booking, the perfect location. Jessica mentally reminded herself to thank her later.
But before she could say another word, the line went dead. He'd already hung up.
Jessica stared at her phone, lips parted. No goodbye. No confirmation. Just gone.
She groaned and immediately rang Cecilia. "Hey, the arrangement's set.
Can you double-check that the hotel is locked in? He's... coming."
By the time she ended the call, it was still only nine in the morning. So much for a slow, lazy weekend.
Stretching out her sore limbs, she reached for a glass and drank two cups of warm water.
But before the second could settle in her stomach, an overwhelming wave of nausea slammed into her.
She barely made it to the bathroom.
Clutching the sink, she heaved violently, her body trembling as the bitter sting of bile crept up her throat.
When it finally subsided, she turned on the faucet, splashing warm water on her pale face.
Her head swam. Her limbs felt weak. Something was wrong.
Moments later, after using the restroom, a different kind of panic set in.
There was no sign of her period. Nothing. Her cycle, which usually arrived on time, had quietly... disappeared.
She backed away slowly, her heart thudding.
No. No way.
In the kitchen, she spotted a note from Cecilia stuck to a covered tray: Make sure to eat.
The sight of the fried dough sticks and juice turned her stomach. Still, she took a cautious bite. The moment the familiar texture hit her tongue, her nausea exploded again. She barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting everything.
Worn out and pale, Jessica sank into a dining chair and clutched her belly. "I'll go to the hospital after breakfast," she muttered, forcing down a glass of juice instead.
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At the hospital.
It was almost 11 a.m. when she arrived. The waiting room was packed-families, children, the elderly, all clustered around the reception.
After registering, Jessica sat in a hard plastic chair and stared blankly ahead. Minutes ticked by like hours.
"Jessica Cooper," a nurse finally called.
She stood up on shaky legs, following the woman into a white-walled consultation room.
The doctor, a calm-looking woman in her forties, adjusted her glasses. "Tell me your symptoms."
"I've been nauseous, vomiting, lightheaded. My period's late. I feel off."
Without hesitation, the doctor scribbled something on a form. "Urine test first."
Jessica frowned. "Is that necessary?"
The doctor looked up. "Yes. Just to be sure."
-
Five minutes later, she was back in the doctor's office.
The doctor glanced at the paper in her hand, then looked up with a slight smile. "Miss Cooper, congratulations. You're pregnant."
The world stopped moving.
Jessica froze, her ears ringing. "W-What?"
"You're three weeks along. The results are clear. If you're uncertain, we can run another test-"
"No," she said quickly, voice cracking. "This must be a mistake. I took the morning-after pill!"
"When did you take it?"
"Within two hours."
The doctor narrowed her eyes. "Did you eat anything or drink anything strong that day?"
Jessica's heart dropped. "Pu-erh tea... A few cups."
The doctor sighed. "That explains it. Pu-erh can severely reduce the pill's effectiveness, especially when consumed in large amounts. I'm afraid... the pill didn't work."
Jessica's breath came in shallow waves.
"And one more thing," the doctor added gently. "Your uterus tilts backward.
That makes conception more difficult. If you terminate this pregnancy, you may struggle to conceive again."
Those words chased her out the clinic doors and into the street like a cruel echo. She didn't even feel the cold wind stinging her face. Her limbs moved on autopilot, her mind spiraling.
Pregnant? This can't be real.
Then-agony.
A sharp pain stabbed through her abdomen, and before she could cry out, her leg gave way. She collapsed to the sidewalk, scraping her knee.
A cyclist whizzed by, glaring. "What's wrong with you? Blind and deaf too?"
Jessica didn't reply. She stared numbly at her scraped leg, then slowly pushed herself upright.
Her phone buzzed in her coat pocket. She picked up, barely glancing at the screen.
It was Molly, her assistant. "Miss, you're late! The contract with King's company-Mr. King is furious! Are you still coming?"
Jessica stared at the lab report in her hand.
"I had an accident. I can't make it," she said flatly and ended the call before Molly could argue.
The phone rang again.
She answered it slowly. This time, it was her father.
"Jessica, it's almost four! Why aren't you at the bar? If you don't sign that contract, then you can forget about being part of this family!"
She didn't respond. Just quietly powered off the phone and flagged down a taxi, slipping inside as the cab pulled to a slow roll.
"Take me home," she said, voice hollow.
---
Meanwhile, at King's Office.
Spencer King sat behind his dark mahogany desk, the afternoon sun slanting through the blinds. His assistant stepped in, holding a tablet.
"She didn't come," he said. "Her assistant said she had an accident."
Spencer's brow furrowed. "Accident?"
The room went still.
"I want to know exactly what happened today," he ordered coldly. "Where she went, who she saw. Find out everything."
"Yes, sir." The assistant turned and hurried out.
Spencer leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening.
Jessica Cooper... what are you hiding?
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