Chapter 3

I struggled against the bodyguards' forceful grip, but they held tighter and pulled me toward the operating room.

I clawed desperately at the doorframe, refusing to let go. "You can't do this to me, Nicholas!" I yelled in a fit of rage. "I'm the one carrying the baby! It has nothing to do with the Jordan family! What makes you think you can make that decision for me?"

Clara stood to the side and let out a mocking laugh. "Of course, it has nothing to do with the Jordan family! Who knows how many guys you've been with, or whose kid that actually is! You want Nicholas to raise someone else's baby? Dream on, Lillian!"

Nicholas' expression hardened further, his demeanor staying chillingly detached.

I could only humble myself and plead, "I'll leave with the baby! The doctor said a miscarriage could damage my uterus. I might never be able to have children again! Please tell them to let me go, Nicholas!"

There was a flicker of hesitation on Nicholas' face, and just as he was about to speak, Clara cut him off. "That's easy for you to say! You'll just show up and force Nicholas to marry you once the baby is born!

"I mean, the Jordan family is prestigious and wealthy, and anyone with a brain would never let go of this opportunity to latch onto a wealthy man like Nicholas, let alone a gold digger like you! You aren't actually going to let her fool you again, are you, Nicholas?"

I held onto the operating room door handle with a death grip, a raging fire burning in my chest as I glared intensely at Clara. "I belong to the Naughton family from Halport! I'm rich beyond measure! Why would I ever latch onto something as insignificant as the Jordan family? Get your hands off me this instant!"

Nicholas' brief moment of sympathy dried up, his expression instantly hardening again. He then scoffed and said, "Lillian, you crossed the line when you started using the Naughton family to swindle people, so losing the baby will be your price to pay for what you've done."

He pried my fingers from the handle one by one and then barked out a cold order. "Get her into the OR!"

I was forcefully held down on the operating table as the doctor injected the anesthetic. I helplessly mustered every bit of strength left in me and cried out toward the door, "I hate you, Nicholas!"

I caught sight of him freezing up right before the door closed, a tear of pure despair tracking down his face. I then lost consciousness as the cold surgical instruments entered my body.

…

I was completely alone by the time I regained consciousness. I placed my hand over my belly, where a tiny life had been inside me just hours ago. I couldn't hold it any longer and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Mom and Dad called me after receiving the notice from the Jordan family that the wedding was off. They immediately rushed to comfort me the moment they heard how hoarse I sounded over the phone. "Please don't cry, Lillian. Your father and I will come over to back you up right this second!"

I hummed softly in agreement, sniffling slightly.

Mom and Dad caught the earliest flight available, so I went to the airport to pick them up.

I unexpectedly crossed paths with Nicholas and his circle of hangers-on, and the instant Clara saw me, she sidled over with a smug grin. "You look perfectly healthy to me! You clearly fake the pregnancy, Lillian!"

Nicholas sized me up before letting out a sigh of relief as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He then looked at me with pure contempt and said coldly, "You'd better get out of here this instant. A VIP is arriving today, and this isn't a place for a gold digger like you to be hanging around!"

I glared at them, barely containing my anger. "Who are you to tell me what to do? Do you own the airport now?"

Clara suddenly got excited. She summoned the security guards, covering her nose and mouth in disgust.

"How could you just let anyone in when Mr. and Mrs. Naughton from Naughton Group are arriving today? Hurry up and kick her out! She's a notorious gold digger who targets wealthy men! If she causes a delay in the cooperation between Caldoria and Halport, it will cost you your jobs and more!"

It was then that the security guard approached with an apologetic expression, saying, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to relocate to another area."

I suppressed the rage in my chest and glared at Nicholas and Clara. "Does the airport have a regulation that forbids people from picking up arrivals? I'm just waiting for my parents. They're on the next flight, and I'll leave the minute they land."

Clara burst out laughing, putting her arms around the group of friends around her. "What kind of parents could you possibly have, Lillian? You're obviously just here to see if you can luck out and find your next rich target. How about you show the rest of us how you go about hitting on wealthy men?"