DRIP—
DRIP—
The sound of dripping water, as if falling directly onto her eardrums, was deafening. Nina Walsh's eyes fluttered open just as a drop of water landed between her brows.
Startled, she tried to move her limbs, creating a loud SPLASH.
Nina was lying in a bathtub, her body submerged in cold water. A showerhead hung directly above her. Whether by accident or design, it hadn't been turned off completely, and it was from this that water steadily dripped, landing precisely between her brows.
Aiden Sinclair, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, leaned against the nearby vanity. He had sharp, upturned phoenix eyes that, when focused on someone, resembled the glint of a blade.
"Awake?"
His voice was as light as if he were making small talk, yet an inexplicable chill crept into Nina's heart. She gripped the edge of the tub, trying to stand up.
"When did you recover from your amnesia?"
Nina looked at his gloomy expression, and her heart clenched.
'He knew all along I was faking my amnesia. He had people following me. Forcing me to entertain those clients was a deliberate attempt to provoke me, to make me run back to the Sheridan family and expose myself.'
'From beginning to end, he was just testing me.'
"When did you find out?"
"I thought you'd at least try to deny it, Eldest Miss Sherman."
Aiden leaned down, and with a heavy pressure on her shoulders, Nina was forced back into the water.
"Answer my question. When?"
Aiden's hands rested casually on her shoulders, and his tone was almost intimate. A faint smile even played on his lips.
He was usually so cold and expressionless that when he smiled, his entire face seemed to brighten.
But to Nina, it felt like a mountain was crashing down on her. She struggled desperately but couldn't break free. The color drained from her already pale face, leaving it utterly bloodless.
"Or was it two years ago? You never had amnesia at all, did you? You faked it to get close to me, to steal Aethel's trade secrets. Am I right?"
A flicker of panic crossed Nina's eyes. She scrambled to explain, "Aiden, listen to me…"
Aiden's thin lips curved into a cold sneer. He moved his hands from her shoulders and patted her cheek, his tone dripping with contempt. "Willing to sell your own body just to fish for some information. How cheap." 'And to think I'd kept her by my side for two years, believing she was some innocent, naive girl who knew nothing of the world.'
Nina's heart felt as if it had plummeted from thousands of feet in the air, shattering into a million pieces.
Nina turned to look at the man, then pushed him away, mimicking his cold sneer.
"Since you've already figured it out, there's no point in hiding it anymore. That's right. I faked my amnesia two years ago."
"If you're going to make a bet, you have to be prepared to lose it all."
Nina threw those exact words right back at Aiden.
Aiden looked down at her, his gaze as cold as ice.
Nina sneered. "You win some, you lose some. Why the wounded expression, Mr. Sinclair? Don't tell me you've fallen in love with me."
"You overestimate yourself."
Aiden had already reverted to his usual ruthless and decisive demeanor. His voice was devoid of warmth, like a seasoned man in power who wouldn't flinch even if a mountain collapsed before him.
Nina stepped out of the bathtub. Her white top, now soaked, clung tightly to her body, revealing a slender waist. The sight, combined with her pure and gentle face, was a perfect blend of innocence and desire, tinged with the fragile beauty of her trembling frame.
Aiden turned and walked out of the bathroom. He sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette, holding it between his well-defined fingers. He took a light drag, his sexy Adam's apple bobbing.
He had to admit, her body and his were a perfect match.
Aiden's Adam's apple bobbed again as he exhaled a smoke ring. "Come here."
Nina glanced at him, her tone disdainful. "So, Mr. Sinclair hasn't fallen for me, just for my body?"
Aiden stubbed out his cigarette, crossed the distance to her in a few strides, and threw her onto the large bed. Nina immediately scrambled toward the headboard.
'I'm pregnant; I can't possibly withstand Aiden's fury.'
Aiden grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her back, pinning her beneath him with no way to escape.
Nina provoked him. "Does Clara Jacobs know you're on top of me right now? Aren't you in love with her?"
Aiden's movements stopped abruptly. "Of all the women I've slept with, you're the most boring."
Nina froze. A sudden gust of wind blew in from the window. Soaked and shivering, she felt a roiling in her stomach.
"BLEGH—"
Nina leaned over the side of the bed and retched violently. She hadn't eaten in nearly two days, and all that came up was stomach acid.
His phone rang. Aiden averted his gaze and stood to the side to answer it.
After a brief, inaudible conversation, he hung up and reached out to haul Nina off the bed.
"You're coming with me to the hospital."
Alarm bells screamed in Nina's head. "Why are we going to the hospital?"
Aiden didn't answer, simply forcing her into the back seat of his car before starting the engine and driving toward the hospital.
Nina leaned against the window, watching the streetscape fly by as her mind raced.
'Why is Aiden suddenly taking me to the hospital? Did he figure out I'm pregnant because I threw up?'
'No, I can't let him find out! He already has Clara Jacobs; he would never allow this child to exist!'
Nina wanted to run, but as soon as the car reached the hospital's underground garage, two bodyguards approached and escorted her directly to a chair in an examination room.
Aiden stood to the side and gave a cold command. "Examine her."
Two nurses swarmed her. One strapped a cuff to her left arm to measure her blood pressure, while the other took out a syringe.
"I'm fine! I don't need an examination!"
Nina struggled in terror, but the two bodyguards held her arms tight. She couldn't move. The nurse quickly drew a vial of her blood.
Nina's heart rose to her throat. 'What should I do? If Aiden finds out I'm pregnant, will he force me onto an operating table and have someone get rid of this baby?'
Every second felt like a year. She was on pins and needles.
Five minutes later, a nurse hurried into the room. The sound of her footsteps seemed to trample on Nina's heart. Tense, Nina watched as the nurse handed a report to Aiden.
Aiden took the report, glanced at it, and said, "Arrange for the surgery."
Nina's mind went blank. The next thing she knew, she was being pinned down on a hospital bed.
"Let me go… Let me go…"