Evelyn stared at the pregnancy test in her hand, her knees trembling until she sank to the floor.
Since that wild night with Axel Knight, she hadn't thought about him, not once.
She'd shut him out completely, burying the memory deep in the farthest corners of her mind.
Until a few days ago, when her body started acting strangely and her period was more than two weeks late, that's when the suspicion crept in.
And today, she finally took the test.
"Oh… my… God. What do I do now?"
Her hands shook as she stared at the result, heart pounding against her ribs.
"Knock. Knock."
The sound jolted her.
She turned quickly toward the door, panic flaring, and fumbled to hide the test behind her.
But her legs were too weak to support her.
"Sis, are you in there? Dinner's ready. We're all waiting for you," came Stella's impatient voice from the other side.
"I'm coming…"
...
Evelyn found the family dinner unbearable.
The delicious-looking dishes that she knew tasted wonderful now tasted completely bland in her mouth.
She wanted to tell her father about the pregnancy, right now, and beg him to cancel the marriage arrangement. Cancel tomorrow's dinner.
But hearing how excited he was about the alliance with the nation's leading medical business family made her hesitate.
At this moment, prayer was her only lifeline.
She silently begged her father to stop talking about her future husband, Daniel Lincoln.
Of course, Evelyn's prayers were ignored.
A second later, her sister Stella's words made her want to vanish from the room.
"Sister Eve, I'm so jealous of you..." Stella pouted slightly, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Evelyn.
She continued, "Daniel's such a handsome and respected neurosurgeon. A genius among young doctors... You know what? In my faculty, he's practically a god!"
"Yes, I agree with Stella…" Alicia chimed in, looking proudly at her stepdaughter, Evelyn.
"Whenever I'm out with my friends, they all talk about him. Everyone wants him to marry into their family... I was so happy when the Lincolns chose you as their daughter-in-law."
Then Alicia turned to Stella and added, "You'd better study hard, Stella... Maybe someday you'll marry another genius doctor, too. Your daddy already promised to invest in the medical field. Right, Will?"
William Walters cleared his throat, then nodded to confirm his wife's words.
"Sure, Mom… I'm studying hard right now," Stella giggled, then went back to enjoying her dessert.
While her family spoke with such excitement about the marriage, Evelyn felt her heart grow heavier with each word.
She couldn't blame them. Daniel Lincoln was someone she'd known since childhood. He was intelligent, kind, and a true gentleman.
But as they grew older, their lives drifted apart. Daniel focused on his medical career while she poured herself into the family business.
When she learned Daniel had chosen her, she was shocked.
Evelyn thought Daniel would marry someone from the medical field, but she was wrong.
Though they hadn't met to talk about the engagement, she never objected. She is twenty-five now. It was time to settle down, and she wasn't dating anyone.
But now? She is pregnant.
How could she continue this marriage arrangement?
And not just pregnant, but the father of the child inside her was her father's biggest enemy: the Knight family.
'How can I talk to dad now?'
Evelyn silently sighed, lowered her head, and tried to stay calm while hiding a troubling thought in her mind.
William Walters' gaze lingered on Evelyn. He watched her closely, noticing the way her fingers trembled slightly around her fork, and how she hadn't taken more than a few bites of her food.
"Evelyn?" His voice was calm, but firm. "Is something wrong?"
The table fell silent.
Everyone is now looking at her.
Evelyn looked up, eyes wide, caught in the silence. Her throat tightened. She couldn't lie anymore.
"I can't marry Daniel," she said, voice soft but clear.
A beat of silence.
Then Alicia blinked.
"Eve, what are you saying, my dear?"
"I'm saying..." Evelyn took a shaky breath. "I can't accept the marriage arrangement. I'm... I'm pregnant."
The room froze.
Forks paused in midair.
Stella gasped.
William leaned forward slowly, his expression unreadable.
"Pregnant?"
Evelyn nodded once, her voice barely holding together. "Yes."
"Who's the father?" William asked, his tone colder now, heavier.
Evelyn's lips parted, but no sound came out. She lowered her gaze, her silence wrapping the table in tension.
"I'm not ready to talk about that," she said finally.
Alicia pressed a hand to her chest.
"Evelyn, how long?"
"Four or maybe five weeks..." she whispered.
Stella looked at Evelyn, stunned.
"You've got to be kidding me, right, sis? You're just trying to prank us, right?"
"I wish I were," Evelyn muttered, her voice filled with guilt. "But this is the truth."
The silence was unbearable. The air around the dining table had turned even colder.
Evelyn could barely lift her eyes, but she could feel her father's stare boring into her like a sharp dagger.
"Say, his name..." William Walters' voice was low and heavy.
Evelyn's lips trembled as she met his furious gaze.
"I'm sorry… I can't, Dad..."
"You will," he snapped. His voice cracked through the room. "You think you can stay here... under my roof and spit out something like this and not explain yourself?"
"Will, please don't be angry..." Alicia started, reaching for his hand.
He yanked it away.
"Don't. Not now, Alice..." His eyes never left Evelyn. "Tell me who he is. Now. Before I find him myself."
Evelyn opened her mouth, but no words came. Her heart was hammering so loudly she could barely breathe.
She noticed the anger in her father's eyes. She recognized the man who had built an empire from scratch and had toppled rivals for minor reasons.
If she said Axel Knight's name.
If she even whispered it.
Her father wouldn't just ruin him. He'd kill him. And afterward, maybe kill her too for bringing shame and impurity to his family.
"I… I can't tell you," she whispered. "Please respect me, Dad. I'm an adult, not a teenager!"
William slammed his fist against the table, making everyone flinch.
"Then I'll give you choices, since you seem to need them spelled out!"
He stood slowly, towering over the room with the authority of a man who had ruled the family.
"You want to act like an adult? Fine. Then listen like one. You have two paths, Evelyn."
Evelyn's breath caught in her throat as her eyes trembled while she looked at her furious father.
"One... Go to the doctor and get rid of that little demon inside you, then go ahead with your engagement to Lincoln. We will save your future, your name, your place in this family."
He paused, each word deliberate. Final.
"Will, how could..." Alicia couldn't finish her sentence, stunned by what she just heard. She gasped in disbelief, words failing her as she struggled to process her husband's unexpected words.
Stella gasped, just as shocked as her mother.
Evelyn's heart aches inside. She can't believe her father would ask her that way. Her hand clenched tightly under the table, but she couldn't voice anything as her father kept speaking.
"Two... keep it. And walk out of here with nothing... No more Evelyn Walters. No family. No inheritance. No help. Just you, and your shame."
"Will!" Alicia gasped, her voice trembling. "She's our daughter! Please..."
"She made her decision," William growled. "Now I'm making mine."
Evelyn couldn't move. Her legs felt like stone. Her mouth was dry.
Stella sat frozen, eyes wide, tears threatening to spill.
"You have time after dinner with the Lincolns tomorrow," William said coldly, already turning away. "Make your choice."
And with that, he walked out, leaving Evelyn in a house that no longer felt like home.