Chapter 422: Pregnant
Melanie was a mess. Her hands trembled as she stared at the faint finger marks around her neck, dark smudges standing out starkly against her skin. The reality of what had almost happened slammed into her with full force, leaving her breathless all over again. If Dr. Jung hadn’t barged in at exactly the right moment... she swallowed hard, a violent shudder running through her. She didn’t even want to finish the thought.
She would have to be more careful around Cadence in the future. Much more careful.
Letting out a shaky sigh, Melanie slowly lowered her gaze, her hand drifting unconsciously toward her stomach. Could it be... was it possible that she really was...? The thought alone made her heart skip a beat.
No. She shook her head sharply as if to chase it away, but it wouldn’t leave her. This wasn’t something she could ignore or push aside. It would have to be confirmed, one way or another.
And if she was... if there really was a child... then everything would change. Their plans, their priorities, the risks they were willing to take- everything.
She drew in a deep breath, holding her abdomen protectively as though she could already shield what might be growing inside her. One thing was certain: she could not,would not, endanger their child.
With a sigh, she stood up. Time to go to the hospital."
***
"Congratulations, Mrs. Collins. You are indeed pregnant."
The doctor’s words kept echoing in Melanie’s head long after she had left the doctor’s room. It was as though they had lodged themselves in her mind, replaying again and again, refusing to let her think of anything else.
She stepped into the elevator in a daze, her hands instinctively coming to rest on her stomach—flat, unchanged, almost as if nothing had happened. Yet the truth was there, undeniable. She was pregnant.
The thought made her heart pound wildly. Her mind struggled to catch up, her thoughts spinning out of control as she tried to process what this meant for her, for Adam, for everything.
It was in the same hazy state that she left the hospital and now stood outside Adam’s office building, barely remembering the drive there. She paused at the private elevator, staring at her own reflection in the mirrored doors. Would he be shocked? Would he be happy?
The questions came too fast, piling over one another, and with them came a surge of excitement she hadn’t expected. Suddenly, she wanted to see him. She wanted to see his face, to see his eyes when he heard the news.
The elevator doors slid open, and Melanie’s steps quickened. Her pulse thundered in her ears as she walked down the hallway, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Reaching his cabin, she didn’t hesitate. With her heart in her throat, she pushed open the door, almost breathless with anticipation and then stuttered to a stop wondering if she had entered some alternate dimension.
Instead, she froze on the threshold, stuttering to a halt as if her feet had turned to stone. For one wild, dizzying moment, she wondered if she had somehow walked into an alternate dimension.
Maybe she was hallucinating? Could there be some side effects to the pregnancy?
Why else would her husband, be standing there with another woman’s arms wrapped around him? The sight made her stomach twist sharply, though the expression on Adam’s face was turned away from her, unreadable.
And he didn’t even seem to realize she was there.
Before her thoughts could spiral any further, Adam suddenly pushed the woman back, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
"I told you I want nothing to do with you," he snapped, his words carrying a finality that made Melanie blink. "You can leave now, or I’ll have security escort you out." Well, that cleared out one thing at least. He was not cheating on her. But who was this woman?
The woman, undeterred, caught his wrist, her voice soft, almost pleading. "Adam... can you at least listen to me?"
He jerked his hand free, his glare hardening. "No. Like I said, I want to hear nothing and have nothing to do with you. Please leave before I call the security to escort you out."
It was only then, as silence followed his words, that Adam finally turned toward the door, and his gaze collided with Melanie’s. The shock on his face made it clear he hadn’t realized she’d been standing there all along.
But then, in the next moment, still holding her gaze, he picked up the phone and ordered the security to take out the visitor.
Then, with a single minded purpose, he walked around the woman and came straight towards her and frog marched her out of his cabin, straight to the conference room next door.
Before she could say more, Adam closed the distance between them in three long strides and pulled her into his arms. His embrace was firm, almost crushing, as though he needed to assure himself that she was real, that she was here, that whatever storm had just passed wouldn’t touch her again.
Melanie stiffened for a second, overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all, then slowly melted into him, her face buried against his chest. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew that somethng was on. For a brief moment, she let herself breathe, her trembling subsiding in the warmth and strength of his arms.
But then Adam stepped back, his hands still lingering on her shoulders as though reluctant to let go. He was about to say something-she could see the words forming on his lips-when his eyes abruptly dropped to her neck.
He froze.
The faint red marks stood out clearly against her pale skin, ugly evidence of fingers that had been there far too tightly, far too recently.
His gaze snapped back to her face, sharp, searching, the warmth from moments ago replaced by a flash of anger and concern.
"Melanie," his voice was low, tight, "what happened to you?"