My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Pregnancy Test

A month ago, at the hospital, Shane Grant spent ten million to pull Cecelia Archer back from death’s door.

He brought her to his home that very day and arranged for a doctor to treat her.

He would never forget how wretched and desperate Cecelia Archer had looked that day, nor the shock of seeing her, even in that miserable state, desperately murmuring Candy’s name the moment she saw him.

At the time, Shane Grant and Zeke Walton were horrified, wondering how she could have ended up in such a state in the mere couple of weeks since they had last seen her.

He and Zeke Walton split up; Shane took her home while Zeke went to investigate the cause.

Soon, Zeke Walton learned about Mrs. Vaughn’s death and that Candy had been sent to an orphanage.

Zeke Walton rushed to the orphanage, snatching Candy back just before she could be sold to a middle-aged man.

They hadn’t gone anywhere for the past month. Under Shane Grant’s meticulous care, Cecelia Archer’s injuries gradually began to heal.

But she was clearly no longer the happy person she once was.

When her injuries were still severe, she spent her days either unconscious or staring into space. Now she was much better, but all she did was read, her face perpetually devoid of a smile.

Shane Grant knew that after what had happened, she could never stay in Veridia, so he decided to take her abroad.

He happened to be ready to settle down as well. The four of them could leave this place, find a small, little-known country, and start over together.

But Cecelia Archer was resistant to his proposal.

She had just escaped a tumultuous relationship, almost losing her life in the process, and had no desire to fall into another one.

Even though Shane Grant was nothing like Damien Vaughn, she was just so tired—too tired to even consider developing feelings for anyone ever again.

Besides, she knew she wasn’t worthy of him.

’Shane Grant was too good—so good that she felt ashamed every time she faced him.’

’She couldn’t drag down such a perfect man.’

Fortunately, Annie needed someone to look after her, so Cecelia could repay him by taking care of the little girl. That, at least, helped put her mind at ease.

Shane Grant knew she wasn’t in the right state of mind, and that to press her on matters of the heart would be forcing the issue. He thoughtfully kept his distance.

After Cecelia told him she was fine, Shane Grant saw her calm demeanor and noted that her color was good today, which brought him some comfort.

"Well, keep reading then. Just be sure to rest your eyes. I’m going to go check on the children."

He left the room, and just as he stepped out the door, the doctor approached him.

"Mr. Grant."

"Yes. Dr. Miller, thank you for all your hard work. How is Cecelia’s condition today?"

"Much better, but..."

The doctor seemed hesitant, glancing at him uneasily before speaking.

"There’s an unexpected development I was just about to discuss with you."

Shane Grant’s expression instantly turned grave, assuming they had discovered some other unexpected illness.

"What is it? Please, just say it."

"Well, Miss Archer has recently been showing what seem to be signs of pregnancy. To be sure, I had her take a urine test. Here are the results."

As he spoke, he held out a small white stick to Shane Grant.

As a father himself, Shane Grant was all too familiar with this object. The sight of the two bright red lines on it shocked him just as profoundly as seeing the injured Cecelia in the hospital a month prior.

’Cecelia’s pregnant? How is that possible!’

From his interactions with them, the doctor had clearly sensed Shane’s feelings for Cecelia, so he too had been stunned by the result.

But...

"These tests are generally accurate. If you’re not convinced, I can run a blood test. But in any case, Mr. Grant, you need to prepare yourself. The baby can’t be kept. Miss Archer has been on far, far too much medication recently, both oral and administered..."

Shane Grant’s head was ringing.

He didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t bring himself to believe it, but he had to.

After a long silence, he closed his hand around the test stick.

"I understand. As you said, they’re generally accurate, so a blood test won’t be necessary. You can go home for now. I’ll discuss it with Miss Archer and get back to you."

After the doctor left the Grant residence, Shane stared at the test in his hand, lost in thought for a long while, before once again pushing open the door to her room.

Cecelia Archer was still reading. The afternoon sun streamed in through the window, bathing her in light and tracing her silhouette with a golden edge. She looked so warm and serene that Shane Grant couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with her.

Sensing he had returned, Cecelia turned her head and gave him a faint smile.

"If you’re not busy, you can come read with me. I never used to have the patience for it, but I’ve recently discovered this book is actually quite good."

As she spoke, she held *One Hundred Years of Solitude* out to Shane Grant.

Shane Grant glanced at the five words on the book cover but didn’t take it. Instead, he sat down across from her and slowly opened his palm, revealing the test stick.

"Did you know about this?"

Cecelia stared at the pregnancy test in his palm. At the sight of those two distinct red lines, she was instantly thrown back to that night at the club, tangled with Damien Vaughn.

Her mind went blank, her breathing suddenly turning ragged and quick.

"This is impossible! He’s a monster! Why does he keep haunting me like some malevolent ghost? I don’t believe it! It’s impossible!"

Fearing she would get too agitated and something might happen, Shane Grant quickly threw the test aside, knelt before her, and pulled her into his arms, cradling her head.

"Calm down, calm down. It’s all in the past. It’s not the end of the world. I’ll face this with you."

"Face it? How are *you* going to face it?"

How could Cecelia possibly remain calm?

That day in the hospital, a group of people had dragged her away without rhyme or reason, forcing her to sign a confession. Then she was surrounded and tormented by a mob, stabbed in the chest with a sharp object... each event a nightmare that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

And all of it was a "gift" from Damien Vaughn.

For her daughter’s sake, she had desperately tried to numb herself, managing to forget just a little. Why would fate play such a cruel joke on her, letting her get pregnant with his child now, of all times?

What was this if not the work of a demon who refused to let her go?

Cecelia Archer struggled out of Shane Grant’s embrace, her eyes filled with disgust and loathing.

"I’m not keeping it! I would rather die! Where’s Dr. Miller? Tell him to give me the pills! I want the pills! I want to sever every last tie to that monster! Right now!"

As she spoke, she began to frantically pound on her own stomach.

Cecelia had been stabbed in the chest with a sharpened toothbrush while she was incarcerated. The wound had only just started to heal, and Shane, desperate to prevent another incident, quickly grabbed her hands.

"I know, I know! Calm down, please calm down! We won’t keep it. We’ll sever all ties with him. Just please, calm down first!"

A moment later, Shane Grant was on the phone with Dr. Miller.

"We want to resolve this... problem as soon as possible. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you come back?"

Dr. Miller was silent on the other end of the line for a few seconds.

"I’m afraid this could be complicated. Without the proper equipment, I can’t determine Miss Archer’s gestational age, so I can’t risk prescribing her medication... I’m afraid we’ll have to go to the hospital."

It wasn’t that Shane Grant was unwilling to go to the hospital; it was that Cecelia’s current physical and emotional state wouldn’t permit it.

After a moment of thought, Shane Grant said,

"Then please, make the arrangements. We’ll meet you at the hospital tonight at midnight."