The hospital corridor was too quiet.
Nathan stood outside the private room, his hands clenched at his sides, his usual composure completely gone. The image of Audrey collapsing in his arms replayed over and over in his mind.
For the first time in a long time—
He felt helpless.
The doors swung open, and a man in a white coat stepped out, removing his gloves with a calm expression.
"Nathan," he greeted casually.
Nathan didn't return the greeting.
Instead, he grabbed the front of the doctor's tie, pulling him closer, his eyes dark with warning.
"If anything happens to her…" his voice was low, trembling with restrained panic, "I will make sure you regret it."
The doctor blinked once—then burst out laughing.
Nathan's grip tightened. "This is not funny."
"Oh, it's very funny," the doctor said between laughs, trying to free his tie. "You? Nathan? Threatening me over a woman?"
Nathan's jaw clenched. "Check her again."
"I already did."
"Then check again!"
The doctor finally pried Nathan's hand off his tie, straightening it with a smirk.
"Relax," he said, shaking his head. "She's not dying."
Nathan froze slightly. "Then what is it?"
The doctor paused—then his lips curved into an amused smile.
"Congratulations."
Nathan frowned. "What?"
"She's pregnant."
For a moment—
Silence.
Nathan stared at him, as if the words didn't register.
"…What did you just say?"
The doctor chuckled again. "Pregnant. You heard me."
Nathan ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing.
Pregnant.
Audrey.
His gaze snapped back to the doctor. "Are you sure?"
The doctor raised a brow. "I don't joke about medical results."
Nathan stepped back slightly, processing everything.
The faint memory of that night—the one they never spoke about—flashed through his mind.
They both knew.
When Audrey woke up, the first thing she noticed was the unfamiliar ceiling.
The second—
Was Nathan.
He sat beside her bed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes softened slightly when he saw she was awake.
"You're awake," he said quietly.
Audrey shifted slightly, her head still heavy. "What happened?"
"You fainted," he replied.
She looked away, remembering everything—the confrontation, the anger, the pain.
Silence filled the room.
Then Nathan spoke again.
"There's something you need to know."
Audrey turned back to him slowly.
He held her gaze.
"You're pregnant."
The words hit her like a wave.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
"…No," she whispered.
Nathan didn't look away. "The doctor confirmed it."
Audrey's hand moved instinctively to her stomach, her mind spinning.
Pregnant.
Her thoughts immediately went to that night.
The one she had tried so hard not to think about.
Her chest tightened.
She already knew.
Days passed, but nothing felt the same.
Nathan made sure Audrey lacked nothing.
Anything she needed—food, comfort, medical care—it was there before she even asked.
The best doctors.
The safest environment.
Everything.
But Audrey—
Began to pull away.
She became quieter. Distant.
Every time Nathan entered the room, she found a reason to leave.
Every conversation between them became shorter.
Carefully controlled.
It didn't take long for Nathan to understand.
She was protecting herself.
And surprisingly—
He let her.
For once, Nathan didn't force his way into her space.
He didn't demand answers.
Didn't push her to stay.
If distance was what she needed to keep herself steady—
He would give it to her.
Even if it meant standing back.
But outside their controlled silence—
The world was anything but quiet.
News broke quickly.
Audrey's pregnancy.
The sudden halt in filming for Royal Dynasty.
The rumors exploded like wildfire.
"She got pregnant to trap a man."
"Whose child is it?"
"She doesn't even know the father!"
Damian stared at his phone, his expression darkening with each headline.
"Pregnant?" he muttered.
Serene leaned over, reading the news, her lips slowly curling into a smile.
"Well… this just got interesting."
Damian frowned. "Do you think it's—"
"No," Serene cut in quickly. "It can't be."
She straightened, her eyes gleaming with calculation.
"But it doesn't matter," she added.
Damian looked at her.
Serene's smile turned cold.
"We don't need the truth."
Within hours, a new narrative began to spread.
Carefully planted.
Deliberately twisted.
"Audrey's pregnant with a gigolo's child."
"She's been seeing multiple men behind the scenes."
"She used one, got pregnant, and now she's hiding behind Nathan."
The internet ate it up.
Speculation turned into belief.
Belief turned into judgment.
Audrey sat in silence, her phone in her hand, staring at the headlines.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
It was worse this time.
Much worse.
Not just her reputation—
Now it was about her child.
Slowly, she turned the phone off and set it aside.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back.
She wouldn't cry.
Not again.
Somewhere across the city, Nathan stood by the window of his office, his expression cold as he listened to the reports.
"They're pushing the narrative aggressively," one of his subordinates said. "It's everywhere now."
Nathan's grip tightened.
"Find the source," he said quietly.
"Yes, sir."
"And shut it down."
His voice was calm—
But dangerous.