Stunned, I was about to shake my head when Mrs. Erikson winked at me. She continued, “Having cramps suck. You can’t exert yourself during the first three months. Otherwise, you might risk having a miscarriage.”
Anthony was about to head upstairs to work, but Mrs. Eriksen called out, “Mr. Anthony, it’s painful to have cramps. You should give her a massage later. I bought some essential oil earlier. It’s in your bedroom.”
I must admit Mrs. Eriksen was doing a good job as a wingman.
Anthony put his files down and gazed at me. “Does it hurt?”
I belatedly realized he was asking if the cramps hurt.
Mrs. Eriksen was nodding profusely at me, so I nodded and forced out a smile. “Yes!”
Frowning, Anthony uttered, “Come on!”
As he went straight to the bedroom, I stared at Mrs. Eriksen. “Mrs. Eriksen, I don’t have cramps.”
I had other symptoms, but having cramps wasn’t one of them.
Mrs. Eriksen shot me an exasperated look. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll have that when you’re five or six months along. Hurry, go back to your bedroom now.”
My legs felt like lead as I made my way back to the bedroom. Anthony was taking a shower in the bathroom.
Looking around, I noticed a bottle of essential oil on the bedside table. I couldn’t believe it. Mrs. Eriksen was indeed full of tricks!
I was gone for a few days but luckily, Anthony wasn’t cruel enough to throw my clothes away.
He stepped out of the bathroom soon, his hair dripping wet. The water trailed down his naked chest, reaching his waist wrapped in a towel.
“Take a shower!” he ordered, interrupting my thoughts.
I swiveled my head around and met his gaze wordlessly. Feeling guilty, I looked away and scurried into the bathroom.
The shower was loud, but I could still hear the noise from the bedroom. I thought the ringtone I heard was from Anthony’s phone, but he was holding my phone to his ear when I came out of the bathroom.
I went to him. “Who is on the phone?”
He said nothing and gave my phone to me coolly.
Glancing at the screen, I saw Nick’s name and frowned.
“Hello, Mr. Harrison,” I greeted him politely, walking away from Anthony.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed he was gloomily focusing on his phone.
“I’ve dealt with the scandal. If needed, I’ll hold a press conference,” Nick told me in all seriousness.
It was rare to hear him speak so formally. “Okay, thank you!” I replied.
“You’re welcome,” he said, seemingly distracted. “If I like you, I’ll make you Mrs. Harrison in a respectable manner.”
What the hell? “Good night!” I responded because Anthony was already glaring at me impatiently.
After hanging up, I placed my phone aside. “It’s about the scandal. He…”
Trailing off, it occurred to me that there was no need to explain. I sat on the edge of the bed to dry my hair with the towel.
Suddenly, someone took the towel away from me. I whirled around and saw Anthony standing behind me. Before I could react, he had already started drying my hair.
Silence lingered in the air.
Soon, my hair was almost dry. He flung the towel aside and commanded, “Lie down!”
Huh?
The essential oil was now in Anthony’s hand. He was kneeling on the bed, waiting for me. So he was going to give me a massage!
My cheeks heated up. “You don’t have to do this. I can…”
I stopped talking as his threatening glare landed on me.
Silently, Anthony poured the essential oil onto his palms and massaged my calves. It was an awkward situation for me. I wanted to say something, but nothing seemed appropriate for this situation.
“Are you still mad at me?” I asked hesitantly.
His hands stopped moving. Meeting my gaze, he uttered, “Does it hurt?”
I was taken aback by his sudden question. Thinking he was referring to my cramps, I shook my head. After all, Mrs. Eriksen made it up to ease our relationship. “Not really,” I told him.
Suddenly, he rose to his feet. I grabbed his arm instinctively and implored, “Anthony, if you’re mad, you can yell at me. Please don’t ignore me!”
It felt so horrible when he ignored me.
He let out a snort and retorted, “Mad? Do you think you can cool me down?”
I fell silent at his words.
Mustering my courage, I sat up and leaned into his embrace clumsily.
Perhaps I was too heavy for him as he pushed me away. “Is this how you brush me off?”
I replied timidly, “If I am smart, I wouldn’t have allowed Rylee to remain by your side.”
“Sienna!” he roared.
“Yes!” I yelled. Why did he have to speak so loud? It wasn’t as if I was deaf.
“Ha!” he scoffed. “I’ve never seen an apology this indignant.”
After our intimacy, he pulled me into his arms and rasped out sexily, “Come here.”
I said nothing. I didn’t tell anyone about that incident and never saw my kidnapper again.
It felt like a dream to me.
He carried me out of the bathroom. I lay in his arms lazily after the vigorous session.
Before I fell asleep, I said, “Anthony, don’t be mad at me. Nick and I are innocent. I’m pregnant, and he’s younger than me. There’s no way we’d end up together.”
He rolled over and pulled me into his arms. “What about other men?” he inquired.
He was obviously picking on me. I pursed my lips and glared at him. “You don’t trust me!”
A smirk played on his lips. I could sense his satisfaction as he planted a light kiss on my forehead. “Sleep tight!”
I was already sleepy by now, so I soon fell asleep.
The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed.
After the tiring business trip, I finally got to sleep in.
I lay in bed for a while before getting up. Immediately, I spotted a few missed calls from Stacey on my phone.
My phone was on the silent mode the whole time. I immediately returned Stacey’s call and when the call got through, I heard her anxious voice. “Ms. Stanhope, we’re in trouble. Last night, Mr. Harrison posted a statement and invited the media to attend a press conference, claiming he’ll announce your relationship. Right now, the reporters and the public are gathered at the entrance of Featherstone Corporation, awaiting your arrival.”
What the heck? Had he gone nuts?
I got to my feet and pulled the curtains open to reveal the beautiful scenery outside. The bright rays flooded the room immediately.
Holding back my displeasure, I answered, “Don’t worry. I won’t be going to work today. Nick is an adult. I believe he knows what he should do!”
She replied in affirmation before asking cautiously, “Are you doing okay with Mr. Featherstone?”
“Yes, we are doing well.”
After hanging up, I headed downstairs. Mrs. Eriksen was in the kitchen. Anthony was nowhere to be seen. I went to her and asked, “Has Anthony left?”
Mrs. Eriksen was so engrossed in her task that she jolted in fright at my voice. Turning around, she smiled when she saw me. “Mr. Anthony left early in the morning. He told me he has something urgent to do. Oh, I prepared some nutritious food for you and your baby!”
I nodded and patted my bulging belly. I think I’ve gained weight for the past few days.
When Macy’s call arrived, I was still eating. “What’s wrong?” I picked up and asked. “Did something happen?”
“I read the headline. It spells trouble. What if John sees it?” Macy was terrified of John and so was I.
My heart clenched anxiously at the mention of his name.
“I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry. Rest at home and don’t go anywhere for a few days.”
I didn’t know whether John would travel to J City. But before he did, I had to seek Anthony’s protection.
I ate a simple breakfast and left. Outside, I ran into Cameron. To be exact, she came here for me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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