Chapter 304: Stephanie’s Disgust

San Fierro Hospital

"Vivienne, look! The news says Maison Premier is going to be prosecuted!"

Naomi jumped to her feet the moment Vivienne stepped out of the obstetrics and gynecology department.

She held up her phone, practically beaming.

It was easy to understand why she was so excited. With Maison Premier finally facing prosecution, Luca would be coming back soon.

’I’d love to see his face when he finds out Vivienne is pregnant.’

Of course, Naomi’s news was already somewhat outdated.

Vivienne had been keeping a close eye on the situation in Capital City through her own contacts, so she had known about Maison Premier being taken away for investigation a couple of days ago.

Still, seeing the official report made everything feel much more final.

"Vivienne, do you think we should tell Luca about the baby now?"

Vivienne instinctively placed a hand over her lower abdomen. There was still no visible sign of the pregnancy. It was far too early for that.

Yet knowing that a child belonging to her and Luca was growing inside her filled her with a strange sense of wonder.

She smiled softly.

"I’ll tell him myself when he comes back."

Just thinking about Luca was enough to brighten her mood.

Neither woman noticed the young woman sitting a short distance away.

Stephanie sat quietly on a bench, her expression tired and distant. Two suited bodyguards stood on either side of her, watching the corridor without saying a word.

Her gaze remained on Vivienne and Naomi until the two women disappeared around the corner.

"So they’re all Luca’s women..."

The words escaped in a quiet murmur.

Stephanie wasn’t particularly surprised.

In Capital City’s upper circles, wealthy men having women outside their marriages was hardly unusual. Her own father had maintained relationships with other women for years, and there had been more than one.

’Even a man his age still has young women throwing themselves at him.’

Compared with that, Luca was hardly difficult to understand.

He was wealthy, handsome, influential, and powerful.

If she had met someone like him when she first fell in love, perhaps she wouldn’t have been foolish enough to mistake Vincent for the man she thought he was.

She had been young and inexperienced then.

Vincent had seemed gentle and dependable.

Now, looking back, she could only think of him as a hypocrite.

Because he couldn’t have children, he had eventually pushed her toward his own younger brother.

Jack.

Just remembering what had happened made Stephanie’s stomach turn.

’That family really is full of monsters.’

Fortunately, she had escaped.

Maison Premier had also finally received the punishment it deserved.

From this point forward, she wanted nothing to do with that family.

A voice suddenly came over the hospital’s loudspeaker.

"Number seventy-three."

Stephanie looked down at the number slip in her hand.

"That’s me."

She stood and walked into the examination room.

A short while later, she sat across from a female doctor.

The doctor placed a report on the desk and gave her a professional smile.

"Ms. Stephanie, based on the examination, you’re very likely pregnant. However, it’s still quite early, so we’d like you to return in about two weeks for confirmation."

Stephanie froze.

Even though she had already suspected it, hearing the words from a doctor made everything suddenly real.

Her fingers trembled as she picked up the report.

She barely managed to read the diagnosis before nausea surged through her.

"Ugh..."

She covered her mouth and coughed several times.

"Cough... cough..."

The doctor immediately pushed a glass of water toward her.

Stephanie took a small sip.

This wasn’t morning sickness.

At least, not yet.

The thought of carrying Jack’s child was what made her feel sick.

"Doctor, can I terminate the pregnancy now?"

Her question came out quickly.

The doctor shook her head.

"Not yet. It’s still too early."

She paused before continuing.

"If you’re certain you don’t want the pregnancy, come back in two weeks. We’ll be able to confirm everything properly then and discuss your options."

Stephanie’s expression hardened.

"I don’t want it."

There was no hesitation in her voice.

She could never bring herself to raise a child conceived through what Jack had done to her. No matter whose blood ran through the child’s veins, she couldn’t accept it.

The doctor remained silent for a moment.

She couldn’t understand why the young woman seemed so deeply opposed to the pregnancy, but ultimately, the decision belonged to Stephanie.

Then her eyes drifted toward the two large bodyguards standing behind her patient.

Something about the situation suddenly made sense.

’Another wealthy family.’

The doctor had seen enough patients from wealthy families to know that appearances could be deceiving.

Sometimes, even something as personal as having a child wasn’t entirely up to the woman herself.

"Doctor."

Stephanie’s voice pulled her attention back.

"Can’t I decide for myself whether my child has a father?"

The doctor’s expression became awkward.

"It’s not quite that simple. If you’re here alone and insist on terminating the pregnancy without the father’s consent, there could be legal complications."

Stephanie clenched her teeth.

The child’s father was Jack.

Jack was currently in custody, waiting to face trial and sentencing. Even if Maison Premier had never collapsed, she would never have asked him to sign anything.

She couldn’t stand the thought of seeing him again. She couldn’t stand the thought of seeing anyone from that family. She didn’t even want to return to her own home.

After Jack had assaulted her, she had fled back to the Hart family.

But when she’d told her father that she didn’t want to return to Maison Premier, he hadn’t asked what happened.

He had simply slapped her.

Even her brother, who had always treated her like the most precious person in the family, had chosen the family’s interests over her when it mattered.

Stephanie had finally understood something.

There was nowhere in Capital City where she truly belonged anymore.

Maison Premier was a cage. Her own family had become another one. She didn’t want to go back to either.

The doctor looked troubled.

"This situation does happen, and there are ways to handle it. But today is a little different."

Her gaze briefly moved toward the two bodyguards again.

"Given your circumstances, I’m worried that if I make the decision without authorization, your family might hold the hospital responsible later."

She was only a doctor.

How could she possibly stand against a powerful wealthy family if they decided to pursue the matter?

One of the older bodyguards finally spoke.

"Doctor, we’re from Crescent Security Solutions. We’re also Mr. Luca Hale’s people."

The doctor froze.

The bodyguard continued calmly.

"Miss Stephanie is a friend of our boss. Mr. Hale’s instructions are simple. Whatever Miss Stephanie wants, we are to make sure she gets it."

The doctor’s eyes widened slightly at the name.

Luca Hale.

At San Fierro Kanda Hospital, one didn’t necessarily need to remember the director’s name.

But the owner’s name?

That was different.

Luca’s influence over the hospital was well known.

The doctor glanced at the bodyguard again.

He didn’t appear to be bluffing.

"Please give me a moment. I need to report this to my superiors."

She stepped aside and made a call.

Two minutes later, she returned.

"Alright. I understand."

She hung up and looked at Stephanie with noticeably greater respect.

"Miss Stephanie, we’ve arranged everything for you. Please return in two weeks for the follow-up examination."

Stephanie nodded.

"Thank you, Doctor."

She picked up the report and stood.

Then, without another word, she walked out of the room.

...

Capital City, Franco De Santa Estate

"What happened?"

Arabella sat sideways on Luca’s lap, gently running her fingers across his forehead.

"You’ve been frowning for a while."

Luca lowered his phone and slipped an arm around her waist.

"I just received a message from Captain Rico. Stephanie is very likely pregnant."

Arabella’s fingers stopped.

A complicated look appeared in her eyes.

After a moment, she could only sigh.

Being pregnant with Jack’s child couldn’t have been easy for Stephanie.

In some ways, Arabella genuinely admired her.

After everything that had happened, Stephanie hadn’t completely broken down. She had managed to think clearly, approached Luca on her own, and proposed working together against Maison Premier.

Driven by her desire for revenge, she had even returned to that family and helped Luca obtain the evidence that ultimately brought the entire organization crashing down.

That took a kind of courage Arabella wasn’t sure she possessed herself.

"She wants to terminate the pregnancy?"

Arabella lowered her head against Luca’s chest.

"Yeah."

Luca gently stroked her back.

"But that’s her decision. Whether she keeps the child or terminates the pregnancy is up to her. The same goes for whether she wants to leave the country."

He lifted Arabella’s face with both hands.

"Whatever she decides, I’ll respect it."

He leaned down and kissed her softly.

"And I’ll give her enough money to make sure she never has to worry about supporting herself again."

Arabella remained quiet in his arms.

She knew Luca meant every word.