Eltham handed the file to his assistant, "Let the media outside know, the medical results are in."
"Hold on—"
Brooke stood up, snatched the file, and flipped to her medical results.
All clear.
Something's not right!
She was pregnant, so why didn't it show?
Brooke suddenly realized something and turned to Eltham, her lips pressed tightly, "Eltham, did you switch the samples?"
The warmth on Eltham's face froze. He took the file back and handed it to his assistant, "Could you give us a moment, please?"
The assistant left the room.
"If | hadn't switched the samples, your results would be quite concerning, wouldn't they?"
Gone was Eltham's usual charm, replaced by a cutting edge unique to those in power, "Brooke, | genuinely like you, and | truly
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtwant to marry you, but you—"
You're not playing by the rules!
He never forced Brooke nor did he expect her to present him with such a significant "gift".
Brooke snapped back to reality, realizing Eltham had known about her pregnancy from the start!
"Eltham, if you knew, why go through all this?"
"Because | like you." Eltham's grip on Brooke's shoulders tightened, his gaze dark and unfathomable, "I like you, so you have to be
with me."
Brooke stood frozen, "You like me?"
Wasn't this marriage arranged by the queen?
She never thought Eltham actually had feelings for her...
Eltham looked slightly disheartened, "All this time, did you think my affection for you was all for show?"
Brooke's lips thinned, "I just don't understand. Before all this, we barely knew each other."
They were adults; love at first sight seemed far-fetched.
Eltham raised his hand, caressing Brooke's cheek, soft and smooth as he had imagined.
Brooke bit her lip, "You shouldn't have done this. You should know, | don't like you."
"It's okay." Eltham's grip becfirmer, "I'll make you fall in love with me."
Brooke tried to pull away but Eltham caught her hand, "We should head out. The journalists are waiting."
"You're insane, I'm pregnant!"
Brooke yelled, "I'm carrying someone else's child, and you still want to get engaged?"
Eltham glanced lightly at her belly, no longer flat, showing a slight bulge but not too noticeable.
"Just a child."
If he wanted, he had ways to deal with the child in her womb.
Brooke sensed his intentions, a chill running down her spine, "Eltham, is it worth it, doing this?"
Eltham firmly pulled her along, "What | want, | must have!"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe journalists were growing impatient, but upon seeing Eltham and Brooke holding hands as they cout, they immediately
grabbed their cameras, furiously clicking away—
Brooke tried to struggle.
But Eltham wrapped his arm around her waist, "The child in your belly is Isaac's, right?"
"He killed Mabel for you. Do you think he could survive if this gets out?"
Brooke felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
She belatedly realized that beyond Eltham's gentle facade lay deep-seated scheming.
Her body tensed, "You—"
"Just play along." Eltham was very close, his eyes full of 'affection’, but his words were chilling.
Like a puppet on strings, Brooke was manipulated by him. In front of the journalists, they appeared just like any other couple about
to wed, full of love and harmony.
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