"Are you saying you're pregnant with Justin's child?"
A voice, suddenly rising, echoed through the spacious hall, betraying the speaker's inner turmoil and startling the girl spacing out in the corner.
Arabella Donovan glanced at the woman on the sofa. With her long hair and white dress, she had a slender figure. Her downcast eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She looked like a delicate white flower swaying in the wind, utterly pitiful and endearing.
But the thought of the true face this woman hid beneath her fragile exterior made Arabella Donovan's eyelid twitch violently.
A few days ago, when she was sent away from the mountain by her master, Arabella Donovan had unexpectedly learned that she was, in fact, the biological daughter of the Donovan family, who had been lost for more than a decade.
On the way home with Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, she got into a small accident. When she woke up again, a library had appeared in her mind.
Arabella Donovan didn't think much of it at first—not until she ran into Claire Bishop at home today.
"Josephine, I know this news might be a bit sudden for you. On the fifth of last month, I had just returned from abroad and was passing through Crovia. The night I checked into my hotel, I happened to run into Justin. He was drunk at the time and had no one to look after him, so I was worried and followed him. I never expected..."
"It was an accident, so you can't blame Justin. I was originally planning to take this secret to my grave, but a couple of days ago, I suddenly felt unwell. I went to the hospital for a check-up and found out I was pregnant."
At this, the woman's eyes grew even redder. "It doesn't matter if I don't have a place in the family, but a child... a child can't be without a father."
'A child can't be without a father, but that doesn't mean you can just grab any random guy and call him 'Dad.' So eager to find a father for the baby... have you asked the actual biological father?'
"Wha—" The voice, coming out of nowhere, pulled Mrs. Donovan from her thoughts. The moment she turned her head, she met her husband's equally astonished expression.
They exchanged a glance and, in unison, looked toward their younger daughter, whom they had only just been reunited with.
Arabella Donovan was a bit bewildered when they suddenly looked at her. "What's wrong?"
"...It's nothing." Mrs. Donovan suppressed her doubts and turned back to Claire Bishop. "Are you saying that the night you met at the hotel, you two already..."
Claire looked bashful. "Yes, it's been over a month now."
'She doesn't even blink when she lies. Her belly is already that big, and she claims it's been a month? She must be at least three months along!'
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan: "..." They were sure now. It wasn't their imagination; it was the voice of their younger daughter.
But the current situation didn't allow them to dwell on it. Prompted by Arabella's thought, both of their gazes immediately fixed on Claire Bishop's stomach.
Claire Bishop tensed up and instinctively pushed the medical report she had prepared in advance in front of them.
They picked it up and looked. It did indeed say just over a month.
Arabella Donovan also snuck a peek and was thoroughly unimpressed.
'People can be fake these days, let alone a medical report? If I remember correctly, the radiologist at Third Hospital is one of Claire Bishop's simps. It's because he helps cover for her that she's able to get through all the follow-up prenatal check-ups and trick my brother into willingly raising another man's child.'
Mr. Donovan's hand trembled, and he almost splashed the tea in his hand directly onto Claire Bishop's face. Mrs. Donovan's eyes widened in astonishment. It took her a moment to compose herself before she said thoughtfully, "This report is too simple. A lot of the information is unclear. It would be better to get another check-up. Have Lynch get the car ready. We'll all go to First Hospital."
Hearing Mrs. Donovan say she was taking her to First Hospital instead of Third Hospital, Claire Bishop's heart sank, and she nearly lost her composure.
"First Hospital? Why not Third Hospital? I remember Mr. Donovan has shares in Third Hospital, and it's closer and more convenient."
Arabella Donovan was also surprised by her mother's decision, but then her eyes brightened.
'First Hospital is perfect! No one at First Hospital will help her forge the results. As long as she gets checked there, it'll prove my brother's innocence.'
Hearing this, Mrs. Donovan became even more resolute. "The obstetrics department at Third Hospital isn't as reputable as the one at First Hospital. That settles it. I'll have someone make the arrangements immediately."
"Josephine! It's really not necessary to go to all this trouble. I already had all the necessary tests done yesterday, and the doctor said the baby and I are both fine..."
Before she could finish, Mrs. Donovan cut her off. "This is your first pregnancy. You don't have any experience, so it's inevitable that some things might be missed. Besides, we don't know if the doctor who examined you is reliable."
"While Mr. Donovan doesn't have shares in First Hospital, the two hospitals have always worked together. He knows the doctors there and will definitely find the most reputable obstetrician to give you a thorough examination."
Mr. Donovan immediately nodded in agreement. "Yes, I'll call the director of First Hospital right now."
Arabella Donovan took one look at Claire Bishop's deathly pale face and knew she was panicking. But she also knew that Claire had come prepared today and definitely wouldn't give up so easily.
Sure enough, the next second, Claire Bishop spoke in a grief-stricken and indignant tone, "Josephine, Mr. Donovan, do you not believe what I just told you? Why else would you keep questioning me about the baby again and again?"
Mrs. Donovan was taken aback. She thought, what was wrong with confirming a few times when it was such a major issue concerning a new life? Why did Claire's words make it sound like *she* was the one being unreasonable?
"You... you're simply insulting me! I'm an innocent girl. How could I possibly joke about something like this?"
Listening to her self-righteous defense, Arabella Donovan wanted to laugh.
'You're right, you're not joking about this. You're just dead set on making my brother a cuckold.'
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan: "..."
Claire Bishop, unaware of the complex emotions her words stirred in the couple, continued her performance. "I know that as an orphan with no parents, power, or influence, I'm not good enough for Justin. But the child is innocent. After my parents passed away, I've dreamed of having a family member connected to me by blood. Now that he's finally here, I could never give him up. If you don't want him, I do."
With that, she stood up as if to leave. "I was too presumptuous today. Just pretend I was never here. From now on, this child will be mine alone and have nothing to do with the Donovan family."
Mrs. Donovan was completely flustered by Claire Bishop's one-sided speech, momentarily at a loss for words.
Mr. Donovan's expression softened, however, when Claire Bishop mentioned her parents.
But Arabella Donovan saw right through Claire Bishop's little act and tutted in her mind.
'What a classic move—retreating to advance. What a classic case of playing the victim. She keeps bringing up how she's an orphan with no power or influence, framing them as bullies. Isn't this the textbook definition of "I'm weak, therefore I'm right"? It's a classic guilt trip.'
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan: "..." 'It seems... that's exactly what's happening.'
'But speaking of which, do your parents know that you willingly became the mistress of your father's murderer, got pregnant with his child, and then tried to get your own father's best friend's son to take the fall? To make his whole family raise the child of your father's killer? If they knew, they'd probably want to claw their way out of their graves right now and strangle you to death, wouldn't they?'