Chapter 1 I'm Pregnant!

In a presidential suite of a hotel.

"No..."

Slender fingers gripped the edge of a vast, snow-white bed, straining to pull her body forward to break free.

She nearly made it—

Out of nowhere, a firm arm encircled her waist, pulling her back again.

His kiss was intense and full of passion. As she melted into his tender touch, her rationale vanished.

On the beautifully adorned wall, their shadows merged.

Two months later.

Ryann Murphy perched at the edge of her bed, a pregnancy test stick clasped in her hand.

The two red bars on the stick shone brighter than the midday sun.

Her mind was in a whirl.

It took her quite some time to regain her composure.

She was pregnant and unmarried...

She never anticipated such a dreadful turn in her life!

And she was just twenty years old!

"Meow!"

The soft sound of a cat snapped her back to the present.

"Coco, what do you think I should do?"

Ryann was on the verge of tears, clutching the little cat, stroking its snow-white fur.

When her fingers brushed its hairless tail, her expression twisted in anger.

This hairless tail was the trigger for all the chaos.

Of course, Coco wasn't to blame.

The true culprit was Phyllis Murphy!

If Coco hadn't been mistreated by Phyllis, its tail hair scorched by her, Ryann wouldn't have been blinded by anger and followed Phyllis to the hotel in a fury. And if she hadn't caught Phyllis in a compromising situation with her boyfriend, Ryann wouldn't have acted in vengeance and made a wrong choice.

Acting on impulse had only compounded her troubles.

Ryann deeply regretted her choice.

Then, a knock at the door broke her train of thought.

Ryann, taken aback, quickly tucked the pregnancy test stick under the quilt.

At the door stood the housemaid, Melinda Singh.

"Miss Murphy, Mrs. Murphy wants you downstairs. She has something to discuss with you."

Melinda's demeanor was frosty.

Her words carried a hint of sarcasm.

Ryann responded in a monotone voice, "Okay, I'll come down."

In the living room.

Lynda Murphy and Phyllis were cozily seated next to each other, sharing fruit and exchanging warm smiles.

When Lynda saw Ryann, her smile disappeared.

This sight made Ryann feel a pang of sadness.

Lynda had once been a kind and affectionate mother to her, too.

But everything changed six months ago when Phyllis, her biological daughter, returned home. Ryann, the adopted daughter, suddenly found herself out of favor.

Lynda's warmth towards her turned to indifference.

"Please, sit down."

Ryann sat in an armchair and waited silently for Lynda to speak.

"I wanted to discuss something with you, so I asked you to come downstairs."

Though Lynda called it a discussion, her voice was stern. "As you know, Phyllis' and Alexander's grandfathers planned their marriage twenty years ago. But Phyllis went missing, and you, fortunately, took her place to be engaged to Alexander. Now that Phyllis is back, it's time to rectify this mistake."

Ryann bit her lower lip.

In Lynda's view, it appeared that an engagement was nothing more than a game, with the engaged parties subject to change at any moment.

Whenever Lynda required Ryann's presence, she showered her with kindness. But once Ryann no longer had use for her, she turned a cold shoulder.

Ryann, holding back tears, looked at the smug girl beside Lynda. "Phyllis and Alexander have been dating for ages. This is not a discussion. It's a declaration."

Phyllis's expression shifted.

Lynda was caught off guard, not expecting Ryann to be aware of this and embarrass them now.

With a stern face, Lynda scolded, "What's with your attitude? Are you blaming us? Phyllis was supposed to be engaged to Alexander. Even this declaration is a courtesy from us!"

After saying that, she noticed Ryann bowing her head in silence. Lynda believed that her words had intimidated Ryann.

Lynda's face softened slightly. She lifted her chin with pride and said with feigned kindness, "Of course, to make amends, we've found another fine man for you. He is the second son of the head of the Ward family, quite the handsome fellow. I believe you two would be an ideal match. We have come to an arrangement. You can go and register your marriage with him tomorrow."

Tomorrow?

Ryann lifted her head, her eyes wide with disbelief. "But I haven't even finished school yet!"

"What's the problem? There is no rule against marrying while in college! You're of age for marriage. It's time for you to get married now!"

Ryann turned away. "I've heard that man from the Ward family is a notorious womanizer with many scandals. I refuse to marry him."

Having her marry someone like that was not compensation, but humiliation!

Bang!

Lynda slammed her hand on the table angrily. "What's wrong with a womanizer? You are just an adopted daughter in the Murphy family, not a real one. A womanizer is more than enough for you! To show their sincerity, the Ward family has deposited ten million dollars into our account. Whether you like it or not, you're marrying him tomorrow! If not, don't blame me for freezing your bank card! Don't assume I'm unaware of you secretly covering Stella Cooper's medical expenses."

Lynda was sure that Ryann would yield.

She was aware of Ryann's vulnerability.

Ryann's hands balled into tight fists.

Stella, who directed an orphanage, had lovingly looked after Ryann until she was three.

Ryann felt deeply indebted to her.

Later, Ryann was adopted by the Murphy family. Lynda was grieving for the loss of her daughter, sought solace, and found it in Ryann.

Ryann bore a slight resemblance to Phyllis, which led to her being chosen.

Despite this, Ryann frequently visited Stella at the orphanage.

Six months ago, Stella received a diagnosis of stomach cancer and required hospitalization. However, she had dedicated her youth and finances to those homeless children for years. How could she possibly afford her treatment now?

Learning of Stella's issue, Ryann secretly used her funds to cover Stella's medical expenses.

Stella couldn't survive without the funds necessary for her treatment, so Ryann had no choice but to agree to the marriage.

The next day, at the city hall.

"Achoo!"

Ryann kept sneezing.

She glanced at the man beside her, adorned in vibrant attire. His perfume was so overpowering that she found it unbearable.

What made it even more unbearable was that he hadn't ceased his phone conversation since he arrived and stood in line with her.

He continued to flirt with the woman on the other end of the line.

He was on the verge of marrying Ryann, yet he displayed no respect for her.

Ryann felt like a heavy stone was crushing her heart.

Was she destined to marry such a man?

No, she couldn't do it!

Overwhelmed, Ryann bolted out.

The man, phone still in hand, looked at her in confusion. "Hey, where are you going?"

Ryann didn't respond; she dashed out of the city hall.

She nearly collided with a sleek black luxury car.

"Screech—"

The luxury car suddenly stopped, its front end just a few inches from her thighs.

Ryann's legs turned weak and numb, causing her to collapse onto the ground.

She had nearly been hit by the car...

"Are you alright?" The driver swung open the door, stepped out of the car, and peered down at her.

He exuded an air of dominance and authority.

His voice sounded eerily familiar.

Dazed, Ryann lifted her head. As she saw the man's face, her eyes widened in shock.

The man wore a sharp suit and leather shoes, appearing immaculate and handsome. His dark eyes were as piercing as an eagle's gaze.

The afternoon sun cast a glow on him.

It was him!

Memories of that wild night two months ago and the pregnancy test stick flashed through Ryann's mind.

When the man turned to get into the car, Ryann reached out, grasping his hand, and blurted out, "I'm pregnant!"