Aldrich rushed out of the hall with Maggie, followed closely by Ethan. “Hold it, Aldrich! Where do you think you’re taking the mother of my child?” Ethan confronted them with burning intensity in his eyes.
Charlie pulled up in a sports car in front of Maggie and Aldrich. Aldrich quickly opened the car door and said, “You go in first…”
Ethan’s gaze remained fixed on Maggie, his hostility evident. Anxiously, she climbed into the car, and Aldrich closed the door behind her. He exuded a thick aura of anger.
“Ethan, haven’t you learned your lesson from the last time? I showed restraint at the banquet, but not today!” Aldrich was ready for a confrontation.
“Is that so? Ready for a fight at last? Bring it on! I won’t hold back!” Ethan prepared to face off with Aldrich.
“Stop!” an elder rushed over, cutting off their exchange. “This is a sacred hall, and you dare to defy our bloodline rules! Put your claws away immediately!”
Aldrich immediately calmed down, but Ethan clenched his fists, unwilling to back down.
“Listen, Aldrich, the council members will confer and give you three days to assist Maggie Nelson in finding the truth! Ethan Frostbourne has no objections to this arrangement!”
With no other choice, Ethan had to compromise. He glared fiercely at Maggie inside the car and then turned to walk away.
Aldrich opened the car door and instructed Charlie, “Head to Vita Genics Fertility Hospital.”
Finally, the car started, and as Aldrich settled in, he noticed Maggie quietly shedding tears.
“Maggie, don’t cry…” He pulled out a soft handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped Maggie’s eyes, but her crying only intensified.
Maggie couldn’t control her tears. “Aldrich, I’m so scared. I thought you wouldn’t protect me anymore…”
“How could I…” Aldrich’s voice choked.
“If the child isn’t yours, Aldrich, will you abandon me?”
Maggie’s piercing question left Aldrich’s hand suspended in the air.
He didn’t answer right away, and Maggie already knew that this man’s top priority was still the mission of the wolf pack.
Aldrich regained his composure, his voice hoarse. “If it’s true, then I wouldn’t have the right to be with you.”
“Are you really going to send me back to Ethan? Back to that gloomy, malicious man? Aldrich, you never really cared about me. It was all for the child, for your own gain!”
Maggie tried to stop her tears and evaded his attempt to wipe them away.
Aldrich clenched the handkerchief tightly, his voice heavy. “Maggie, you are not weak. You hold some secrets related to the wolf pack within you, you have power, and Ethan won’t mistreat you.”
“But you still want to hand me over to someone else!”
“No!” Aldrich said with pain. “I don’t want to let you go. I don’t want to lose the connection between you and the children. If I do, I won’t have the right to fight for you. I’m not worth it.”
“But I like you… I mean, we get along well, we swore in front of Selene, are you going back on your word? At least we’re still contractual partners…”
“In that case, I’d rather face Selene’s anger in person than stop you from being happy with the father of your children!”
“Aldrich, you really are a fool!”
Maggie turned away, her heart torn by pain. Aldrich tried to console her, saying, “At least the results haven’t come in yet, Maggie. We don’t have to be so pessimistic. You have to believe in the bond between us and the baby.”
Maggie knew she shouldn’t dwell on baseless assumptions. She tried to convince herself not to be swayed by emotions that might affect the baby.
Aldrich held her hand tightly, providing a steady and reassuring grip. “We haven’t received all the results yet, Maggie. But whatever happens, we will face it together,” he reassured her, his voice filled with conviction, becoming a shield against the unknown.
Maggie still refused to look at Aldrich and spoke softly, “Aldrich, I’m truly scared, scared to leave you, scared of falling into Ethan’s hands.”
“That won’t happen. Reality is not so cruel.”
“Aldrich, can you promise me that if this is the worst result, at least you won’t hand me over to Ethan?”
If Maggie’s child is Ethan’s, he would have every reason to be with her. If Aldrich interfered, it would not only be morally compromising but also exacerbate the conflicts between two families.
Through the rearview mirror, Charlie was eager to see how the Alpha would respond to her request.
But inside the car, Aldrich’s words were gentle yet firm. “Okay, I promise.”
Has he lost his mind? Charlie couldn’t help but slam on the brakes. He had wanted to remind Aldrich loudly that such a decision could lead to disastrous trouble, but when he met Aldrich’s deep gaze, he swallowed all his doubts.
“Charlie, what’s wrong?” Aldrich calmly asked.
Charlie gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Boss, we’ve arrived at VitaGenics Fertility Hospital.”
The car came to a halt. The fashionable exterior of the building contrasted sharply with the turmoil within. Aldrich guided Maggie towards the director’s office, their footsteps echoing through the primal corridors, reminding them of the weight on their shoulders.
After entering the director’s office, Aldrich immediately took action, filling the room with his authority. “Retrieve Maggie’s complete medical records and all the videos from the day of the surgery,” he ordered, his voice carrying authority, demanding swift action.
The doctors and Alisa sent to carry out the task hadn’t returned yet, but the director strongly sensed that something serious had occurred.
“Mr. Barrett, Miss Nelson, take a break. I will do everything in my power to assist you.”
Soon, the surveillance video from the day Maggie became pregnant was retrieved.
As the video played on the screen, Maggie widened her eyes in disbelief. She watched in astonishment as the carefully selected sample, chosen by Alisa, was swapped by an unknown doctor. Then, under the careful orchestration of the director’s assistant, another switch occurred. Anger surged within her, and a whirlwind of emotions erupted. Many people had tampered with who would be the father of her child, and she had been completely oblivious to this act. Her loathing for Ethan intensified, and her gaze pierced the director like a blade.
When Aldrich saw the final video, which revealed the use of his own sample, his nervous tension was somewhat relieved. Though confidence flowed through his veins, seeing it in the video eliminated the last traces of doubt, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Realizing that the first switch had been Ethan’s doing, Aldrich couldn’t help but shudder. The mere thought of Maggie conceiving with Ethan’s sample heightened his protective instincts.
The atmosphere in the room was too tense, and the director finally realized that he had been tampered with more than once that day. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and he nervously said, “Mr. Barrett… I had no idea there might be a mole among the hospital staff, and I sincerely apologize to you and Miss Nelson. Please rest assured that I will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
There was no need for further investigation; Aldrich and Maggie were crystal clear on this. It was all carefully orchestrated by Ethan!
Pregnancy back then was much more perilous than they had imagined. Even the slightest mistake could have had significant consequences!
Aldrich’s expression was grave as he said, “Director, you should be grateful that my sample was eventually used, or today you would be facing the wrath of the Barrett family!”
“Yes, thank you for Mr. Barrett’s understanding!”
He issued stern orders to the director, demanding the hospital rectify its procedures, implement strict management, and eliminate the possibility of such illegal acts happening again.
The director had sweat beads on his forehead, fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. He nodded eagerly, his voice mixed with embarrassment and fear, promising to take immediate action to correct the situation and make necessary changes.
But Maggie posed another question, “If it’s confirmed that the child is Aldrich’s, why didn’t the gene test show it?”
Aldrich held Maggie’s hand and said solemnly, “It seems we need to do a comprehensive genetic compatibility test.”
This was not only to meet the elders’ demands but also due to Maggie’s unique condition. It was a responsible decision for the baby as well. Perhaps it would help unveil the secrets hidden within Maggie’s body.