Ivan immediately embraces Iris in his arms. Autumn ought to raise her voice but she felt a lump against her throat.
Her eyes met with the doctor, he scornfully glances at Ivan, she could tell he was in love with Iris. "I love you so much." Ivan tells Iris and that finally broke Autumn. A tear stream down her sockets. Autumn could recall by memory how many times she had begged this man to love her. She always thought he was incapable of saying it to her or any other woman. How deluded she really was, Ivan was never incapable of ever saying it, he just didn't care to say it to her. He did not love her and just finally coming to terms to it was painful, it was as if Ivan had slapped her in the face. Why did she even fall in love with this man? Why had she agree to marry him. If only she didn't spend that drunken night with him she wouldn't be in this situation. "Ivan." Autumn calls him, he turns his back sealing his once tender gaze with an icy stare. "What are you still doing here? You might as well look for the actual father of that bastard growing in your stomach since you have the time to slut around." Autumn's eyes darkens, the words Ivan had said hit the the nail. She expected tears but they were none. She hesitated if Ivan would even listen to her. But she had to try. "I am pregnant with your baby Ivan, I believe something is wrong with this hospital results and I'll rather have another doctor run a test." Autumn pauses watching the light panic in Iris's eyes. "If the baby claims to still not be yours I'll disappear from the face of the earth." Autumn bargained with Ivan, his brows arched in curiosity. He saw the little flames of hopes that were dying, ignited. Remorse washes over him a bit but then he remembers how she drugged him and slept with him twelve years ago. If she had not taken advantage of him, he wouldn't have dreamed of being engaged to her. "Fine." Ivan tells her. "Run another test in another hospital, it will still give you the same results." He Informed her. "What if she forges it Ivan, these days women like her forges fake pregnancy test and traps the man." Iris says as Ivan stares at Iris long enough. "I'll take her there." Ivan suggested, Autumn's ears perked up, she hadn't expected him to take part in the process but if he did follow her he could see up front that the child is his. Ivan walks away as Iris followed behind him, trying to change his mind. Dr Dexter glares at Ivan's back before returning his attention back to Autumn. He smiles at her pacing up his steps towards her. "I advise you abort the baby Miss Dawson." Dexter smuggly informs her. "And why would I do that Doctor Dexter are you afraid that you made a mistake and your job might be in the line?" Autumn could not hide her disdain for the man in the white coat. "Oh, I don't make mistakes. Your baby has a high chance of being still born so either way even if you prove my test are incorrect you can't still have it." Autumn felt as if her ears were ringing. She chuckled, her eyes twitching. "You think I'll believe that crap? My baby is healthy and alive and after I get the actual results I'll reveal the truth and whatever you're planning with Iris." She threatens him and immediately walks away leaving the hospital. The next day Autumn gets up immediately. She looks at the opposite side of bed and reminece on the earlier stage of her marriage although Ivan never did pay her much attention. He was what you could say present but after two years she rarely saw him and he only ever came home because his father was hell bent on him giving him an heir. Autumn wasn't barren, she was very fertile but Ivan would always force her to take contraceptives but because he was too busy with his wedding to Iris he had forgotten to shove one of them down her throat and that's how she got pregnant. Autumn gets on her feet, feeling weird. She rubbed her flat stomach, try to make sense of the weird feeling. She shrugs it off and goes to make breakfast. Her maid walks up to her in cold sweat and hands her breakfast. "G-Good morning Mrs A-Atumn." The maid greeted looking disturbed. "Are you okay Felicity?" Autumn asked as the maid nods. Felicity was new to the Ashton residence. The last maid quit two months ago for some weird reason but given that time, Felicity should have had enough time to settle down into the family. "Then have you eaten? Take a day off okay. My husband and I will be going to the hospital as a couple to check on the baby." Felicity moods turn sour as she watch Autumn happily sip her tea. "Miss Autumn, I'm sorry." Felicity begs, Autumn archs her brows, before she could question Felicity blood slowly drip from her nose and down to her mouth. A reaction causes her to cough up blood as well and her vision slightly blurred by the second. Autumn looks at Felicity with tears in her eyes. "what did you do to me?" She sobbed holding her stomach. She immediately gets up and tries to run to get her cellphone but her kness buckle up and in a violent thud, her body plopped to the floor. Her nose was burning and every single feeling in her body suddenly begin to numb. She hears the maid walk behind her and pierce a sharp object at the back of her throat.Ivan's hand quaked under the butt of the gun. His eyes reddened, simmering in a heat of hatred. He didn’t know what he hated more—his stupid uncle or the way every single person looked up to him in admiration. He hated it to the fucking core, the same admiration his uncle had gotten when he publicly disowned him and his brothers. He lowered his gaze, and the sight of her pissed him off even more. It wasn’t bad enough that she was the main reason his father tortured him day and night, but she just had to fuck the one person he hated most. "Is this who you left me for? My uncle? After everything I did for you!" Ivan raised his voice, his index finger laced around the trigger. He turned his attention back to his uncle. "And you," he seethed. "What do you think you’re going to gain? Do you really think everyone believes you’re some fucking hero just because you put on some shitty chivalry? You’re a fucking asshole." Ivan spat the words, but Derek didn’t flinch one bit. His eyes lock
Ivan could no longer maintain his composure as he slammed the documents onto the table, his glare drilling into the now-nervous executives. The tension in the room was thick. Just before they could finalize the deal, news broke that Derek and Autumn were on their way to oversee the negotiations. The news spread like wildfire, leaving the company’s employees buzzing with indistinct chatter.Ivan’s eyes darted toward Judas, then to his phone. Twenty-five minutes was left. Judas, however, was seething beneath his calm exterior. Ivan’s outburst had shattered their carefully constructed facade, making them appear inexperienced and unfit to lead the company. Worse still, Derek’s insistence that no meeting should proceed without him complicated matters further. Winning over the executives now would be a fucking uphill battle. If Judas had foreseen his uncle meddling with his plans, he might have considered a more drastic solution, he should have killed him from the beginning."Ivan," Judas
Autumn held her stomach, exhaling a puff of warm air as her stylist tightened the corset further. She had been feeling self-conscious about her figure, and when the stylist suggested a corset, it seemed like a good idea. Now, as the laces pulled taut, she wished she could breathe with ease. After what felt like an eternity, the stylist helped her into a red midi dress—a tailored, structured piece with a V-neckline and a wrap-style bodice. The fabric hugged her frame, cinched at the waist with a matching belt that enhanced her silhouette. Autumn gulped, a forced smile tugging at her lips. "Is the belt really necessary?" she asked with a nervous chuckle. The stylist simply nodded, patting her gently on the back as she adjusted the final touches on the belt. A mirror had been brought over, nestled close to the table near the hospital bed, reflecting Autumn’s image back at her. Her hands fiddled awkwardly as she stared at the woman in the mirror. For a moment, she could barely recogn
The line went dead, and the silence that followed was almost suffocating. Autumn’s hand trembled, her face twisting into a worried pout. She glanced at Evette, then at Derek. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice quivering as she turned to Derek. “They’re going to take everything,” Autumn hissed, her voice rising in panic. “And it’s all my fault.” Before her knees could buckle, Derek caught her mid-fall, pulling her gently back up and guiding her onto the bed. “It’s okay,” he whispered, his voice steady as he wiped the tears streaming down her face. Autumn shook her head bitterly. “It’s not okay. I didn’t think this through. I left the company practically in Judas’s grasp. I was so scared of Iris that I forced Evette to watch over me instead of keeping an eye on him. I handed the company to your nephews on a silver platter,” she sobbed, her voice fragile and broken, like splintered glass. “I let you down.” A pout formed on her lips as Derek continued to dry her tears, liste
Autumn could not decipher if this was a dream. Derek remembers her well not so clearly but he somehow remembers the love he has for her.Derek pulled Autumn close patting the back of her head as she broke down, sobbing into him. The more she cried, the more he felt pathetic for making her this miserable.They both pulled away from the hug, Derek plants a kiss on Autumn's forehead, slowly he kisses her nose. He presses his lips on both her cheek. He pulls away once more, his eyes glued to her lips. Autumn's cheeks spread a warm color across her cheek bones, her eyes plummeting down to her thighs.Derek slowly inched towards her, his heart racing. Autumn shuts her eyes as Derek came closer, his lips brushing against hers."Derek?" Evette screamed in shock as Derek stepped aside to reveal Autumn who's face was redder than a tomato.Autumn immediately saw that Lucas wasn't with her and began to panic."Where is Lucas?" Autumn asked.Evette walked closer to her pulling out her phone."Lu
Derek could feel the world closing on him. It was ridiculous he was looking for someone and didn't even know how they looked like.But he felt if he just saw this person, things would feel better, the pounding headache he was feeling every second would simmer.He dragged his feed forcibly across the cold tile of the hospital. The walls around him began to spin and immediately he figured out if he should just give up."Derek!!!" Derek paused. That had to be his name, the nurse called him Mr Derek earlier. He couldn't force his body to turn, so he just stood there. The sound of footsteps coming closer could be heard till the figure appeared before him.His eyes widened open to get a closer look of the woman."You're awake." Relief was laced in her tone, her eyes wet in tears. Derek slowly extend both his hands, they cupped her face as he pushed his face closer to hers to get a closer look."Autumn?" He asked as the woman shook her head. Derek immediately saw the validity in her gaze an