Chapter 16: A More Tempting Bill

Caroline's POV

Mrs Jones continued, “Now, I disapprove of your wedding to my son unless you’re able to convince me that the news flying about you in the media is not true.”

My stomach churned. I opened my mouth to respond, but my tongue felt thick,  “I don’t know where to start from,” I stammered.

Heat crept up my neck, and I clasped my hands together to stop them from trembling.

Mrs. Jones leaned back slightly, her lips a thin line. “I don’t care about the divorce, nor do I care about your ex-husband, as long as you’ve decided to marry my son. We can deal with that.”

I nodded, barely, hoping she’d let it drop. But then her eyes narrowed, and I knew the real blow was coming.

“What I really want to know,” she said, “is whether or not you’re pregnant for Wesley Tonks.”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

My breath caught, and a lump lodged in my throat. I swallowed, but it wouldn’t go down.

The room seemed to shrink, the walls pressing in.

Everyone was waiting, watching, and I was the prey in the center of it all.

“Are you pregnant for Wesley Tonks?” Mrs. Jones pressed, cutting off my silence. “Yes or no. I want a straight answer.”

My heart thudded so loud I was sure they could hear it.

The truth was a weight dragging me down, if I admitted I was pregnant, Anderson’s future as heir would collapse.

I’d seen how much it meant to him, how he’d fought for it. I couldn’t be the one to ruin that.

But lying? I’d done it before, twice, and it had worked. Maybe it could work again.

“No, Mrs. Jones,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “I’m not pregnant.”

I glanced at Anderson beside me. His face was emotionless.

He didn’t flinch, didn’t even look at me. Was he relieved? Did he trust me? Or was he just better at hiding his fear than I was?

Mrs. Jones took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with a slow, heavy sigh. “So you’re saying the rumors about your pregnancy are false?”

I nodded, stronger this time. “The rumors are not true. I’m not pregnant.”

Her eyes bored into me, searching for a crack, a flicker of doubt.

I held her gaze, my palms slick with sweat, praying she’d believe me.

Finally, she straightened and pointed to two older women sitting near me. “Please, step forward.”

The women stood and approached her. My stomach twisted into a knot. Who were they? What was she planning?

Mrs. Jones turned back to me, her expression unreadable. “Since you said you’re not pregnant, I’m going to have these two doctors test you right now, just to confirm you’re being truthful.”

My eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought they might pop out of my skull.

Doctors? Here? Now? Panic surged through me. I hadn’t seen this coming.

The doctors moved to a corner of the room, pulling out equipment from a big bag.

An ultrasound machine. My breath hitched as some men, probably staff, helped them connect the wires.

The machine came to life, and I watched, frozen, as they set it up, my fear clawing at my insides.

Mrs. Jones’s gaze stayed locked on me. She was looking for weakness, for any sign I was about to break.

I tried to keep my face still, but my hands shook, and I shoved them under my thighs to hide it.

When the doctors were ready, one of them motioned for me to lie down.

My legs felt very heavy, but I forced myself to move, reclining on the  table they’d prepared.

The cold gel hit my stomach, and I flinched, the chill flowing through my skin.

The transducers were placed on my abdomen, sliding back and forth as the doctors stared the screen.

Time slowed, and it felt almost like it was taking forever.

If only the doctors listened to my heartbeat, they wouldn't need a machine to know I was pregnant.

But Anderson didn’t look scared. He sat there, calm as a statue, his eyes on the machine.

How could he be so steady when I was falling apart?

After a while, the doctors pulled the transducer away and wiped the gel off my skin.

I sat up, my chest tight, waiting for the words that would end me.

“So, doctors,” Mrs. Jones said, stepping closer, “what news do we have?”

One of the doctors cleared her throat. “I’m afraid, ma’am, it appears she’s not pregnant.”

My jaw dropped. Not pregnant? The words echoed in my head, loud and impossible.

How? I was sure I was. My mother had told me. I’d felt the signs, missed periods, nausea. Without thinking, I blurted, “Do it again.”

Mrs. Jones raised an eyebrow, probably thinking I was so sure of myself. But I wasn’t. I was lost, spinning in confusion. How could they not see it?

The doctor shook her head. “There’s no need, ma’am. The results are clear.”

Mrs. Jones nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “If that is the case, then the marriage between my son and Caroline still stands.”

Anderson smiled first, a small, relieved curve of his mouth.

The room broke into applause, the family clapping like this was some big win.

I sat there, too stunned to move. How was I not pregnant? Had my mother lied?

The meeting wrapped up fast after that. Mrs. Jones dismissed everyone, and the family went out, one after the other.

I stayed rooted to my seat, staring at the spot where the ultrasound machine had been.

The maids walked around, cleaning up, but I barely noticed them.

“You should get some rest,” Anderson said, his voice cutting through the fog in my head.

I looked up at him, still confused. “I should be pregnant, Anderson.” The truth slipped out. “Did you bribe the doctors to lie to your mum about my pregnancy?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Come on, my mum’s smarter than that. There’s no way she’d let me know which doctors she’d use beforehand. I’m as surprised as you are.”

“But you didn’t look surprised,” I said, my voice sharpening.

He raked a hand through his hair, his smile fading. “That’s because I knew they wouldn’t find any pregnancy in you.” He paused, then added, “I already told the doctor at the hospital to take care of it.”

My face turned pale. “You did what?” I said, my voice rising, loud enough to make a maid glance over.

“I told the doctor to get rid of the pregnancy,” he repeated, his hands up like he was trying to calm me. “I thought you’d be happy.”

Happy? My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms. “You told the doctor to get rid of it? Without asking me?”

His eyes widened, confusion flickering across his face. “I thought it was the best thing for us, for the family. You know how my mum is."

“You had no right!” I yelled, “That was my choice, Anderson. Mine. Not yours.”

“Caroline, I—” he started, but I didn’t let him finish.

I turned and stormed out.

Anger burned in my chest as I reached my room and slammed the door behind me.

My breath came in short, ragged gasps as I paced around the room.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I brought it out, my hands still shaking.

A text glowed on the screen:

“I see you have refused to make a decision about my offer, so I have increased the amount: 500 million dollars if you walk away from the marriage.”