| Body |
"Someone's expecting on this floor!"
"How did you know?"
"I saw the test kit in the toilet!"
Alanna Jacinto had just stepped into the office building when she heard these words. She stopped in her tracks and lifted her eyes to look at the two interns who had been talking just now.
As soon as the interns saw her looking at them, their expressions immediately dropped as they dipped their heads and resumed their work.
Alanna then recollected herself and entered her office.
Her phone wouldn't stop ringing with notifications. She tapped on the notification bar and realized that someone had spread the news into their office group chat.
If there was one thing this office didn't lack, it was the sheer volume of gossip every day.
Alanna stared as more and more people joined in the discussion in the group chat. She could hear her head throbbing.
She'd been too careless. She should have wrapped the test in paper towels before throwing it away in the trash.
If Hades Florentine learned about this, she didn't even want to think about the trouble she'd get into with him.
The assistant knocked on the door and entered her office. "Ms. Jacinto, Mr. Florentine would like to see you in his office."
Alanna's hands under the table clenched into fists.
"Ms. Jacinto?"
Alanna hummed and said, "Okay, I got it."
…
Alanna stood at the door to the CEO's office and took a deep breath. But before she could even knock, the door swung open from the inside.
Hades' chief secretary then walked out of the room.
"Ms. Jacinto, the CEO is waiting for you inside."
Alanna smiled and said, "I know. Thank you."
The office was filled with the scent of musk from the burning incense.
Hades must have had some to drink during lunch. He was now lying back against the couch, his legs lazily bent toward the side. His black shirt was half untucked, making him look slightly disheveled yet seductive at the same time.
His eyes were only half open, but even then, his side profile was simply to die for.
Alanna sighed. It was no wonder Hades was always surrounded by pretty women. He was the perfect package, after all, not just in power and social status but also in his looks and body proportions.
Any woman who looked at him would feel her legs turn into jelly.
The only problem was that Hades was a cold and ruthless creature. He had never opened up his heart to any women around him.
And that included her as well.
"Come here," he ordered emotionlessly.
Alanna recollected her thoughts and walked over to him.
"Is there anything I may help you with, Mr. Florentine?"
Hades' lips curled up into a smirk. He tugged her down into his lap and snuck his hands under her prim and proper office wear.
Alanna's expression was tense. She knew Hades too well.
As long as he had something to drink, he would always want to sleep with her after. It didn't matter if it was in the middle of the day.
And every time he was done in bed, he would return to his sober self, and his hangover would disappear.
She supposed this was a way of curing someone of their tipsiness that was unique to Hades.
"I still have a meeting to attend later," Alanna said, stopping him.
However, Hades was already nibbling at the side of her neck. "If that's the case, you need to hurry up."
Then, he kissed on the spot he'd just nibbled.
"Don't leave marks."
Hades chuckled, his breath stinking of wine.
"If you'll just do as I say, then I won't leave any marks on you."
Alanna dug her nails into herself to control her body from responding needily to him.
"But I'm not feeling well today. Can I just use my hand instead?"
Hades narrowed his eyes. The hint of tipsiness in his eyes was gone. However, they were dark with lust.
"You're not feeling well? Are you on your period? It shouldn't be coming yet."
He then reached farther into her clothes to check if she was on her period. After he was done checking, his face turned dark and grim.
"You just don't want to do it, do you?"
Alanna repeated, "I have a meeting later with Terrence Abbott. We're going to talk about the terms of our contract, and it's going to take up quite some energy."
Hades just placed his chin on her shoulder lazily as he swiftly and familiarly unhooked her underwear from under her clothes.
"You've worked hard, Ms. Jacinto," Hades said, still not letting go of her. In fact, he only got more aroused and touched her everywhere.
Alanna was silent for a brief moment. She knew that there was no escaping today.
"Then, go easy on me today."
"Would it make you feel less unwell if I went easy on you?"
Hades looked and acted his part like a well-mannered gentleman. However, he was wild in bed.
Every time they were in bed, he would talk dirty to her to make her blush and attack her until she was sore from the inside out.
As of now, Alanna's circumstances had changed. She was terrified of him.
"Fine, I'll be gentle this time. But if you beg me to do you harder later, don't blame me for being a beast."
Alanna's face and neck turned as red as a tomato.
Hades loved it when her usual pale complexion flushed a bright red. He leaned forward and licked her earlobe before capturing it between his lips.
Alanna felt goosebumps prickling from her skin from the wet, warm attack on her ear. Hades just laughed in response.
"You're so sensitive."
He then held her chin and pressed his lips against hers.
The taste of wine invaded Alanna's mouth. She was slightly reluctant and struggled this time.
Hades must have felt her reluctance. He grabbed her arm and yanked her against his body. Alanna grunted in pain.
"Hades, gentler, please."
However, Hades pulled her even more roughly against himself. "Ally, behave."
Alanna went weak whenever he called her "Ally". Hades finally seemed pleased with her behavior and carried her into his restroom.
…
It was a whole hour later when they were finally done.
Hades had tired Alanna out so much that she leaned against his body while all covered in sweat. Meanwhile, Hades' hands kept wandering all over her body.
"Why were you spacing out so much today?"
Alanna was quiet for a bit. Then, she propped herself up and got to her feet, wobbling over to her clothes on the floor and picking them up.
"Mr. Florentine, have you ever thought about marrying and starting a family?"
Hades' eyes frosted over immediately.
"No. Why?"
His answer couldn't have been more straightforward. Alanna felt a chill through her bones.
She knew that he would never marry her. He would also never want children. Still, she wanted to test the waters.
"No reason. Just voicing my thoughts out loud."
Afterward, she pulled her clothes over herself and stepped into the toilet.
Alanna touched her lower belly. She couldn't tell what she was feeling. She just knew there was a throb in her heart that was starting to spread.
"Didn't you say you had a meeting to attend? Why are you spacing out?"
Hades appeared at the door. He was buttoning his shirt—another clean, crisp shirt.
Alanna hurriedly removed her hand from her belly and turned around to look at him. After she was sure he wasn't looking at her suspiciously, she sighed in relief and said, "Terrence is a tough nut to crack. I might end up working overtime today."
Hades just hummed nonchalantly.
Alanna tidied herself up and splashed some cold water on her face. She waited until the blush on her face faded before walking out of the toilet.
At the door, Hades suddenly called out to her, stopping her in her tracks.
"I heard that someone was expecting on your floor. It's not you, is it?"
Chapter 2
Alanna's back went stiff when she heard that.
She turned around and asked as naturally as she could, "If I were to answer 'yes,' what would you do?"
Hades' eyes turned dim, and his stare turned icy cold. It was a vast difference from how hot he'd been just less than 30 minutes ago.
"What else would I do? Schedule a surgery for you at once."
Alanna's face slowly turned pale. She clasped her hands tightly as Hades stared at her with an increasingly chilling look.
"Alanna. Don't forget the rules of our game."
Alanna stiffened at once.
That was right. Everything between them was just a game to him.
After all, she was a nobody and didn't deserve to be with him. She was born in a regular household, while Hades was the first son of the eldest son in the Florentine family. He was the true heir to all of his family's wealth and social status.
Her relationship with him started as a mere coincidence.
Three years ago, her mother, Tara Thornton, had been involved in an accident, and she needed money to save her. So, Alanna swallowed her pride and went looking for her birth father to borrow some money from him.
She'd waited outside that luxurious mansion for an entire night and even passed out halfway through. However, she didn't receive a single penny from that man.
In the end, it was Hades, who happened to be passing by the area, who saved her.
After waking up in the hospital, Hades' first question to her was, "Do you want to play a game?"
The game was an adult game. She didn't have to use her brain or skills for it. All she had to do was spread her legs for him, and that was it.
Her response to his question?
"Do I get paid for it?"
Hades broke into a wide smile then. He praised her and said, "That's more like it."
However, for the past three years, Hades was the only one who was still playing his "game". Meanwhile, Alanna only fell deeper and harder for him.
He was someone she'd had a crush on for many years, after all.
However, she also understood that this was a one-sided crush that would never come to fruition.
Alanna chuckled, suppressing the pain that was spreading rapidly from her heart to the rest of her body.
"Don't worry, Mr. Florentine. I'm not the one who's expecting."
Hades leaned back on the couch as his thin lips curled up in a smirk. "Of course. Ms. Jacinto, you've always been a smart lady. And I've never had to worry much about you."
Alanna answered him with another grin. Before he could catch on to her true feelings, she quickly excused herself and walked out of the CEO's office.
Renee Atkinson, her assistant, was already waiting for her at the entrance. "Ms. Jacinto, the meeting is starting in five minutes."
Alanna nodded and took a few seconds to recompose herself. Then, she headed for the meeting rooms.
…
The meeting finally ended around 10:00 pm that night. Terrence was a sly old fox, and Alanna had nearly walked into his traps one too many times.
Both sides of the party refused to budge. It wasn't until the end that they finally compromised and agreed on a price they could both accept before signing the contract of the year.
Terrence was in the middle of packing up his things when he glanced over at Alanna. "Ms. Jacinto, shall we head out and grab a drink together?"
Alanna smiled and replied, "It's a little too late for that, Mr. Abbott. How about another time? It'll be my treat."
Terrence ignored her rejection and asked her out again. "Are you not even going to humor me with a single drink?"
Alanna felt a headache coming as soon as she heard this.
Ever since she met him last year to discuss their projects and collaborations, he had been pursuing her nonstop. She'd rejected him many times before. However, because they kept seeing each other for work, Terrence never gave up on her despite her constant rejections.
"But we've all worked hard on this project. Ms. Jacinto. Don't you think you shall reward everyone here with a drink, too?"
Terrence then looked at the other colleagues in the meeting room.
Seeing the anticipation on her colleagues' faces, Alanna had to cave in.
Terrence was the one who picked the venue. However, they never thought that they would run into Hades there.
Terrence led everyone into a private room at the bar. He then took Alanna alone to a different private room, saying that he had an appointment with someone else.
Since Alanna's and Terrence's social circles often overlapped, Alanna didn't think much about it and followed him in.
As soon as she stepped into the room, she immediately caught sight of Hades. He was surrounded by a crowd of pretty ladies, and Alanna even recognized a few D-list celebrities in the crowd.
Hades' sleazy friends were also in the private room. A woman was seated next to each of them. Meanwhile, a D-lister was seated right next to Hades. Lust was written in her eyes and showing in her body language.
However, Hades just leaned back on the couch lazily. He looked the epitome of sleaziness, yet there was a distant look in his eyes.
He didn't respond to the D-lister's approaches. Nonetheless, he didn't reject her advances either.
Chapter 3
There was ambiguious atmosphere in the air. The D-lister kept on leaning excessively toward Hades.
Alanna spared Hades a glance before shifting her gaze elsewhere.
Meanwhile, when Hades saw Alanna entering the room, his brows only lifted very slightly. But he didn't move otherwise.
On the other hand, it was his younger brother, Yves Florentine, whose eyes lit up as soon as he saw Alanna.
He turned around to eye Hades for a bit. Then, he looked at Alanna with a smirk on his face.
"Ms. Jacinto, here for a drink?"
"I couldn't say no to Mr. Abbott's invitation."
Alanna didn't force her way to the center of the room where everyone else was. Instead, she chose a quieter corner and sat down.
"Why are you sitting so far away? Come sit closer to us," Yves said, already prepared for some drama.
Even if nobody else knew about Hades' relationship with Alanna, Yves did. That D-lister next to Hades never piqued Hades' attention from the start. But as soon as Alanna appeared, the celebrity was as good as invisible to Hades.
Alanna was a beautiful woman. She had a pretty, innocent-looking face, but the look in her eyes was hypnotizing and mysterious.
Even if she was in her office clothes, a smile from her could turn any man's world upside-down.
Yves had to admit that Hades had excellent taste in women.
If Alanna were in showbiz, she would have been very popular with just her looks alone. It didn't matter whether she was skilled or not.
Yves wanted to bring Alanna closer to Hades. However, Alanna didn't move from her seat. She just kept to herself quietly in her corner.
She didn't want to place herself in the center of attention. It wasn't like Hades needed her by his side. If she forced her way in, she would be the awkward one out instead.
Terrence poured out a drink for Alanna and brought it over to her.
"Ms. Jacinto, have a drink with me?"
Alanna did not take the drink from him.
"I'm not feeling well today. I'll just have some iced water instead."
Terrence looked unhappy. It had been difficult for him to even invite Alanna out to a bar like this. He wanted to get drunk with her and perhaps sleep with her after they both got tipsy.
He never thought that Alanna would turn out to be such an ice queen and reject his offer.
"Mr. Florentine, Ms. Jacinto is such a cold person. How could she refuse to drink with us at a time and place like this?"
Hades glanced over at them and stared at how Terrence was leaning against Alanna's arm.
Alanna leaned away and created a gap between herself and Terrence.
Hades scoffed and said, "Mr. Abbott, what's the point of whining to me if you can't get her to drink with you? Even if I'm her supervisor at work, I have no authority over her private life."
Terrence just chuckled darkly and said, "If that's the case, don't mind me if I make her cry afterward."
The meaning hidden in his words was quite plain for all to see. After all, they were adults, so they immediately understood what he meant. Everyone began to riot.
Alanna found herself looking at Hades.
But Hades only briefly glanced at her before looking away. There was no emotion whatsoever in his eyes.
Alanna's lips curled up in a slight smile. Her heart throbbed in pain, but she ignored it as she forced herself to look away calmly.
Yves looked at Hades first, then at Alanna.
So, were they going to continue pretending that nothing happened?
Yves chuckled and decided to fan the fire. "Mr. Abbott, are you trying to say that you've got your eyes on Ms. Jacinto?"
Terrence admitted it openly. "It's obvious, isn't it? I've been pursuing her for a very long time."
He suddenly leaned closer to Alanna and asked teasingly, "Ms. Jacinto, won't you just give me a chance?"
"Oh!" Yves clapped his hands in delight. "Are you trying to snatch my brother's employees right under his nose, Mr. Abbott?"
Terrence didn't seem afraid of anything. He just looked at Hades and said, "I'd love to. I admire Ms. Jacinto very much. I just don't know if Mr. Florentine would be willing to let her go."
Hades briefly glanced at him. There was a dark look in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter whether or not I'm willing to let her go. Most importantly, it's a decision only Ms. Jacinto can make for herself. If she wants to leave, I can't possibly force her to stay, can I?"
He paused before looking at Alanna. Then, he asked coldly, "Ms. Jacinto, would you like to leave me for Mr. Abbott?"
Chapter 4
Alanna froze.
She understood what Hades was implying.
If she were to nod, he wouldn't stop her from leaving.
In other words, Hades couldn't care less whether she stayed with him or not.
Alanna was never interested in Terrence from the start. Had she been asked this question in the past, she would have rejected the offer immediately.
However, that day, she suddenly felt rebellious. She didn't want to keep living like this.
She stroked her belly subconsciously. Alanna didn't want to use the baby as an excuse to force Hades into taking responsibility for her. After all, it was nothing but a game between two adults. There was no responsibility involved in the first place.
Furthermore, she couldn't force someone like Hades to stay with her. And it wasn't like she was dying to bear his child. But if he wanted her to get rid of this baby, then what about the next one?
Hades had never had an unprotected bed thing with her. He was very particular about it because he didn't want her to be expecting his child. He always used a rubber with her.
However, there was a time last month when he was particularly rough with her and ended up tearing the rubber. He made her take the morning-after pill right away, but it didn't prevent her from having his child.
Alanna knew that there was no way she could save this baby. But even if she got rid of this baby now, was there a possibility that she would get expecting again?
She'd wasted her entire youth on him. She didn't want her body to suffer the same fate.
She'd saved up some money for Tara's hospital bills. And she'd seen all of Hades' coldness and ruthlessness.
She didn't want to stay and continue playing games with him any longer.
She thought it would have been a hard decision to make. But now, since he brought it up himself, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
She met Hades' gaze and asked, "Are you saying that I can leave with Mr. Abbott if I nodded now?"
Hades narrowed his eyes at her. "It seems as though you've been thinking about it."
Alanna laughed bitterly and said something she would have never said in the past.
"If Mr. Abbott's offer is more favorable to me, I don't mind considering it."
Crash!
The wine glass on the table next to Hades was suddenly swept to the floor by his legs.
The entire room fell silent at once.
Hades' eyes were as cold as ice. Even if the look on his face was calm and collected, anyone who knew him could tell that he was furious.
"I see. Your heart is no longer with the company after all."
Then, he laughed coldly and said, "If that's the case, Ms. Jacinto, kindly resign from your position and finalize all the proceedings with the HR department tomorrow."
"Alright," Alanna said, getting up to her feet. She then said, "Enjoy the rest of the night, Mr. Florentine. I'm feeling tired, so I'll be excusing myself now."
Alanna turned and left without a backward glance. She was afraid that if she turned and saw Hades again, she would lose the courage to walk out of the door.
He was someone she'd buried so deeply in her heart for many years, after all. All it took would be just one look for her to do all his bidding for him.
Maybe she got her courage tonight only because she made a rash decision. But she wasn't going to regret it. She wouldn't allow herself to regret it.
She couldn't let herself continue to fall harder and deeper for him while he looked on from the side, watching her head toward her demise.
After Alanna left, the private room was still as silent as ever.
Hades' expression was so jarringly cold that one could see icicles forming on his nose.
Terrence also finally realized that something had gone terribly wrong.
Yves looked at Hades cautiously. It seemed as if his joke had gone overboard this time.
Even Hades' friends dared not say anything.
Only the silly D-lister seated next to Hades couldn't read the room. Thinking that now was a good time to get on Hades' good side, she piped up, "Mr. Florentine, she's such a disobedient woman. Why don't you find someone else who's nicer to you?"
"Get out," came Hades' frighteningly calm voice.
The celebrity blinked in confusion. She still couldn't understand what was going on. "Why are you still mad—"
"I said, get out of here."
Hades had always never let his emotions show. But this time, his eyes were turning red with rage.
Chapter 5
The D-lister was so shocked that she immediately backed away. "Don't be angry, Mr. Florentine. I'll get out of your hair now."
The celebrity left, along with the other women in the room. Only Hades and his friends were left.
Yves suddenly regretted letting his joke get out of hand. But it wasn't like he'd never cracked such jokes in the past. It was just that Alanna used to behave like a scared little lamb. She would have never dared to say what she just said, let alone leave them hanging like this.
That day, however …
"Hades, should we ask Ms. Jacinto to come back and explain that it was just a joke? Ms. Jacinto is a very capable worker. She probably didn't mean to leave. Maybe she's just tired, and that's why she's a little grumpy today."
Hades' cold smile returned. He said, "I don't need her to be a manager at my company. Mr. Abbott can have her if he wants to."
Terrence just chuckled sheepishly. He suddenly didn't know how to respond to Hades' words.
If he still couldn't tell that there had been something between Hades and Alanna by now, he would have to be sillier than a sack of rocks.
"I was just joking, Mr. Florentine. Who would dare to snatch someone from under your nose?"
Terrence's words didn't manage to soothe Hades. Instead, it made him even angrier.
What he said was right. Nobody would dare to snatch someone from under his nose. But it was obvious that the certain someone no longer wanted to stay with him anymore.
…
Alanna exited the bar and took a cab home to her parents' house.
Ever since Tara had been admitted to the hospital three years ago, Alanna had seldom returned to this home.
Her stepfather, Garrett Jacinto, had always had a bad temper. He also had a drinking problem and would often beat Alanna and Tara up.
Alanna had asked Tara to divorce him many times. But Tara just didn't have the heart to do it.
It wasn't until three years ago, when Tara went to pick up a drunk and raging Garrett from the bar, that they got into a huge fight that ended with him pushing Tara out of the car.
Since then, Garrett had only become worse. He wouldn't go home for days, and when he did, he would be deadly drunk.
Alanna initially thought that he wouldn't come home today. But she didn't expect that he'd be home and bring a woman back with him as well.
She stood at the door, listening to Garrett's and the woman's voices from inside the house. Her hands froze when she went to unlock the door.
All of a sudden, she felt a huge urge to throw up. She hurriedly suppressed the nausea and rushed down the stairs. It wasn't until she was back on the ground again that the nausea went away.
Alanna hurried out of the neighborhood and went to a hotel nearby instead.
After taking a shower, she took out her phone and sent a text message to her best friend, Chelsey Soltz.
"Are you working tomorrow? Can you arrange a checkup for me?"
Chelsey replied to her message at once. "Are you feeling ill?"
Alanna hesitated for a moment before replying. "I think I'm expecting."
Chelsey called her the next instant. "Oh, my Goodness! Oh, my Goodness! Alanna Jacinto! What's up with you? Did you get yourself a new boyfriend?"
Alanna looked up at the ceiling and hesitated again. "No."
"No? Then how did you get expecting? Don't tell me you got it from a night affair! Ally, you've changed! You're not the good girl I used to know anymore!" Chelsey fake-sobbed.
Alanna smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, stop acting like that. Can you arrange a checkup for me?"
"No, wait, you haven't told me about your situation."
After thinking for a while, Alanna finally replied, "He's a longtime bed partner of mine."
"Does he know you're expecting?"
"I'm not planning to tell him."
"Alanna, don't be silly! You don't have to shoulder everything by yourself! Getting expecting is a huge thing. Since that man put a baby in you, he should be held responsible for this incident!"
Alanna fell silent once more. "I'm planning to end things with him."
Chelsey got mad when she heard that. She finally couldn't hold it in and cursed, "I hope his little brother falls off!"
Chapter 6
Chelsey felt a little better after she cursed Hades. Then, she came back to the main topic.
"So, I'm guessing you don't want this baby. Do you want me to arrange for a procedure after your checkup tomorrow?"
Alanna rubbed her belly and suppressed the pain in her heart. "Okay," she said, a single tear sliding down her face.
She felt guilty about the baby. But she had nothing to her name, which meant she also had nothing to give to her baby. She couldn't keep him. She didn't dare to.
She was just a regular girl from a regular family. She didn't want her baby to be called an illegitimate child for the rest of its life.
There was also no way that Hades would ever acknowledge it. He wouldn't give her a chance to tie him down, whether with love, a family, or a baby.
Hades would never allow it.
Alanna closed her eyes and wiped the tears away from the corner of her eyes.
…
It was in the dark of the night, and Alanna couldn't sleep well at all.
She suddenly found herself dreaming.
Alanna dreamed that she was a little girl again when Tara was still with her. She followed Tara everywhere she went. One of the places they stayed at the longest was a fishing village by the riverside.
That was the first time Alanna ever laid eyes on Hades.
Hades wasn't as dark or grim as he was now. Back then, he used to look like a porcelain doll with pretty eyes.
She learned later that Hades was there because he was receiving treatment and recovering from an illness.
Maybe the recovery process was painful or uncomfortable for him, but Hades was often found sitting on the riverbank weeping silently to himself.
Whenever Alanna saw him there, she would bring him a lollipop to cheer him up.
At first, Hades refused to acknowledge her presence.
Eventually, he would climb up the fence at her house and call her by the name he learned from observing everyone around her. "Mel!"
And much later, he was then taken away by a group of people, most probably because he'd recovered completely.
Just before he left, Hades had promised her that he would come looking for her. However, that was the last time Alanna saw him for a long time.
The next time they met, ten years later, was a complete coincidence.
On her 17th birthday, Alanna's younger stepsister said that she'd lost her bracelet at the beach and asked Alanna to help her find it.
Alanna recognized Hades at once when she went to the beach. Hades was now 19 years old. He wasn't as naive or babyfaced as last time. Instead, he looked dark and broody.
When Alanna saw him, he was marching straight into the raging sea with fierce waves lapping at his body.
Without thinking, Alanna ran toward him and grabbed at him, trying to stop him.
Hades turned around with a stare so cold and murderous that it didn't seem appropriate for someone his age. Alanna was so shocked that she stumbled backward.
He then cackled loudly and continued walking toward the middle of the sea. "The easiest thing to do in the world is die!"
Alanna screamed at him, making him stop in his steps.
However, just then, a huge wave crashed on Alanna and swept her off her feet. She lost her balance and was immediately submerged underwater.
She couldn't remember what it felt like anymore. She did remember struggling, but no matter how she struggled, she just couldn't find anything to grab onto. She was terrified.
Just as she was starting to lose consciousness, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her waist.
She then broke through the water and found herself floating in the sea. Through her blurry vision, she could see Hades' cold eyes staring at her.
She didn't know how he brought her back to shore, but the next time she opened her eyes again, she could see his cold, emotionless eyes glaring at her.
"You can't even save yourself, yet you still want to meddle in other people's matters of life and death."
He then got up and left.
"Hades Florentine!"
Alanna cried out, instantly waking up from her dream.
She opened her eyes and saw her phone ringing next to her. It was a call from Chelsey.
"I've arranged a slot for you for the procedure. Don't eat or drink anything from now till then, not even water."
Alanna recollected her wits before answering Chelsey with a hum. However, she felt a numb feeling in her heart.
This was a child she had with Hades, after all. He was someone she'd had a crush on for many years.
However, she also knew that she couldn't possibly keep the baby. It wasn't because she was afraid of someone else finding out, but it was because she knew the longer she kept the baby, the harder it was to say goodbye.
…
Alanna packed up all her things and left the hotel. However, she suddenly saw a familiar car parked at the entrance to the hotel.
She wasn't surprised that Hades was able to find her so quickly. There wasn't a single person in Jagersville that Hades couldn't find, as long as he put his mind to it.
She just found it weird that he would still want to come looking for her.
Didn't she make it clear last night? What was he doing here looking for her, then?
Also, she didn't want to see Hades now. It had taken a lot of courage on her part to come to such a decision. She didn't want everything she'd done to be in vain. After all, she turned timid whenever she saw him.
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