CHAPTER 146: CHAPTER 146: THIS WAS RETURNED EARLY THIS MORNING BY PRESIDENT GRANT

Boom.

Eleanor Churchill’s mind exploded again, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

"She... is she pregnant again? Is the child... is the child yours?"

Nathaniel Gallagher felt a pang in his heart and immediately held her hand for comfort, saying guiltily, "Eleanor, I’m sorry. I... I really messed up, I drank that day and, on impulse, just..."

"Ha~" Eleanor sneered, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Alcohol is indeed the best excuse for men when they need one.

It seems that no matter what guilty or irrational things are done, they can all be blamed on alcohol.

A simple claim of being drunk at the time makes everything seem reasonable.

"Eleanor, I’m truly sorry, I... I didn’t mean it."

Eleanor withdrew her hand, her fingertips cold as if they’d just been retrieved from icy water.

She looked at the "guilt-ridden" expression on Nathaniel Gallagher’s face with a cold sense of amusement.

Alcohol? Impulse?

Hearing these words from him was more hurtful than a knife.

So it was true after all.

It’s not that he can’t; it’s just that he can’t with her.

"So, do you want me to be grateful now? Thanking Josephine Thompson for being pregnant with your child and just happens to be able to save Henny?"

Her voice was soft, but carried an icy sharpness.

"Eleanor, I know nothing I say now can make up for the pain I’ve caused you. Please forgive me once more, I promise it won’t happen again..."

Eleanor forcefully withdrew her hand, tears beginning to pool.

Then, one by one, they slid from her eyes.

She was silent, merely shedding tears like a statue.

Seeing this, Nathaniel Gallagher hurriedly tried to embrace her, "Eleanor, I’m sorry, it was truly an accident."

Eleanor bitterly smiled, silently pushing him away, "... Nathaniel, you don’t have to say any more, I understand, I understand everything."

"I know, you’ve already fallen deeply in love with Miss Thompson."

"And why not, she’s so young and beautiful, so wonderful and outstanding. If I were a man, I would have fallen for her too."

Hearing this, Nathaniel Gallagher truly felt guilt and pain, "Eleanor, don’t overthink it, you are always the one I love most."

"I can swear to heaven, no one can ever replace you. I can lose everything, but I can’t lose you."

Eleanor listened, tears rolling as she laughed self-mockingly, "Nathaniel, stop deceiving yourself."

Perhaps he did genuinely love her once.

When he loved her, it was real.

But not loving her anymore is also real.

Times change, landscapes shift.

Even dynasties can change, let alone a person’s heart?

"Eleanor, I’m really not lying to you, you are always the one I love most, you are always the most important one to me."

"... Yes, I admit, I do like Josephine Thompson too. But compared to you, she is insignificant."

"Her pregnancy was purely accidental, and it just coincided with Henny’s illness, so I wanted her to keep the child."

"I really am doing it for Henny..."

Once again, he instinctively lied.

Lies told as if they were the truth.

"Once she gives birth, I will break all ties with her, there will be no further entanglement."

"My child, it’s your child too. Of course, if you don’t want it, the child can be hers."

Eleanor looked at his convincing serious demeanor, suddenly feeling a metallic taste in her throat, as if something was caught, unable to be swallowed or spat.

She slowly shook her head, tears blurring her face, "Nathaniel, you don’t even bother coming up with new lies anymore, do you?"

"When I was lying on the hospital bed, I heard every word you said to me. You said you were just using her, and then you turned around and got a marriage certificate with her."

"Later, you said you would break clean from her, and what happened? Now you say, once she gives birth, you’ll break ties..." She started laughing, her laughter full of shattered despair.

"Do you think I would still believe you?"

Nathaniel Gallagher’s face froze, reaching out to touch her, but she sharply dodged away.

"Don’t touch me."

Eleanor’s voice trembled, "You said the child can be hers? What about Henny? You forced her to have a child to save Henny, and once the child is born, you say it can be hers... Nathaniel Gallagher, what do you take the child for? And what do you take me for?"

She staggered back a step, hitting the edge of the table, the pain making her grunt, yet she seemed numb to it.

Nathaniel Gallagher: "Eleanor, don’t be so upset, don’t be so angry. Every word I said to you was sincere. It’s just, sometimes things are beyond our control."

"Alright, stop. I’m tired, really tired." Eleanor, with a heart like ash, held onto the table, slowly standing straight.

"If you want her to give birth, then let her. Arrange things however you want. I don’t care anymore, I can’t manage anymore."

With that.

She turned and limped away.

"Eleanor!"

Nathaniel Gallagher panicked, stepping forward wanting to hold her, "Don’t be like this, I know I was wrong, believe me one last time..."

"..." Eleanor lifted her eyes to look at him, her gaze utterly lifeless.

She didn’t want to say anything more.

Perhaps, she really shouldn’t have woken up.

If she had just stayed asleep.

Without a doubt, she would have remained his eternal white moonlight, his heart-wrenching regret.

But unfortunately...

She happened to ungratefully wake up.

"I want some time alone to calm down."

She turned and walked toward the stairs, each step seeming to consume all her energy.

Nathaniel Gallagher stood in place.

Looking at that thin back, his fists clenched tightly.

He thought he controlled everything.

But never thought, love is the hardest thing to control.

He indeed was damnable.

Wounding two women who loved him to the core.

"Eleanor, you will come around."

"Please forgive me... for this one last act of selfishness."

The lights in the restaurant were glaringly bright.

The table was filled with cold dishes, reflecting the guilt that flashed briefly across his face. But ultimately, it was covered by a layer of cold calculation.

He took out his phone and sent a message to his assistant: "Arrange a detailed prenatal examination for Josephine Thompson tomorrow and give me the report."

As for Eleanor Churchill... she would eventually come around.

After all, she loved him so much.

The night outside the window grew deeper, and the silence in The Rose Garden was more suffocating than any quarrel.

Nathaniel Gallagher didn’t stay and drove away instead.

...

The next day.

Josephine Thompson woke up early, her mind still in turmoil, like a giant stone pressed down on her.

"Bang bang bang!" A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

Ruby pushed open the door to the hospital room and came in.

She was holding a familiar ornate box.

Josephine Thompson glanced at it and was immediately stunned.

The box was the very one she had given Julian Grant with the Ancient God statue.

"Ruby, why is the box here?"

Ruby: "President Thompson, President Grant had it returned early this morning!"

"What? He had it sent back?" Josephine Thompson sat up instinctively.

"Let me see it quickly."

Ruby carefully placed the box on the bed, "There’s something inside."

Josephine Thompson’s heart tightened, and she quickly opened the box.

The box was opened.

The Jade God she had gifted him was inside, untouched.

"..." Josephine Thompson was taken aback, a bit puzzled.

"Where’s my phone?"

Ruby: "Oh~, your phone got broken, and President Gallagher took it to get repaired."

Josephine Thompson’s heart skipped a beat, "What? He took my phone?"

"Yes. President Gallagher took it when he brought you to the hospital; your bag was with him."

Josephine Thompson’s frown deepened, even more worried that Nathaniel Gallagher might misuse her phone. "Go get me my spare phone immediately."

"Understood." Ruby responded and quickly went to fetch her phone.

She usually had four or five phones.

One for business discussions with clients, one for the antique industry colleagues. One public phone managed by the secretary, and another personal phone for family and friends.

Very soon.

Ruby brought her the phone she used for business, "President Thompson, your phone."

Josephine Thompson grabbed the phone, immediately intending to call Julian Grant.

But as she scrolled through the contact list.

This phone didn’t have Julian Grant’s number saved at all.

"Zzz~"

Josephine Thompson felt a headache coming on, then dialed Nathaniel Gallagher instead.

"Beep beep beep"

After a few rings.

Nathaniel Gallagher quickly picked up, "Hello, what’s up?"

Josephine Thompson frowned, "Nathaniel Gallagher, where are you now?"

Nathaniel Gallagher: "Oh~, about to head to the office for a meeting. After the meeting, I’ll go to the hospital to accompany you."

Josephine Thompson: "Did you take my phone?"

"Yes, what’s up? Your phone got broken, so I took it to have it fixed for you."

Josephine Thompson felt a wave of irritation, wanting to scold him, "Who told you to touch my phone? Did you look at the contents of my phone?"

Nathaniel Gallagher remained calm, "...No, I don’t even know your phone password."

"When will the phone be repaired?"

"Probably by this afternoon."

"Alright, hurry up and bring my phone back."

"Yes, I’ll bring it to the hospital after the meeting."

"Fine!"

Josephine Thompson finished speaking, hanging up the phone irritably.

At the same time, she felt uneasy inside, as if something was amiss.

"President Thompson, Director Linton has woken up. He’s also explained the whereabouts of the antiques, and President Gallagher has already sent someone to find them."

"...I’ll go take a look." Josephine Thompson said, getting out of bed.

Exiting the hospital room.

She asked a nurse about Director Linton’s ward and then headed to where Director Linton was.

Several bodyguards were stationed at the door, not allowing any unauthorized persons other than doctors and nurses inside.

"Open the door, I want to go in and have a look."

"President Thompson, please don’t go in. Director Linton is not in a good mental state; you might get scared."

"It’s okay, I just want to take a look."

Josephine Thompson insisted on having the bodyguards open the door to the ward.

The bodyguards, reluctantly, opened the door.

Josephine Thompson entered the room with a sullen face.

Director Linton was not on the hospital bed but rather curled up in the corner, trembling with fear, "I’ve confessed everything, really, I won’t dare again..."

Seeing this, Josephine Thompson felt more annoyed, "Director Linton, stop pretending to be crazy, it’s useless."

"I’ve really confessed everything, I won’t dare again, I was just momentarily confused."

As he was speaking.

Footsteps were heard from outside the door...