CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 147: TO BE EXACT, HE WAS JUST GOOD AT PRETENDING

Nathaniel Gallagher walked in with a cold, somber expression, accompanied by bodyguards.

"Nathaniel Gallagher, weren’t you supposed to have a meeting? Why are you here so early?"

Nathaniel looked at her with gentle eyes, then his face turned serious: "The doctor told you to rest well. Go back and lie down; I’ll handle this."

Josephine Thompson’s gaze flickered as she pointed at Director Linton, "What’s wrong with him?"

"He just got scared out of his wits," Nathaniel responded calmly, as if stating something insignificant.

"..." Josephine paused, looking at him in astonishment.

She couldn’t imagine.

What method did he use to scare someone like that?

"We interrogated him all night. Whether he was supposed to say it or not, he spilled it all. The antiques were transferred out of town, and I’ve sent people to pursue them."

After he finished speaking.

He looked coldly at Director Linton again, "If you’re playing games, I have no patience to play with you."

Director Linton trembled more, cradling his head and shrinking into a corner of the wall: "Mercy, President Gallagher... I’ve given you everything. I was forced, they..."

"They?"

Josephine sharply looked at him, "Who forced you? Do you mean there are other accomplices?"

Nathaniel glanced at her, signaling for his assistant to help Director Linton back to bed: "Just some troublemakers trying to take advantage of the situation. They’re being dealt with. Don’t worry about this; I’ll clear it all for you."

He reached out to help her.

Josephine turned aside to avoid him, looking at him with a blank expression, "Where’s my phone? Give it to me now."

"Why the rush? It won’t be fixed until the afternoon."

"Did you tamper with anything on my phone?"

Nathaniel looked innocent, "Why are you asking again? I already said I didn’t."

"...You better be telling the truth!" Josephine’s face was icy.

Nathaniel chuckled wryly, displaying a helpless expression, "Sigh, I’m really unappreciated for my efforts."

"I brought breakfast for you specifically, go back to the ward and eat!"

"In a while, the doctor will come to run a check-up on you. Also, they’ll explain Henny’s current condition to you in detail."

"As for the decision, I’ll respect whatever you choose."

"..." Josephine felt a pang in her heart and turned towards the ward.

...

Back in the ward.

Several doctors were already waiting.

"President Gallagher, Miss Thompson."

Josephine spoke with a heavy tone, "Doctor, how is Henny’s situation now?"

The leading doctor adjusted his glasses, speaking gravely: "Miss Thompson, the young master’s condition is more complicated than we anticipated."

"He’s suffering from acute leukemia and thalassemia, currently dependent on blood transfusions to sustain life. But the long-term transfusions have led to iron overload, causing liver and heart damage."

"The only definitive cure is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or bone marrow transplant. However, we’ve matched all the relatives, including President Gallagher and you..."

The doctor paused, his voice lowering further, "None are compatible."

Josephine’s heart sank sharply, her fingertips clutching tightly, turning white: "Then... what about the umbilical cord blood? Didn’t you say before that it might match?"

"In theory, there’s a 50% chance that umbilical cord blood from siblings would match."

The doctor opened the medical record, "But that’s just a probability, and we need to wait until the newborn is born to take a matching test, during which there are many uncertainties."

Nathaniel stood by, timely chiming in: "Josephine, this is why I want you to keep the child. Henny can’t wait; this is currently his most likely chance for rescue."

Josephine looked up at him, her eyes probing: "What if... the match fails?"

Nathaniel’s face turned somber, "Then we’ll think of another way."

"But at least we need to seize this opportunity, don’t we?"

The doctor added: "Miss Thompson, your current pregnancy is stable, and the fetus is developing normally."

"If you decide to keep the fetus, you will need to have regular high-risk prenatal checkups to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Of course, the final decision is in your hands."

Josephine stayed silent, her heart in anguish.

"...I need some time to think about it."

The doctor nodded: "Take your time, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us."

"If you’re sure about delivering the baby, we’ll proceed with conservative medication treatment. If you don’t want to save the young master, then we’ll have to go with chemotherapy."

"As you know, chemotherapy destroys the immune system entirely. The young master is so young, I estimate..."

"I understand, I’ll seriously think about it."

"Alright, we’ll head out first then."

Once everyone left.

The ward was left with just her and Nathaniel.

He placed the thermos on the bedside table and opened the lid: "Eat something first."

Josephine didn’t move, her gaze complex and resentful as she looked at him.

Nathaniel met her eyes and sighed heavily, "...Josephine, please don’t look at me with such hatred."

"I know, I shouldn’t have forced myself on you, I just..."

Josephine coldly asked: "Just what?"

Nathaniel gazed at her affectionately, "Just that I still have feelings for you, I still like you..."

It made Josephine nauseous, "Shut up, stop talking."

Nathaniel looked crestfallen: "Alright, I won’t say anything. No matter what I say, you’ll only think the worst of me."

"No matter what kind of amends I’ve made, you never acknowledge them. But I still want to ask you one thing, in the four years of our marriage, haven’t I been a qualified husband?"

"..." Josephine’s heart twisted in pain, her gaze turning away.

In the four years of their marriage.

Actually...

He did do very well.

To be precise, he disguised himself very well.

But deception is deception, and falsehood is falsehood.

The moment the lie was exposed, it obliterated all feelings between them.

Nathaniel Gallagher stepped forward, tentatively trying to embrace her, "Josephine, I know you hate me, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. I didn’t intend to deceive you; it was just that the situation at the time left me no choice."

"I really thought Eleanor would never wake up, and I truly planned to spend my life with you."

But that wasn’t the truth.

When they first got married, he had never thought about spending a lifetime together.

It was only during the course of their time together, slowly,

that he gradually changed his mind.

Josephine Thompson took a step back, saying coldly, "You don’t need to say any more."

"I might consider having this child, but you must agree to one condition."

Nathaniel Gallagher’s eyes lit up, "Tell me."

Josephine Thompson calmed herself and said sternly, "After the child is born, regardless of whether the umbilical cord blood can be used or not, this child has nothing to do with you, and you cannot find any excuse to claim the child."

"..." Nathaniel Gallagher was stunned, looking at her in confusion.

Josephine Thompson said seriously, "This child belongs to the Thornton Family and has nothing to do with The Gallagher Family."

She had made up her mind.

She indeed needed a child of her own.

But, she didn’t want any further ties with him.

"As for the child, I will raise them myself and provide the best life possible."

"No matter what, you can never claim to be the child’s father."

Nathaniel Gallagher’s face darkened, as if stung by the words: "Josephine, what are you saying? This is also my child, how can you say they have nothing to do with me?"

"Why not?"

Josephine Thompson met his gaze, her tone as cold as ice, "From the moment you schemed against me, this child shouldn’t have existed. Now that I’m willing to give birth, it’s only because of Henny; what more can you expect?"

She paused.

Her fingertips brushed her belly, her voice filled with endless hatred, "I will not let my child live under another child’s shadow from birth, nor do I want my child to be tied to you in any way."

Nathaniel Gallagher frowned, "This is The Gallagher Family’s bloodline, I can’t just ignore my child!"

Josephine Thompson coldly interrupted him, "You don’t need to keep talking. If you don’t agree, then forget it; I won’t have this child."

Seeing her resolute attitude,

Nathaniel Gallagher frowned sullenly, his face full of restless silence.

"Josephine, let’s discuss this further."

"Once the child is born, I can avoid interfering in your lives, but at least I should know whether the child is doing well. Can I at least occasionally see the child?"

"No."

Josephine Thompson was firm, "Either completely cut ties or don’t talk about it at all."

The hospital room fell into a dead silence.

After a long while.

Nathaniel Gallagher, as if exhausted of all strength, said hoarsely, "... Okay, I promise you."

Josephine Thompson: "Good, I will have a lawyer draft an agreement. As long as you sign the agreement, I will agree to give birth to the child."

Nathaniel Gallagher shrugged his shoulders: "Fine, fine, everything will be according to your wishes. As long as you’re willing to have the child, whatever you say goes. Is that alright?"

After all,

No matter what, he’s still the child’s father.

First, coax her into having the child.

"Alright, I’ll have a lawyer draft the agreement tomorrow."

Nathaniel Gallagher: "Fine, let’s get you something to eat for now, okay?"

Josephine Thompson: "Hurry and get my phone back."

Nathaniel Gallagher: "Once you finish eating, the phone will be brought over."

Josephine Thompson said no more, switching to the dining table, forcing herself to eat a few spoonfuls of porridge.

...

Half an hour later.

Andy brought over her phone.

"President Gallagher, President Thompson’s phone is repaired."

"Alright."

Nathaniel Gallagher took the phone and then handed it to Josephine Thompson, "Here you go."

Josephine Thompson hurriedly took the phone.

After turning it on,

All the data in it was cleared, restored to factory settings.

Josephine Thompson looked astonished: "Why is all my phone data gone?"

Nathaniel Gallagher: "Your phone was broken, so maybe during the repair, the data was erased."

"... How is this possible?" Josephine Thompson swiped through her phone screen, almost bursting with rage.

Unfortunately...

All the software on the phone was uninstalled.

The contact list was completely wiped.

"Whatever software you need, just download again, right? It’s just a phone. If needed, I can gift you a few new ones."

Listening to this, Josephine Thompson felt she was about to explode.

"Is this about the phone? What I need is the data in the phone!"

She was certain he deliberately restored her phone to factory settings.

Perhaps,

He had even peeked at her phone and pulled some tricks behind her back.