Chapter 7

Kelsey POV

On the third day after Griffin returned to the country, he worked late in the study until the early morning hours.

I pushed open the door carrying a glass of warm milk with calming ingredients.

The computer screen was still lit, displaying not financial statements but an obstetric ultrasound report.

Griffin reacted extremely quickly, frantically closing the window. His mouse even knocked over the black coffee at his elbow. Brown liquid spilled across the desk, dripping along the edge onto the Damascus carpet.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

He stood up abruptly, using his body to block the screen, looking somewhat panicked but quickly forcing composure.

"The company has an urgent project. I'll sleep once I finish handling it."

I set the milk at a clean spot on the desk corner.

"I was worried when you didn't come back to the bedroom."

I pretended to glance casually at that darkened screen and asked calmly, "What was that interface just now? It looked like a hospital test report."

Griffin's fingers trembled involuntarily.

"Nothing. The company VP isn't feeling well. He asked me to help look at his physical examination report from Mayo Clinic."

He walked around the desk and hugged my waist from behind, burying his head in my neck, his voice muffled. "Honey, let's have a baby."

My body instantly stiffened.

Have a baby?

For these seven years, every time I brought up wanting a child, Griffin always deflected with excuses like "wanting a few more years of just the two of us" or "not wanting you to suffer through childbirth."

Now that Joyce was "pregnant," he wanted a child.

Did he want to legitimately register that bastard child under my name? Make me raise their child?

"We'll see." I gently pushed him away. "It's late. Clean up and get some rest."

Griffin didn't insist, dropping a kiss on my forehead. "Alright, whatever you say. Oh, I have an important business dinner tomorrow. I won't be home for dinner."

"Okay."

I turned and walked out of the study.

The moment I closed the door, I pulled out my phone.

Just ten minutes ago, Joyce had sent me a video.

The video background was the back seat of Griffin's car.

The camera shook violently, showing only two entangled legs and clothes scattered on the floor.

The audio was crystal clear-sickeningly sweet mixed with physiologically disturbing moans.

"Griffin, be gentle. Don't hurt our baby."

"Relax, I know what I'm doing. It's only a month old, just an embryo. Not that delicate."

Griffin's voice sounded abnormally excited. "This is also the first heir to the Griffin family line. You've done a great service."

"What about Kelsey? If she finds out I'm pregnant with your child, won't she lose it?"

"Don't worry about her. With her condition, she can't get pregnant anyway. Once the baby's born, we'll say it's adopted. Or from a surrogate. Bring it home and have her raise it. That woman's full of maternal instinct. She'll love the kid like her own."

"You're so bad. But I like it."

The video ended there.

I stood in the hallway shadows, looking at the last photo on my phone screen.

It was a pregnancy test stick photo Joyce had sent, with bright red double lines.

The accompanying text read: "Borrowing your nest to hatch my egg. Wealthy families need heirs. If you won't give birth, someone has to. Don't be ungrateful."

I deleted the photo and completely cleared the chat history.

My fingers flew across the screen as I messaged Erasmus.

"The fish took the bait. Send Joyce's fake pregnancy report to Griffin's corporate email tomorrow at 9 AM. Use the untraceable IP."

Erasmus replied. "Got it. The 'scene' is set. Your double is in position. Tomorrow at 3 PM. Highway 1."

"Good."

I put the phone down and went to sleep.

That night, I slept exceptionally well.

I knew the real show was finally about to begin.