Chapter 49

Angela POV

"What Christina and I talk about is none of your business," I said coldly. "Are you worried I'll bully your precious Christina?"

Sean's jaw tightened. "That's not what I meant at all. Why are you being so difficult?"

I didn't bother responding. Instead, I turned away and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind me with quiet finality.

After a long shower, I changed into the most conservative pajama set I owned-long-sleeved, high-necked, perfect for maintaining distance.

I was too exhausted from my sleepless night to care when Sean came to bed. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was gone, barely registering the line of decorative pillows that created a barrier down the middle of our king-sized bed.

When I opened my eyes the next morning, Sean's side of the bed was already empty. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table-8:30 AM. I'd overslept.

I quickly dressed and made my way downstairs. The sound of laughter drifted up from the dining room-Christina's voice mixed with Elizabeth's warm chuckle.

When I entered, Christina was serving Elizabeth her morning tea, her auburn hair gleaming in the morning light.

"Good morning, Angela," Elizabeth's face lit up when she saw me. "Did you sleep well, dear?"

Before I could answer, Christina chimed in, "I was just telling Elizabeth about this wonderful new tea blend I brought back from Paris. It's supposed to be excellent for heart health."

I caught the slight narrowing of Sean's eyes as he watched the exchange from behind his newspaper. His gaze flickered to me, then back to his paper, but I could feel his attention lingering.

"That's thoughtful of you," I said, taking my seat. Sarah appeared silently at my elbow with a cup of hot milk, prepared exactly as I liked it.

"The chef has prepared something special this morning," Christina announced, her voice warm with practiced charm. "A recipe from a famous French restaurant. I mentioned to him that it's one of Elizabeth's favorites."

The rich aroma of the soup wafted across the table as the chef himself appeared, proudly presenting his creation. But as the scent reached me, my stomach lurched violently. The nausea I'd been fighting all morning rose up like a tidal wave.

I pushed back from the table abruptly, my chair scraping against the marble floor. "Excuse me," I managed to say, before hurrying toward the nearest bathroom.

I barely made it to the bathroom before the wave of nausea overwhelmed me. Bending over the sink, I tried to catch my breath. Suddenly, I felt large, warm hands gathering my hair back from my face.

Sean.

"Are you alright?" His voice was low, concerned.

I wanted to push him away, to tell him I didn't need his help. But another wave of nausea hit, and I could only grip the edge of the marble counter harder.

"Angela?" Elizabeth's worried voice called from the doorway. "Should we call a doctor?"

"No, I'm fine," I straightened up, forcing a smile. "Just a bit of a stomach bug, that's all."

"Nonsense," Sean's voice was firm. "We're going to the hospital to have you checked out."

"That's really not necessary," Christina appeared behind Elizabeth, her face a mask of concern. "It's probably just a touch of food poisoning. I'm sure with some rest-"

"I'm taking her to the hospital," Sean cut her off, his tone brooking no argument. His hand was still on my back, steady and warm.

I caught Christina's expression in the mirror-a flash of panic quickly hidden behind a sympathetic smile.

She knew what this could mean. If I went to the hospital, there was a chance they'd discover my pregnancy. Everything she'd worked for would unravel.

"Sean's right," Elizabeth said decisively. "Better to be safe than sorry. Christina, would you be a dear and ask Sarah to bring Angela's coat?"

I met Christina's eyes in the mirror. The message there was clear: she wouldn't let this happen without a fight.

But as Sean's hand tightened slightly on my back, I realized this might be beyond either of our control now.

"I'm fine, really," I tried one last time, but Sean was already shaking his head.

"No arguments," he said, his voice softening slightly. "Let me take care of you."

The tenderness in his tone made my heart twist. If only he knew what he was really trying to protect.

"I'll come with you," Christina hurried after us. "Actually, I have a friend who runs a private clinic nearby. She's really good, and there won't be any wait-"

"We're going to the hospital," Sean cut her off firmly. "A proper medical center will be more reliable."

Christina's smile faltered for just a moment before she caught herself. I could see the panic building behind her eyes.

Sean carried me to the car, then gently set me down. I could feel Sean's gaze flickering to me every few minutes.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Sean asked suddenly, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "Last month, Sarah found your medical report in the bathroom. You said it was nothing at the time, but you were lying, weren't you?"

"I didn't lie," I said quietly. "It really was just a routine annual checkup report."

"Then why were you so sick this morning?" He pressed, his tone heavy with suspicion.

"It was the lobster soup," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "The seafood might not have been fresh. The smell was quite strong."

Sean's eyes narrowed. "You used to love seafood."

Just as I struggled to find a response, Christina quickly came to my rescue. "The seafood soup was rather pungent today," she chimed in. "I had a sip and felt a bit queasy myself."

Sean looked unconvinced, but he dropped the subject. I caught Christina's eye in the rearview mirror, and we both let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Get in the car," Sean said firmly.

"I'm feeling much better now," I protested. "There's no need to go to the hospital."

Sean shook his head, but I pressed on. "I haven't had breakfast yet, and I'm actually quite hungry now. Could we go back to eat first? If I still feel unwell later, Christina can accompany me to the hospital."

Christina nodded eagerly, stepping forward to support my arm. "I can look after Angela," she assured Sean. "You don't need to worry so much."

As I linked arms with Christina and started to turn back toward the house, Sean ran his fingers through his hair, a puzzled expression crossing his face.

"Since when did you two become so close?" he asked, his tone colored with curiosity.