A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 53

Lionel took his phone out of his trousers' pocket. Ivy's name flashed on the screen, somewhat dampening his spirits.

His eyes darkened and the expression on his face grew hesitant as he debated whether or not to answer the call.

Ordinarily, Lionel would have answered it without hesitation. But right now, Ivy's call had obtruded on his plan. It made him impatient.

The phone kept ringing. Lionel glanced at Cassandra, who was looking at him uneasily and shivering. He thought he could give Ivy a short greeting and then get back to business, so he quickly pressed the answer key.

He heard Ivy's panicked whimper as soon as he put the phone to his ear. She spoke to him in between tears, "Lionel, can you come right now? I... I'm scared."

Lionel's heart jolted. Ivy was an elegant and demure woman. The only time she had pushed the panic button was when Cassandra had become his legal wife. That news cut her to the quick at that time.

Since then, however, Ivy had stood strong like a rose with thorns. Lovely, but dangerous. She had never given him a sign of vulnerability and he had never seen her cry again. What happened today? What had upset her?

"What happened, Ivy?"

Lionel asked patiently despite his agitation. Her next words immediately doused him in cold water.

"I… I'm pregnant!" she cried out.

Lionel froze, panic shooting through his veins. He could hardly believe his ears. Pregnant? They used condoms every single time. How could she get pregnant?

"That's impossible. You must have made a mistake!"

Lionel's eyes widened a fraction as he tried to convince himself that she was joking. He had been pressured into marrying Cassandra under his father's arrangement. He had been forced to make a considerable sacrifice in the form of his marriage, for the sake of Tang Group and in the hopes that he would take over the company one day.

So he reluctantly accepted Cassandra as his legal wife just to win his father's favor.

However, after Rufus appeared, he lost his position in the group. And at the last celebration party, Rufus publicly disgraced him.

Now Ivy was pregnant. Misfortune seemed to follow him everywhere. If Ivy was right, the baby had undeniably come at the worst possible time.

They used protections and he had been very cautious the whole time. There was just no way that Ivy could get pregnant!

Lionel was pulled out of his musings as her cries filled his ear and her breathing got uneven.

"What should I do, Lionel? I... I'm really pregnant. It's confirmed. Would you come to me? I'm so scared and lonely."

Lionel had talked to her about the matter before. She agreed to his decision not to have babies for the time being after analyzing all the pros and cons. Now that she suddenly found herself pregnant, she was terrified.

"Lionel, are you coming over? I really need you..."

Lionel was so upset right now that he wanted to throw the phone across the room, but her weak and helpless pleas drew him back to reason.

It was most crucial to tackle this problem.

Ivy had been his lover for many years, and the baby was a product of their love. He must not commit any mistakes with regards to this situation though. Otherwise, he risked getting caught.

Horace and Jill were still in the living room. If he tried to go outside now, they would inevitably catch him. It would get even more troublesome if he couldn't explain why he was leaving the mansion.

Horace was already unhappy with the sex video that was played at the celebration party. If he got to know that Ivy was pregnant, he would fly into a rage and Rufus would have more reasons to gloat.

It put Lionel's teeth on edge to think about Rufus, but Ivy was still sobbing on the phone asking for him. He couldn't ditch her and force her to face this alone.

When he got married to Cassandra, Ivy had been heartbroken. He had sacrificed Ivy's happiness to get in his father's good books.

She had been so depressed that she walked down the streets absent-mindedly and found herself right in front of a speeding car. She had suffered from the accident because of him. The guilt had always weighed on him. This time, if she got hurt because of the pregnancy, he would never forgive himself.

Lionel turned to look at Cassandra. She had turned pale and her lips were colorless. Her slim body was leaning against the wall and she was looking at him with guarded eyes.

Suddenly, an idea presented itself to Lionel.

"Just wait for me. I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and turned to the woman he had cornered. Cassandra had been quiet while he was on the phone, but now she seemed to want to huddle further into the corner. The blood had all but drained from her face.

"What's the matter with you?"

Lionel was still anxious about Ivy's pregnancy, but he noticed that Cassandra didn't look well either. He reached up and touched Cassandra's forehead with the back of his hand.

She was burning up.