Thinking of the possibility, Shannon's face instantly paled. She calmed herself down and looked up at Sandra.
"Mother, Max and I are divorced. This child isn't his."
Before she could finish her sentence, Sandra gasped in disbelief. "What did you say? Max and you…"
"Yes, we are already divorced. If you want a grandson, let Janice bear one for you."
Shannon lifted the blanket and got off the bed. She dragged her feet as she headed to the door, then suddenly she stopped. "Also, I shouldn't be calling you Mother anymore. Goodbye, Mrs. Wenley."
…
Shannon left the hospital and took a taxi back to the villa. She packed her things swiftly, wanting to escape from Max's place.
She couldn't let anything bad happen to her child.
However, she hadn't finished packing when the doors of the villa opened.
Before she could leave, Max cornered her in the bedroom.
Both parties were silent. Max then lit a cigarette.
"Don't…" Shannon wanted to say that the smoke wasn't good for the child, but she stopped abruptly when she saw the man's frigid expression.
The smoke rose slowly, and Max's expression became even more unfathomable.
Finally, he put out the cigarette and looked at her coldly.
"You're pregnant?"
Shannon couldn't read his mood from his voice; her eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Max was dressed in a suit, and he exuded a cold and restrained aura. He was someone far more superior than her.
Now that she met him again, she felt like a lifetime had passed.
However, she was reminded of Janice. Janice was born into an aristocratic family, and if she wanted to do anything to her child and her, she would probably be unable to deal with it.
Shannon clenched her fists and denied it. "No, it's just that my stomach hasn't been well recently, I…"
"Get rid of it."
The man's coldness and determination made her heart ache. For the sake of Janice, he wanted to take away this tiny life?
She immediately turned her face away. "I'm not pregnant, so what's there to be rid of? Besides, we're already divorced. There's nothing between us anymore."
Max's expression was firm. "Don't make me repeat myself."
His deep voice made Shannon feel cold all over.
She panicked, then grabbed the clothes that she hadn't packed and shoved them into her suitcase. "Max, I promise that I won't let this child affect your relationship with Janice, alright? I promise that I'll leave. I'll stay far, far away from you. Please, can't you let me off?"
She put down the last shred of her dignity and begged him.
Their eyes met.
Max stared at her for a long time. His expression was dark, but he said after some time, "Don't be childish. I'll contact the doctor. Someone will come and take you to the hospital in a while."
He had barely finished his words when he turned and left the villa. He was that heartless and cold.
Shannon no longer had any strength left in her. She collapsed onto the ground. The ground was icy cold, sucking out the final shred of hope she held.
It was only when the sound of a stranger walking up the stairs sounded from outside the bedroom that she snapped back to her senses.
Max had said that someone would bring her to the hospital for the abortion, but she didn't expect the person to arrive so quickly.
Was he that impatient? This was, after all, his flesh and blood!
Shannon scanned the room, looking for a place to hide, but she failed.
What could she do…
She didn't want to abort the baby. She bit her lip, and suddenly thought of Sandra.
That's right, she should look for Sandra. This was a baby belonging to the Wenleys, so Sandra would certainly not want her to go for the abortion.
The spark in her heart grew.
Shannon stood up, took out her phone, and quickly sent a message to Sandra.
Now, in order to save her child's life, she had to let Sandra know that this was Max's child.
The moment she pressed the 'Send' button, someone knocked on the bedroom door. Immediately after, two tall figures appeared.
Shannon hastily put down her phone. "What do you want?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Zanders. Please follow us to the hospital for a checkup."
Then, the two of them grabbed Shannon and walked out of the room.
Shannon didn't struggle. She knew very well that she didn't have the strength to resist them.
In the hospital, a doctor in a white lab coat was applying something onto Shannon's abdomen. The intermittent bouts of chilliness made her shiver uncontrollably.
Soon, the preoperative examination was complete.
"Let's go. The arrangements have been made." The doctor had an indifferent look on her face.
"What arrangements?" Shannon was so terrified that her face was ashen.
The doctor was getting impatient. "Aren't you going to have an abortion?"
The last bit of color drained from Shannon's face. She turned over and hid herself on the other side of the bed. "I don't want an abortion. No!"
Seeing her protest, the doctor looked displeased and her expression turned cold. "This is President Wenley's order. It's not up to you to reject it! What are you guys waiting for? Hurry and drag her over!"
Two nurses who were waiting at the side dragged Shannon towards the door.
"I'm not going. I'm begging you, please, let me go. I'm not going…" Shannon used the last bit of her strength to grip onto the handles by the bed.
Amidst the chaos, the door to the examination room was suddenly pushed open, and Sandra appeared in view.
Shannon seemed to have found her lifesaver, as she staggered and crawled towards Sandra.
"Mrs. Wenley, although Max and I are divorced, I'm still pregnant with the Wenley family's heir. Please, save me, I don't want to abort my baby."
Sandra glanced at Shannon, then pulled the latter up behind her to protect her. She then looked at the burly female doctor in front of her.
"Whoever said anything about an abortion? You've made a mistake."
The doctor sized her up. Seeing that she was dressed in luxury goods, it was evident that she wasn't from an ordinary family. She immediately softened her attitude.
"Ma'am, although I don't know who you are, this operation was arranged by President Wenley. We aren't in a position to say anything."
Hearing this, a flash of anger appeared on Sandra's face. "I'm Max Wenley's biological mother, and I am saying that this abortion will not happen!"
"Then what about President Wenley's instructions…" The female doctor's stance weakened when she heard that this woman was Max Wenley's mother.
"You can tell him to look for me if he has anything to say, and also tell him to stop using you to play games with me." After Sandra reprimanded the doctor, she grabbed Shannon's wrist. "Let's go. I'll see who dares to stop me!"
Shannon quickly nodded. She held on to this final lifesaver of hers and left the hospital without looking back.
It was only when they got into Sandra's luxurious limo that her heart gradually settled.
Sandra released Shannon's hand the moment she got into the car, her expression returning to its usual indifference.
"Mother… No… Mrs. Wenley, thank you." Shannon was truly grateful. Whilst they had their differences, both of them had come together to save the baby's life.
"There's no need for formalities. This is my grandchild, of course the baby can't be aborted. To me, you're just a birthing machine. After you give birth, I'll pay you a sum of money. You should then leave New Jersey."
"What? But Mrs. Wenley, this is my baby!" Shannon's heart couldn't stop trembling at the thought that she might be separated from her child in the future.
Sandra was infuriated. "Do you have the ability to protect your baby?"
Shannon's expression darkened.
That's right. She wasn't able to protect her baby…
"But…"
"No buts. Don't you dare challenge my patience!" Sandra looked displeased as she got out of the car and left.
Shannon looked at Sandra's resolute figure. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer, and she started sobbing.