Chapter 576
‘Would I accidentally get pregnant?‘ she thought.
Tiffany jolted upright in the bathtub.
Without wasting another second, she scrambled out of the tub, Hastily dried herself off, threw on some clothes, and slipped quietly out of the house.
At the curb, she hailed a cab and directed the driver to the nearest drugstore.
It wasn’t too late, and a few pharmacies were bound to still be open at this hour.
When they arrived, Tiffany leaned forward and said, “Please wait for me.” The driver nodded as she stepped into the store.
“Good evening. How can I help you?” the pharmacist asked politely.
Tiffany opened her mouth, but the words “birth control pills” seemed to lodge in her throat.
Her hand unconsciously rested on her flat stomach. She wasn’t ready for children–not now, not with her life as it was. But if it turned out she was pregnant, could she accept it?
But if it came to that, she was sure that Richard would be overjoyed.
Tiffany shook her head and apologized softly. “No, thank you.”
Wrapping her coat tighter around herself, Tiffany turned and walked back to the waiting cab.
“Miss, where to?” the driver asked.
“Back to…” She started to say home but stopped. A mischievous glint lit her eyes. “Royal Bay,” she said instead.
“Got it,” the driver replied, pulling back onto the quiet streets.
At this time, there were few pedestrians and cars on the empty and quiet street. Tiffany leaned back and gazed out the window.
The city lights grew sparser, and the serene night sky revealed a scattering of stars. A gentle breeze brushed against her cheek as she rolled the window down slightly, easing the tension in her chest.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Royal Bay.
Reaching for her bag, Tiffany suddenly froze. In her rush to leave the house, she hadn’t brought any cash–or even her phone.
She then rang the villa’s bell. Moments later, a maid hurried out to greet her, surprise evident on her face.
“Mrs. Hampton?” The maid quickly opened the gate, stepping aside to let Tiffany in.
The noise drew Richard’s attention, and soon he appeared at the door.
-Tiffany stood by the car, shivering slightly in the evening breeze, her nose tinged pink from the cold.
She looked up and saw Richard walking out.
His tall figure exuded a quiet authority, and even under the dim light, his features remained striking and refined. His dark, penetrating gaze were fixed on her.
08:22 Thu, Nov 28 W.
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Chapter 576
‘Would I accidentally get pregnant?‘ she thought.
Tiffany jolted upright in the bathtub.
Without wasting another second, she scrambled out of the tub, hastily dried herself off, threw on some clothes, and slipped quietly out of the house.
At the curb, she hailed a cab and directed the driver to the nearest drugstore.
It wasn’t too late, and a few pharmacies were bound to still be open at this hour.
When they arrived, Tiffany leaned forward and said, “Please wait for me.” The driver nodded as she stepped into the store.
“Good evening. How can I help you?” the pharmacist asked politely.
Tiffany opened her mouth, but the words “birth control pills” seemed to lodge in her throat.
Her hand unconsciously rested on her flat stomach. She wasn’t ready for children–not now, not with her life as it was. But if it turned out she was pregnant, could she accept it?
But if it came to that, she was sure that Richard would be overjoyed.
Tiffany shook her head and apologized softly. “No, thank you.”
Wrapping her coat tighter around herself, Tiffany turned and walked back to the waiting cab.
“Miss, where to?” the driver asked.
“Back to…” She started to say home but stopped. A mischievous glint lit her eyes. “Royal Bay,” she said instead.
“Got it,” the driver replied, pulling back onto the quiet streets.
At this time, there were few pedestrians and cars on the empty and quiet street. Tiffany leaned back and gazed out the window.
The city lights grew sparser, and the serene night sky revealed a scattering of stars. A gentle breeze brushed against her cheek as she rolled the window down slightly, easing the tension in her chest.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Royal Bay.
Reaching for her bag, Tiffany suddenly froze. In her rush to leave the house, she hadn’t brought any cash–or even her phone.
She then rang the villa’s bell. Moments later, a maid hurried out to greet her, surprise evident on her face.
“Mrs. Hampton?” The maid quickly opened the gate, stepping aside to let Tiffany in.
The noise drew Richard’s attention, and soon he appeared at the door.
Tiffany stood by the car, shivering slightly in the evening breeze, her nose tinged pink from the cold.
She looked up and saw Richard walking out.
His tall figure exuded a quiet authority, and even under the dim light, his features remained striking and refined. His dark, penetrating gaze were fixed on her.
08:22 Thu, Nov 28
Chapter 576
*I… I slipped out and didn’t–luring any money,” she confessed in awkward, her voice small.
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Richard lifted his chin, signaling John, his assistant, who immediately stepped forward to settle the fare–paying far more than necessary.
Then Tiffany was brought into the villa.
The servants exchanged curious glances before quietly retreating to give them privacy.
“Are you cold?” Richard asked.
Richard glanced at Tiffany’s frostbitten red nose and sighed. Then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward his bedroom upstairs.
“It’s not very cold outside–it’s just a bit windy,” Tiffany murmured.
She smoothly wrapped her arms around his neck, her expression pitiful, like a stray cat lost in the dead of night–helpless and forlorn. The sight of her tugged at his heart, filling him with an ache he couldn’t ignore.
Richard placed her gently on the bed, his brow furrowing as he asked, “Why did you run out at this hour? Who upset you?”
His tone carried a subtle, dangerous edge, a barely restrained fury, as if Tiffany so much as nodded, someone was guaranteed to pay the price.
Tiffany shook her head, looking both upset and on the verge of tears.
“No one,” she whispered.
Her slightly reddened eyes brimmed with panic and helplessness, emotions she rarely showed.
For Richard, seeing her like this for the first time was unsettling. His heart clenched, and his throat tightened. “What happened?” he asked, his voice low and steady, though tension seeped through each word.
“I…” Tiffany hesitated, struggling to keep her laughter at bay. Despite her internal amusement, her expression remained one of fear and vulnerability.
After holding Richard in suspense for a few agonizing moments, she pursed her lips and finally said, as if barely holding back tears, “I… I think I might be pregnant.”
“What?” Richard froze, the single word spilling from his lips instinctively.
Two seconds passed before the full weight of her statement hit him. His fingertips trembled, and the cool detachment in his eyes gave way to an intense, unguarded joy.
“Really?” He reached out to touch her belly. It was still flat, with nothing to feel, but the expression on his facé radiated pure, unfiltered excitement.
‘Wait a second–this isn’t the reaction I expected,‘ Tiffany thought, stunned.
Before she could clarify, Richard cupped her face and kissed her gently, his voice trembling with emotion even as he tried to restrain himself. “This is wonderful–truly wonderful.”
From the moment he met her, from the first time she became his, he’d dreamt of this.
And now, they were going to have a child–their child.
The realization filled him with indescribable joy. Overcome with elation, Richard stood up, clearly ready to celebrate in some grand way.
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Chapter 576
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Seeing his overwhelming reaction, Tiffany felt a bit guilty. She yanked him back, her voice small as she asked, “Wait–don’t get too excited yet. If I told you that… actually, I was just kidding, would you kill me?”
In that moment, she realized her joke had gone too far.
Unable to continue with the charade, Tiffany swallowed hard and confessed, her voice faltering, “Actually… I’m not pregnant.”
Richard froze.
The smile on Richard’s face faded.
Bit by bit, the joy drained from his features, visibly disappearing like a receding tide.
From hope to disappointment, from elation to a crushing sense of inadequacy, it must have been a terrible feeling.
Tiffany panicked. She cupped his face in her trembling hands, blurting out an eager assurance and saying, “I was just kidding! But not having a child now doesn’t mean we won’t have a child in the future. Don’t be angry, don’t feel sad…”
If she had known how much Richard wanted a child, she never would have made such a childish joke!
Regret gnawed at her, but even after her apology, Richard remained silent.
The room fell into a suffocating stillness, not a word, not a sound.
The air grew heavy with a chill she couldn’t describe.
Tiffany, on the verge of tears, stammered, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault. I won’t do it again, I swear…”
Still, he didn’t say a word.
But in his downcast eyes, she saw a deep disappointment that seemed to pierce her heart.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Tiffany threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Don’t feel bad, honey. We still have a chance. If it doesn’t happen now, we’ll just work on it and try again! Someday, it will happen, I promise!”
She repeated her reassurances over and over, desperate to comfort him.
But then, she heard a muffled laugh.
Tiffany froze.
Pulling back from his arms, she stared at Richard in disbelief. He was smiling, his eyes glinting with the unmistakable triumph of someone who had just pulled off a perfect ruse.
“Alright, sweetheart,” he said, a teasing note in his voice. “That’s what you said. We’ll work on it–together.”
‘Wait. Have I just dug myself into a hole?‘ she thought. ‘What the hell!”
Tiffany almost fainted from frustration. Shooting him a furious glare, she snapped, Judging by the look on your face, you knew I was joking from the start, didn’t you?”
Richard raised his eyebrows, his smile deepening. “Uh–huh.”
“How did you figure that out?” She thought she was doing a good jobs. How could he have seen through her so easily?
“Little fool,” Richard said affectionately, pinching her cheek as he stifled another laugh. “Your period just ended a few days ago. Also, even if you are pregnant now, it can’t be detected in early pregnancy.”
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08:22 Thu, Nov 28 a 17.
Chapter 570
So, from the moment she’d started her act, he’d known she was teasing him.
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He sighed. She was his wife, after all, so if she wanted to play this game, he was more than willing to indulge her.
However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a little fun in return
Tiffany clutched her chest in frustration.
As expected, when it came to scheming, she could never match him!
“It’s getting late.” Richard’s crisp voice cut through the air, breaking her thoughts.
With a flick of his hand, the curtains drew shut as if pulled by an invisible wind. “Time to keep your promise, my dear.”
