Pregnant for the straight CEO Chapter 70

~Li Anning~

I landed in Seoul with one suitcase, one backpack, and one mission: get Fan Xiao back before anyone stupid tried to steal him from .

The airport slled the sa as when I left, which felt unfair. I had spent years bouncing between New York, LA, and Boston for school, internships, and one disastrous situationship with a guy who used the word "networking" like it was a personality. anwhile, Korea stayed the sa. Maybe that was why I kept thinking about Fan Xiao while I was away. Everything around changed, but my thoughts didn’t.

As I rolled my suitcase out of the terminal, my phone buzzed. Another notification from so tech article ntioning him again. "Young hacker prodigy...." "Catches corporate fraud...." "Rumored to be unstoppable...."

I clicked all of them. Every single ti.

People bragged about graduating early or getting into Ivy League programs. I bragged about knowing Fan Xiao. I showed people screenshots of us as kids. I told groups of strangers about our arranged engagent like it was a romantic drama and not sothing our parents joked about over too much wine.

And every ti soone said, "Do you actually like him?"

I answered, "Obviously."

Because I did. I always did.

I just stupidly thought I could go abroad, improve myself, give him space, and co back better.

But then I saw so posts online hinting that he might not be "single" anymore. I saw a blurry picture of him with so guy in a hospital hallway and almost threw my iPad across my New York apartnt. I stayed up two nights searching everything about him online like so unhealthy PI.

My therapist would’ve yelled. Whatever.

So yeah. I booked a flight.

Fan Xiao didn’t know I was back.

But he was going to.

And he was going to be happy about it. Eventually. Probably after the shock. He was dramatic like that.

I had already seen him and he was with the guy but I’ll deal with that later, before I went to him, I wanted to see one person.

Hana.

My best friend since middle school. The only person I trusted with everything. The one who cried with when my mother left, who kept sending stupid reels through the worst parts of college, who listened to rant about professors, roommates, exams, and Fan Xiao.

Also the one who got engaged before .

To a man so handso I used his photo as my lock screen once when I missed ho.

Park Min.

Her perfect fiancé.

At least, that’s what I thought.

The news about him turning fully Alpha, and worse, taking in a male oga, had spread all over even in New York. I thought Hana had told . But she never contacted about it directly. Weird. So I assud she was embarrassed or busy.

I figured I’d visit her, hug her, ask how she’s doing, then tell her everything I knew. No judgent. Just honesty. Like always.

I rode in the taxi to her neighborhood and smiled when I saw her building. Sa cracks in the sidewalk. Sa noisy teenagers downstairs. Sa convenience store on the corner she always complained about but still bought ran from every week.

I walked up the stairs, reached her door, and laughed out loud.

She still hadn’t changed the lock passcode.

It clicked open.

So things never changed.

"Hana!" I called as I stepped inside.

Her apartnt slled like vanilla air freshener. I knew that scent anywhere.

She turned around from the kitchen, eyes huge, mouth falling open.

"Anning?" she whispered.

"Hana!"

I dropped my bag and ran to her. She ran too, but she tripped a little on her own sock, which made her slam into harder than expected. We both almost fell but ended up clinging to each other.

We hugged, and she shook like she was holding her breath for too long.

"You’re here," she said against my shoulder.

"I’m here," I laughed. "Finally. You didn’t even change your lock? You’re insane."

She hit my arm. "Shut up. I didn’t think you’d use it after all this ti."

"You should know better."

We hugged again, tighter. Then we jumped. Actually jumped. Like two idiots at a concert.

She pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Let see you. Turn around."

I spun a little. She clapped. "You look so good."

"Obviously," I smirked. Then I leaned close. "Guess who else looks good?"

Her eyebrows rose. "Who?"

"My boyfriend."

Her mouth dropped open. "You have a boyfriend?! Who?!"

I grinned. "Fan Xiao."

She froze.

Then her smile flickered. Then returned quickly, too quickly. "Oh. Yeah. Right. You and him. Your engagent thing. You always talked about that."

"Because I ant it," I said. "I’ve been thinking about him nonstop. He’s everywhere. Articles, news, interviews. I swear the universe is telling to go get him before soone else tries. So I ca ho."

Her eyes darted away from mine.

"Hana," I said, nudging her. "Why are you acting weird?"

"I’m not," she insisted, but her voice was too small.

"You’re lying," I said instantly.

She opened her mouth, probably to lie again, so I raised my hand. "Don’t even try. I know when you’re lying."

She turned away, shoulders stiff.

I followed her into the kitchen.

"Hana."

She busied herself with opening a cabinet. Nothing was inside.

She tried to close it like she hadn’t just opened an empty cabinet to avoid answering .

"So," I said, leaning on the counter. "How’s Park Min?"

She froze.

She didn’t turn around.

Her hands trembled a little before she grabbed a glass to steady herself.

I waited. I didn’t rush her. I didn’t soften my voice. That wasn’t how I dealt with her. We were honest, even when it hurt.

Finally, she said, "He’s fine."

I rolled my eyes. "Hana."

"He’s really busy," she added quickly. "Work. stuff. Leadership events. You know how CEOs are."

"Hana."

She swallowed. "We’re... we’re still..."

"You’re not," I cut her off gently but firmly. "So stop lying. It’s just us."

The glass in her hand shook harder.

Then she whispered, "I am."

"No," I said. "You’re not. I know the truth."

She turned around finally. Her face was pale, but she tried to smile.

"What truth?" she asked, like I was mistaken.

"That he’s an Alpha now," I said, watching her reaction.

Her eyes dropped.

"And that he’s with soone else."

Her throat tightened. I could see it.

I walked closer. "Hana. I know about the oga."

She laughed once, too sharp. "Everyone knows. Gossip spreads."

"He’s living with him," I added.

Her breath hitched.

"And the oga is a man."

She blinked hard. "Yeah. I heard. It’s whatever."

"It’s not whatever to you."

She looked away again.

Her silence felt heavy in the room.

I sighed. "Why didn’t you tell ? I ca back all excited to talk about Fan Xiao, and you’re here pretending your engagent is still alive."

"It... it was embarrassing," she finally whispered. "Everyone thinks I lost. That I wasn’t enough. That he... that he picked soone else over . A man. An oga. And I..."

Her voice cracked.

She covered her mouth like she didn’t want to make a sound.

I stepped forward and hugged her.

She stood stiff for a second, then broke. Just quietly. No sobbing. No dramatic crying. Just shaking, gripping my shirt like she was drowning.

"I didn’t want you to think I was pathetic," she said into my shoulder.

"Don’t be stupid," I said, rubbing her back. "You’re not pathetic. He is."

She let out a shaky laugh. "You’re biased."

"Yes. Obviously."

I pulled back enough to see her face. "You didn’t do anything wrong. People fall out of love. Or change. Or beco assholes. Whatever."

She wiped her nose. "I’m fine. Really."

"You’re not," I said. "But you will be."

She nodded a little.

We sat at her tiny table. She poured water for us with hands that still trembled a bit.

I drank mine slowly, watching her. She kept pretending to be okay, but every ti I said "Park Min," her eyes flickered.

Finally, I said, "We should go see him."

She choked on air. "What?"

"Not today," I added. "Tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Closure," I said. "Also, I want to see what the oga looks like. For research."

She groaned. "Anning..."

"It’ll help you," I said. "You’re stuck. You’re pretending you’re fine because you don’t want to look weak. But seeing him might actually free you."

She stared at the table. "I don’t know if I can."

"You can," I said. "And I’ll be there. You don’t have to talk. You don’t have to say anything. Just see him."

Her eyes glistened again, but she didn’t cry.

She just nodded.

"Okay."

We both sat there in silence. Not awkward. Just heavy.

I took her hand.

"And for the record," I said. "You didn’t lose. People change, Hana. You didn’t do anything wrong."

She squeezed my hand.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Obviously." I shrugged. "Also, tell everything about how he looked last ti. Was he taller? More annoying? Did he still have that stupid haircut?"

She let out a laugh that sounded real this ti. "He cut it. And he looks... different."

"I’ll see for myself tomorrow," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "You’re insane."

"I’m loyal," I corrected. "There’s a difference."

We talked more after that. About New York. About work. About food. About stupid things that didn’t matter. Her laughter ca easier by the end.

Then I said, "After we see him tomorrow, I’m going to Fan Xiao."

She smacked my arm. "You’re obsessed."

"Clearly," I said. "And I’m not letting soone else steal him."

Hana smiled. A real one.

"Good luck," she said softly. "He’ll probably need the luck more than you."