Chloe Preston was completely stunned.
What did he just say?
He said he wanted to marry her, to make her his Mrs. Xavier.
Did I hear him wrong?
"You... what did you just say?" Chloe Preston asked, lifting her fair, beautiful face. Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were red as she gazed at him.
The rain outside grew heavier, drumming against the windowpane.
Donovan Xavier’s dark, deep eyes t her gaze unabashedly. "Marry you," he said in a low voice.
"Are you lying to ?" Water began to well in Chloe Preston’s eyes, and she looked as if she were about to cry.
She couldn’t believe it.
He had promised to marry her and take her ho before, but he never did. All he ever did was coax her with empty words.
"I’m not lying, Chloe Preston," Donovan Xavier said, leaning in until his forehead rested against hers. He reined in his feelings. "I’m very serious."
"Just say yes, and I’ll take you to register our marriage first thing tomorrow morning."
Tears clung to Chloe Preston’s quivering eyelashes.
She lowered her gaze to her abdon and pursed her lips. "Is... is it because of the baby?"
He must have had such a sudden change of heart because I’m carrying his child.
Donovan Xavier was silent for a mont before looking at her. "That’s part of it. The baby just sped up the process. Marrying you has always been part of my plan."
"Have you forgotten? I told you I’d marry you four years ago."
Tears stread from Chloe Preston’s eyes, and her nose tingled. "What good did saying it do? In the end, you still didn’t marry ."
Besides, he’d told his friends he was just playing around with her and that it wasn’t serious.
She had never forgotten; she rembered it to this day. Every ti she thought back to it, she felt a dull ache in her heart.
Donovan Xavier frowned and said in a deep voice, "That was because..."
Before he could finish, the phone on the table rang sharply.
Donovan Xavier picked up the phone, glanced at the screen, and hung up.
Chloe noticed the call was from Caleb Xavier.
A few seconds later, it rang again. Donovan Xavier hung up again.
How annoying.
When it rang a third ti, Donovan Xavier reached to power it off, but Chloe Preston stopped him. "You should answer it. What if your grandfather needs you for sothing important?"
The phone continued to ring. Donovan Xavier took a breath to compose himself and finally answered. "Hello."
After a few seconds of silence, Caleb Xavier’s voice ca through. "Is it true? Is she pregnant?"
"Yes," Donovan replied.
Caleb Xavier fell silent again for a mont. "Is it yours?"
"What a stupid question," Donovan Xavier snapped, his brow furrowed.
"Are you sure?" Caleb pressed. "I’ve heard things. That she knows Connor Sutton from the Sutton Family and has so connection to Evan. Julian Xavier is her colleague, and she’s never had a shortage of suitors."
"With so many n buzzing around her, how can you be sure the baby in her womb is yours?"
Before he could finish, Donovan Xavier cut him off impatiently. "I’m busy. I’m hanging up!"
"You dare!" Caleb Xavier shouted, his voice laced with anger.
"Donovan Xavier, I’m telling you, even if that baby is yours, the Xavier family will never acknowledge it! A child out of wedlock! If word gets out, what will happen to our family’s reputation? And Rosalind is still your fiancée! How are you going to explain this to her?"
Donovan raised a hand to press at his temple, his expression darkening. "What fiancée? Didn’t I tell you I was calling off the engagent a long ti ago?"
"I don’t care!" Caleb Xavier roared. "We will not have that child! It’s still early in the pregnancy, so you will take her to the hospital and get rid of it imdiately! I warned you to be careful! Did none of that sink in?"
Chloe Preston was still in his arms, and she heard every single word Caleb Xavier said.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she clenched her fists.
"It’s not happening," Donovan’s voice was resolute. "This is my child. You have no right to decide whether he lives or dies. And he certainly doesn’t need your acknowledgnt."
A loud CRASH echoed through the phone, as if a cup had been smashed against the floor.
"Are you trying to kill with rage!" Caleb Xavier was livid. "It seems I didn’t beat you hard enough the last ti! I’m telling you, if you dare to let her give birth to that child, I will disown you! From that mont on, I will no longer be your grandfather!"
Donovan Xavier hung up the phone.
The air fell silent.
Chloe Preston lowered her gaze, unable to say a word.
Who would have thought the Xavier family despised her so much? Their hatred even extended to the child in her womb. If Rosalind Rowan were the one pregnant today, they would probably be overjoyed.
"Donovan..." she began.
Donovan masterfully concealed his emotions. He raised a hand and gently stroked her hair. "You just focus on the pregnancy. Don’t think about anything. I’ll handle it all."
"Do you want to take a shower? I’ll help you."
With that, he set aside his work, carefully lifted her into his arms, and carried her out of the study.
「The next morning.」
Donovan Xavier said an issue had co up at the company, so he had left early to handle it.
Chloe Preston was alone in the room, curled up on the sofa with a small ginger cat in her lap. She was absentmindedly stroking its head.
"Old Master, you can’t go in! The madam is resting!" a voice cried from outside the door.
CLICK.
The door was suddenly forced open.
Housekeeper Wallace still tried to block the way. "You... you really can’t go in."
With a sweep of his arm, Caleb Xavier shoved her aside. "Get out of my way!"
Behind him stood a group of formidable, well-trained bodyguards.
Housekeeper Wallace stumbled against the doorfra. She looked up at Chloe Preston and said, "Madam, I’m so sorry to disturb your rest, but the Old Master insisted on seeing you."
Chloe Preston set the cat down and rose to her feet. She walked over, feeling apprehensive. "Gr... Grandpa Xavier, what are you doing here?"
Caleb Xavier sneered. "What’s this? An outsider can live in my grandson’s house, but I, his own grandfather, am not allowed to visit?"
"I... I didn’t an that," Chloe stamred.
Caleb Xavier had no desire to waste words. He shot a glance at the bodyguards beside him. "What are you waiting for? Do it!"
"Yes, sir," the bodyguards responded.
Chloe Preston froze, stunned. The next second, the bodyguards surged forward and forcibly restrained her.
Housekeeper Wallace panicked. "Old Master, what... what are you doing?"
"The madam is pregnant! What if you hurt the baby?"
Caleb Xavier, his white hair stark against his stern expression, leaned on his dragon-head cane. "Hah! The baby? If it gets hurt, so be it. I couldn’t care less! I ca here today to take her to the hospital and get rid of that child!"
"What!" Chloe Preston’s pupils contracted in shock.
She bit her lip, struggling desperately.
Housekeeper Wallace rushed forward to help her break free. "Old Master, you can’t do this!"
Caleb Xavier’s posture was haughty. He snorted coldly. "And why not? A woman like her is utterly unworthy of carrying my grandson’s child! After we get rid of the child, I will have Donovan and Rosalind get engaged next month!"
"Miss Preston, be sensible," he warned. "Go to the hospital on your own. Otherwise, I’ll have my n drag you there!"
Tears welled in Chloe Preston’s eyes as she struggled fiercely. "No! I’m keeping my baby! No one is going to hurt him! You... let go of ! Let go of right now!"
The bodyguards used brute force, dragging her relentlessly toward the door.
Housekeeper Wallace and the other maids rushed forward, using all their strength to push the bodyguards back. "Get away from her! Don’t you dare touch the madam!"
Leaning on his cane, Caleb Xavier watched the scene with cold, stern eyes. "She’s no ’madam.’ They aren’t even married! Hurry up! Drag her to the hospital now!"
"Yes, sir!" the bodyguards grunted.
Chloe Preston cried out as she fell to the floor, still struggling with all her might. "I won’t go to the hospital! I... I want this baby!"
Caleb Xavier glared at his bodyguards and roared, "Are you all useless? Get her out of here now!"
Seeing this, a disheveled Housekeeper Wallace imdiately pulled out her phone to call Donovan Xavier.
But one of the bodyguards was faster. He snatched the phone from her hand, threw it to the ground, and crushed it under his heel.
"Sister-in-law! I’m here to see you!"
A clear female voice called out from downstairs.
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