Chapter 945:
The fierce gleam in his eyes made Melany’s heart lurch. She drew in a trembling breath before whispering, “If I were carrying your child, would you accept it? How could that child even survive in your world?”
Deandre’s brows furrowed. “I don’t want children.”
He had only recently taken command of the Costa Syndicate. Though the organization had regained its footing, the wreckage left by the previous godfather still lingered—knotted, unfinished, and dangerous.
Bringing a child into his life now would be no different from painting a bull’s-eye on himself.
A sharp ache rippled through Melany’s chest. Was it truly that he didn’t want a child—or that he refused to acknowledge one born from a single reckless night?
Maybe the idea of fatherhood clashed with the life he clung to: unfettered, untethered, free of any lasting bond.
Everything about them—their worlds, their status, their very identities—made a shared future feel like nothing more than a dream. And finally, she admitted she’d been lost in far too many impossible “what ifs.”
“Are you really pregnant?” Deandre’s voice cut through the silence, his gaze sharp and unyielding as it pinned her in place.
Memories of that reckless first night flashed through his mind—how he’d lost control, how no precautions had been taken. Ever since then, he’d made sure never to repeat that mistake.
Melany shoved him away hard, her tone turning glacial. “Of course not. I only wanted to see how you’d react, and now I have my answer. Let’s call it what it was—a fling. No talk of keeping me. No talk of emotions. I’m not throwing away my ambitions and my future for someone like you.”
With a sharp turn, she bolted down the corridor without looking back.
Rylie and Brad, who had witnessed the entire exchange, let out a breath at the same time.
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Brad murmured, “Deandre’s acting just like I did back then. He’ll regret this—mark my words.”
Rylie frowned. “He has no idea she’s actually pregnant. He says he doesn’t want a child, but will Melany really end the pregnancy? She still dreams of finishing college.”
Brad gave a slow shake of his head. “I can’t say. But you need to talk to her. You’re the only one who can get through to Deandre.”
After losing their lawsuits, Kailee and several other high-society figures found themselves hit with a countersuit from the animal protection organization, which was determined to restore its tarnished name.
Although the group had accepted sizable donations from them, every contribution had been made under the banner of advancing animal welfare. Many of its members were genuinely devoted to the cause, and they were quick to distance themselves from any hint of conspiracy with those benefactors.
The scale of the scandal soon drew the attention of government leaders from multiple nations, triggering a comprehensive investigation.
In the end, Kailee was convicted in South Verdania and sentenced to twenty years in prison. Yet with a hundred million in bail discreetly paid, she was whisked out of the country under heavy guard.
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