[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-285":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},285,71,"Chapter 71: The Piglet Clause","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus felt torn.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He had expected Evangeline to reject the pregnancy, and the thought of that had cut him deep. But seeing her so radiant and joyous now, his own resolve began to falter, replaced by a sudden, creeping anxiety. He had never experienced fatherly love himself, nor had he any blueprint for how to provide it. Truth be told, it was a question he had never dared to entertain; he was simply not ready to be a father.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sensing his drift, Evangeline gently squeezed his hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Marcellus, what’s wrong?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m wondering if I’m even cut out for this,\" he murmured. His voice was flat, his eyes unreadable, but Evangeline could guess the storm brewing behind them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I read somewhere that a parent’s vocation is to turn their home into a warm nest, a place to pour love and strength into their child,\" she said, locking her gaze onto his. \"Marcellus, are you telling me you don’t have the confidence to keep our home filled with love?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Of course that’s not it! Evangeline, I will love you forever, and more with every passing day.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Hearing his desperate promise, Evangeline laughed softly and leaned into his chest. \"I know. I believe you. So, we’re keeping the baby. Deal?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus studied her, his expression intense as he searched for any flicker of doubt. \"If we have this child, you won’t have the same energy to chase your own dreams. Have you really thought this through?\" He understood her too well—she was a woman of ambition and grit, never the type to be satisfied with a life confined to the domestic sphere.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline felt a fleeting shadow of melancholy, but before it could settle, Marcellus caught it. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. \"Take your time. I’ll follow your lead.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Marcellus,\" she pouted, looking up at him with wide, aggrieved eyes. \"We haven't even had the wedding yet.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The subject shift was jarring enough to make Marcellus pause. \"You’re upset because we haven't held the ceremony?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I don’t want to be a bride with a baby bump,\" she grumbled, her bottom lip jutting out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus’s heart soared. \"Evangeline, leave that to me. I guarantee I’ll have it all sorted within the month. You’ll be the most beautiful bride this city has ever seen.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Marcellus! Is your face a revolving door?\" She blinked in surprise. One moment he was wallowing, the next he was energized. People always said women’s hearts were as deep as the ocean, but men were just as impossible to pin down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"By the way,\" she added, \"let’s not tell the families just yet. Let’s wait until the results come back in ten days.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Agreed.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">To ensure she was looked after properly, they didn't keep the news from Helen, their housekeeper. Helen’s reaction was over-the-top, even for her; she began treating Evangeline with more care than one might show royalty. When Evangeline stepped off the stairs, Helen rushed over to steady her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Helen, honestly, this is a bit much,\" Evangeline sighed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh, nonsense! The first trimester is the most fragile. We can’t be too careful,\" the older woman insisted.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Over the next few days, her meals were carefully curated—clean, light, and nutrient-dense. According to Helen, the goal was to nourish the baby without unnecessary weight gain. After a month of bland, medicinal broths, Evangeline was thrilled to finally have something with flavor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"This is incredible,\" she chirped, eyes closed in bliss, her cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of food.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m glad you enjoy it, Ma'am.\" Helen beamed, thinking to herself that her employer truly was a delight.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">On the tenth day, Marcellus accompanied Evangeline back to the clinic. She was gripping his hand so tightly her knuckles were white. \"Marcellus, come inside with me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm right here. Don't be afraid.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Inside the exam room, Damian Spencer guided her to the table. Evangeline lifted her shirt, feeling a shiver run through her as Damian applied the cold ultrasound gel. She tensed up involuntarily.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Relax, it’ll be over before you know it,\" Damian said, his voice soothing as he slid the probe over her stomach and monitored the screen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Based on your cycle, the baby is about eight weeks along. Development is textbook—heartbeat and growth are both excellent. Just remember your folic acid and keep up with your prenatal check-ups.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The words felt like a lifeline. Evangeline was so relieved she could have burst into tears. \"Thank you, Doctor.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus wiped the gel from her skin with gentle precision, helped her fix her clothes, and supported her as she stood. Watching him, Damian couldn't help but smile. \"You two are going to be wonderful parents.\" In his years in the field, he rarely saw men this attentive; usually, the pregnancy was treated as the woman's sole burden. He gave them a few more pointers, which Marcellus memorized in silence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Leaving the clinic, they headed straight for the Montgomery estate. Evangeline was bursting with the news, clutching the ultrasound scan to her chest with a permanent grin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Marcellus, do you want a boy or a girl?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Doesn't matter,\" he replied without a second thought. \"As long as it's yours, I’ll love it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Tsk, you're just saying that.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m serious. Even if you gave birth to a little piglet, I’d adore it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Pfft—hahaha!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Wylder Shaw, sitting in the front seat, couldn't suppress a snort. He glanced up at the rearview mirror and immediately locked eyes with Marcellus’s icy, warning glare.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"My apologies, Sir,\" Wylder muttered, clamping his mouth shut. But his nostrils were still twitching violently as he fought to suppress his laughter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline playfully swatted Marcellus’s chest. \"Look at you! You’re going to give Wylder an ulcer from trying not to laugh!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hahaha!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Hearing her laugh, Wylder finally lost the battle. He let out a loud guffaw, deciding he didn't care if his boss fired him—dying of suppressed laughter was hardly a dignified way to go.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus’s face darkened, though a faint, amused twitch remained at the corner of his lips. \"Wylder, you can lead the security team in a five-hour extra training session tonight.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The instruction was delivered in a calm, measured tone, but Wylder felt a cold shiver run down his spine, as if a cobra were crawling up his back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"…Understood, Sir.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The laughter died in his throat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline, still pouting in mock annoyance, turned her head toward the window for the rest of the drive. As they pulled into the Montgomery estate, Marilyn was already in the garden. She watched the Bentley roll up—while luxury cars weren't uncommon in this neighborhood, the custom plates were unmistakable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She wiped her hands on her apron and signaled the staff to open the gate. Evangeline scrambled out of the car, sprinting toward her mother.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus jumped out right behind her, arms outstretched like a human safety net, panic etched across his face. \"Careful!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh—sorry! I forgot!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn looked back and forth between them, bewildered. \"What’s gotten into you both? Treating her like she's made of fine china?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline triumphantly waved the wrinkled ultrasound paper. \"Mom! You’re going to be a grandmother!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn snatched the paper, her eyes widening as she scanned it. \"Oh, my sweet girl... this is the best news! The absolute best!\" She reached out, her hands trembling with excitement, and reached toward her daughter's still-flat stomach.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272913976]