[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-287":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},287,73,"Chapter 73: \"Is This Your Morning Sickness, Marcellus?\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus had barely sat down at his desk when Preston knocked and entered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Sir, your meeting starts in ten minutes.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Understood.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His voice lacked its usual sharp, commanding edge. Ever since a wave of nausea hit him that afternoon, his brow had remained furrowed in a permanent knot of discomfort.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline watched him with growing concern, her small hand gently rubbing his stomach. \"You don't look well at all. You should go home and rest.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I can't. This meeting is critical.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Then promise me you'll leave as soon as it's over.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus forced a weak smile and reached up to stroke her hair, a gesture meant to soothe his own nerves as much as hers. \"Deal. Keep yourself occupied for a bit; I’ll be back soon.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">On the conference room’s wall-sized monitor, a feed displayed the counterpart boardroom, where a group of foreign executives sat rigid in their seats. The lead representative was finishing a presentation, eyes darting anxiously toward the screen, waiting for a verdict.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus stared, his brows knit together—not in focus, but in irritation. He barely seemed to be listening. After a grueling minute of heavy silence, the man on the other side finally broke.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mr. Alexander, the report is concluded.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus’s eyes snapped toward the screen, his gaze cutting like a blade. \"Is this the answer sheet you’ve been preparing for me for an entire year?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The team on the other side of the Atlantic exchanged panicked looks. The lead man struggled to find his footing. \"I’m sorry to disappoint you, sir. If there are shortcomings, please, enlighten us.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Joelle, do not let them lead you by the nose,\" Marcellus spat, his voice strained. \"Alexander Corp is your safety net, not your crutch.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Mid-sentence, his stomach churned violently. A cold sheen of sweat erupted across his forehead. Clasping his abdomen, he hissed at Preston, \"You take over!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He strode out of the conference room, the heavy door slamming shut behind him, and immediately doubled over, retching into the silence of the hallway.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The sound carried clearly through the open door of the boardroom. The executives inside began to whisper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What’s wrong with him?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"He looked absolutely gutted.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"The way he looked at us… it was terrifying.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"That's enough!\" Preston barked, cutting the room into silence. \"Let's move on to the Q3 analysis.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back in the private office, Evangeline saw Marcellus stumble in, pale and clutching his side. She scrambled to steady him, her voice trembling. \"I’m calling Damian!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus was a man of immense power, and his enemies were circling like vultures. If word got out that he was ailing, it would trigger a bloodbath of corporate sabotage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Wylder Shaw slammed his foot on the accelerator, tearing through traffic. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Elysian Estate, where Damian Spencer was already waiting in the private medical wing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing Marcellus twisted in obvious agony, Damian didn’t waste a second. He hooked him up for an abdominal ultrasound, his own expression darkening as he worked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Have you eaten today?\" Damian asked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No,\" Marcellus gritted out. \"Everything I tried to swallow came right back up.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian frowned, turned toward the workstation, and mixed a milky, opaque liquid. He handed it to Marcellus. \"Drink this.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline hovered nearby, her voice thin. \"What is that, Damian?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Barium sulfate suspension,\" Damian replied, his tone clinical. \"We need to perform an upper GI series to see what’s going on inside.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The gravity of his tone made Evangeline’s heart hammer against her ribs. She felt like she was suffocating. \"Is he… is he going to be okay?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Stay calm,\" Damian said, though his eyes remained guarded. \"We'll have the results in two hours.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus reached out, gripping Evangeline’s cold, trembling hands and rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. \"Evangeline, don't be afraid.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She stood there, breathing in shallow, ragged bursts, fighting the urge to shatter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The wait was an eternity. Evangeline kept talking, trying to fill the silence, her mind racing. Marcellus kept her hand locked in his, watching her with a look of intense, agonizing devotion. Even in his sickness, he seemed to find a strange sort of comfort in her worry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Finally, Damian walked out, his stride suddenly light, a report in his hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"There’s nothing wrong with him,\" Damian said.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"But he’s in so much pain!\" Evangeline cried, her heart dropping. \"What if your equipment isn't precise enough? We need to go to the hospital!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian slumped onto the sofa, crossing his legs with a relaxed smirk. \"Marcellus, tell me again. How exactly does it feel?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus took a breath, concentrating. \"I can't describe it. It’s not a sharp pain. It’s... it’s like a sour, bloated feeling. Like I’m starving but full at the same time. It’s like being violently seasick.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline’s brow deepened. \"That is the strangest list of symptoms I’ve ever heard.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hah! Hahaha... Marcellus, you’re killing me!\" Damian threw his head back, laughing until his face turned red.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus snarled, \"Damian, what is wrong with you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian wiped a tear from his eye, struggling to compose himself. \"Marcellus... you idiot. You’ve got morning sickness!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline blinked, completely baffled. \"Morning sickness? *I’m* the one who’s pregnant. Why is *he* throwing up?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s called Couvade syndrome,\" Damian explained, his voice turning mocking yet impressed. \"It’s extremely rare. It happens when a man loves his partner so deeply that he physically manifests her symptoms. He’s feeling everything you’re feeling.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline felt as if she’d been lifted into the clouds, wrapped in a suffocating, warm blanket of pure adoration. A single tear escaped her eye.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Marcellus...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus reached up, gently wiping the moisture from her cheek. \"It’s alright. Don’t cry.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Watching the two of them, Damian shook his head. \"I'm leaving. Being the third wheel in this medical room is giving me an ulcer.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus barely heard him. He looked down at Evangeline's stomach, then at his own, a strange, proud smile touching his lips. It wasn't just physical suffering anymore; he was locked in this journey with her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"A different kind of sickness,\" he whispered, pulling her close. \"And I think I can live with it.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272914016]