Chapter 8: His Suspicion

"What's going on?" His voice was cold, his gaze landing pointedly on her abdomen.

Grayson was always wise and skeptical.

Madison knew he must be suspecting something. With her head lowered, she explained, "I haven't eaten all day. My stomach is just a bit upset."

His expression, still unreadable, Grayson cupped the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him, "Is it really just an upset stomach?"

Madison met his gaze without flinching. "Yes, Ethan and I had a rough day, and I just wasn't in the mood to eat. My stomach was already off, and I might've had too much soup too fast."

He held her gaze for a long moment and then nodded, somewhat doubtful. "Get it checked out tomorrow."

Madison's fingers clenched tight. "Okay." Her lips pursed. "Do you suspect I'm pregnant?"

Grayson walked to the window and lit a cigarette, taking a drag before he spoke. "It's always good to be cautious, Madison. We wouldn't want any accidents, would we?"

Madison's smile tightened, and after a few seconds of silence, she agreed, "You're right, Grayson."

She forced a laugh, feigning casual curiosity. "Do you particularly dislike kids?"

He glanced at her, his eyes heavy. "Isn't that a bit too many questions, Madison?"

Madison felt her face stiffen, realizing she had probably annoyed him again.

Grayson never liked her prying into his affairs. He never allowed her to delve into his privacy. Whenever it was about his personal life, he drew a line she was not to cross.

To him, she was always an outsider, especially when the topics of kids or emotions came up.

A bitter taste lingered in Madison's heart. She took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, repeating the process several times until she felt slightly better.

Grayson turned and walked into the bedroom.

Soon after, he emerged, looking sharp and ready to go.

"Going out?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Will you be back?"

"Nope."

He left without another word.

Back on the bed, Madison's phone chimed.

She picked it up to see a new notification for a bank transfer. One million dollars had been deposited into her account.

She let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Right, in a relationship paid for with money, she had no right to talk about feelings or children.

Staring at the text message on her phone for a while, she forwarded the money to Ethan.

Then, she dialed Amelia's number.

"How's it going? Made up your mind?" Amelia asked when she answered the call.

"Not yet. It's not that easy to decide. This could be my only child."

Amelia clicked her tongue. "Maybe you should keep it. I always say a woman's life feels incomplete without experiencing motherhood."

Madison chuckled. "That's why it's even harder to decide."

"Madison, who is that guy anyway?" Amelia suddenly got nosy. "Do I know him?"

"Probably."

"Oh my God, I actually know this jerk?" Amelia exclaimed.

Madison was amused. "Haven't you met enough jerks? Like those guys bringing their girlfriends or wives to get abortions. Are any of them not jerks?"

"True that." Amelia sighed in frustration. "That's why I say, stay away from men, or you'll end up unhappy."

After bantering with her for a bit, Madison finally got to the point. "Amelia, I need a favor."

"What's up?"

"He suspects I'm pregnant. His secretary will take me for a check-up tomorrow. Could you help me with a fake pregnancy test report?"

Suddenly, Amelia went silent.

"Amelia?" Madison frowned and called out.

"Is it Grayson's?" Amelia blurted out.

Madison, caught off guard by her guess, had nothing to hide from Amelia and admitted, "Yes, it's Grayson's."

"Holy shit, it's actually him! Did he try to pull some shady moves on you? Dude looks like Mr. Goody-two-shoes on the outside, but he's all about playing dirty games!"

Madison was left reeling from Amelia's barrage of curse-laden questions.

It took her a moment to respond with a bitter laugh. "No, it wasn't anything like that."

Amelia slammed on the brakes of her assumptions, "So, what? You climbed into his bed willingly?"

Taking a deep breath, Madison confessed, "He's been taking care of me for the past three years."

Amelia fell silent.

"Kind of shatters your view of me, huh?"

Madison had always been seen as the perfect, straight-A student. Amelia's first thought was that Grayson had coerced her. But the truth was quite different.

"Hey, what's the big deal? It's a fair exchange. If I had your looks, I'd let some rich guy take care of me, too. Sleeping on his cash instead of a mattress? Sweet deal!" Amelia quipped before pausing, "The only no-no would be bringing a kid into the picture."

Madison's smile gradually faded.

Yes, a child should never have been part of their equation. With no child, Madison could manage her relationship with Grayson with less worry. The choice of staying together or splitting up would have been simpler.

However, the child happened without warning.

Amelia was also concerned.

If Grayson were just an average Joe, Madison could easily lock him down into marriage with her charm. But Grayson stood at the apex of the social pyramid. He was beyond the reach of mere mortals.

"So, what's your plan? Keep it under wraps for now. If it comes down to it, find somewhere to have the baby. What's he going to do? Shove it back in?"

Madison chuckled. "He can't put it back, but he won't make it easy for me or the child, either."

"Do you really have to take 'care' of it? If you do, you better make the decision fast. The longer you wait, the worse it is for your health."

She laid back on her bed, her hand resting gently on her abdomen.

"I'll make a decision soon."

After hanging up the phone, Madison fell into a deep sleep.

...

Meanwhile, Ethan walked out of the hospital, grinning ear to ear after receiving the payment.

But as soon as he stepped outside, a sack was thrown over his head. He was shoved into a car shortly after.

The drive felt endless before the car finally stopped. Several men pulled him out of the car and began to beat him mercilessly.

Grayson sat in the car, casually smoking a cigarette, watching the scene unfold with an impassive gaze. Only when the man in the sack went still did he exit the vehicle.

Someone nearby tore open the burlap sack. Ethan's hands were yanked free. Grayson stepped on them immediately. He was crushing them with brutal force.

A scream of agony pierced the night.