Chapter 151: Could I be wrong?

Estela’s hurried footsteps echoed down the deserted hospital corridor. Her fingers gripped her smartphone against her ear so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her normally composed face flushed deep red as she fought back a surge of suffocating anger.

"I will not hear another excuse, Estela! Young Master Caldwell has seen your photograph and he is quite taken with you!" her father’s bellowing voice thundered through the receiver.

"Dad, be reasonable!" Estela hissed, her breathing ragged as she struggled to keep her voice from echoing down the hall. "That man is mentally challenged and a notorious womanizer! Are you seriously going to sell your own daughter for money?!"

"Watch your mouth! Our company is on the verge of bankruptcy! If the Caldwell family does not inject capital by this week, your grandfather’s house and clinic will be seized by the bank!" her father threatened mercilessly. "Come home tonight and play nice. This is the only way out for us!"

Click. The line went dead.

Estela froze. Her chest heaved violently as she fought back a threatening wave of frustrated tears. She leaned her back heavily against the cold corridor wall, squeezing her eyes shut. Fate seemed to be playing a cruel, twisted joke on her. She was a brilliant medical professional, yet she was being treated as a sacrificial lamb for a mentally disabled heir, all to cover her father's mounting debts.

She let out a long, shaky breath, attempting to compose her expression before dragging her feet toward Doctor Hans's office.

Meanwhile, inside Doctor Hans's brightly lit consultation room, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Doctor Hans sat behind his desk, furrowing his brow as he examined the latest ultrasound results. The middle-aged doctor looked at the married couple sitting before him, his gaze shifting between them.

"Mrs. Shireen, are you absolutely certain about this choice?" Doctor Hans asked, his tone laced with caution. "The risks of carrying a fetus with such a high potential for genetic mutation are extremely severe for your own body."

Shireen sat with her back perfectly straight. Her hands tightly gripped the cream-colored dress she wore, but her eyes betrayed not a single ounce of hesitation.

"I am standing by my choice, Doctor Hans," Shireen answered in a clear, absolute voice. She leaned forward slightly. "Besides, you cannot even confirm whether this child has inherited the disease mutation one hundred percent yet, can you? The baby is still too small."

Doctor Hans let out a soft sigh. "Medically speaking, we can only see the shadow of abnormal tissue right now. Absolute certainty can only be obtained once the fetus's vital organs are more fully developed."

"Then I will wait," Shireen decided without a second thought. "I will wait until my pregnancy reaches the five-month mark to truly confirm it. If that time comes and it is proven that this child carries the same genetic disease as Damon... I am ready to face all the consequences."

Hearing his wife's unwavering resolve, Damon, who was seated beside her, slowly turned his head. The ruler of the Lexton empire reached for Shireen's hand, intertwining his large, warm fingers with hers. Damon looked at Shireen with eyes brimming with profound love, pride, and an overwhelming sense of protection.

Receiving such a warm gaze from her husband, the lingering fear in Shireen's chest slowly evaporated. Damon's firm grip seemed to inject her with newfound strength, reminding her that she was not fighting this battle alone.

"Very well, Mrs. Shireen. If that is indeed your and Mr. Damon's decision, I will prepare a high-risk pregnancy protocol for you," Doctor Hans said, setting the ultrasound results down on the desk. "I have also asked Doctor Albert to come here. He will personally monitor your condition moving forward."

After finalizing the discussion regarding Shireen, Doctor Hans opened Damon's medical file. A faint smile graced the older man's face as he reviewed the rows of numbers on the page.

"And as for you, Mr. Damon... this is a small miracle," Doctor Hans said, turning his monitor so they could see. "This morning's lab results show that all your indicators are steadily improving. The disease cells we examined from your blood sample are showing a passive reaction. They have become inactive after you consistently consumed the liquid herbal medicine over the past few weeks."

Damon nodded in satisfaction. "That explains it. I have been feeling much more energized these past few days. The excruciating pain in my spine that usually haunts me every night is practically gone."

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking interrupted their conversation.

"Ah, that must be Doctor Albert," Doctor Hans noted, adjusting his glasses. "Come in!"

The door slowly creaked open. However, instead of the expected middle-aged man, a woman in a crisp white lab coat stepped into the room, holding a medical clipboard.

Shireen’s previously relaxed expression instantly froze. Her eyes widened a fraction, and a deep frown formed on her forehead as she recognized the newcomer.

"Estela...?" Shireen murmured softly, her voice barely a whisper, yet it was enough to make Damon glance at her for a second.

"Good morning, Doctor Hans. Good morning, Mrs. Lexton, Mr. Lexton," Estela greeted them with impeccable politeness and professionalism.

Doctor Hans frowned, peering behind Estela. "You came alone, Estela? Where is Doctor Albert?"

Estela offered a slight nod. "Doctor Albert is currently sorting out permits for his new discovery at the ministry, Doctor. He left a message saying he would join us here as soon as his business is concluded. In the meantime, he asked me to step in and take down the observation notes."

"I see. Very well, come here," Doctor Hans beckoned.

Estela stepped closer. Doctor Hans then began to briefly explain Shireen's high-risk pregnancy and the suspected presence of parasitic cells stemming from Damon's genetic mutation within the fetus.

Hearing the explanation, Estela's eyes widened a fraction. She stared at Shireen's flat stomach in sheer surprise. Mrs. Lexton was pregnant with her second child? And the baby had inherited Damon's disease?

Estela's gaze then shifted to Damon's hand, still firmly holding Shireen's on the woman's lap. Damon's protective demeanor and the tender look he gave his wife were blinding to Estela's eyes. The man known as the most ruthless tyrant in the business world could become so subdued and warm for this one woman alone.

Without warning, a dark, insidious sense of envy crept into the deepest corners of Estela's heart.

'If only...' Estela thought, biting the inside of her lip to fight the tightness in her chest. 'If only I had claimed Damon faster back when I was treating him, I might be the one sitting in that chair right now. I would be Mrs. Lexton. I would live under absolute protection, surrounded by love and luxury, instead of being forced by my own father to marry a mentally challenged man just to pay off those damn debts!'

"Would Doctor Estela mind assisting me?"

Shireen’s clear, slightly icy voice abruptly shattered the silence, pulling Estela harshly back to reality.

Estela gave a small jolt, her reverie instantly broken. She looked at Shireen, who was now staring back at her with a raised eyebrow, seemingly testing her. The title 'Doctor' coming from Shireen's mouth felt like a deliberately drawn boundary line.

"O—of course not, Mrs. Lexton," Estela stammered slightly, hastily forcing a professional smile. "I... I would be more than happy to help the medical team care for you and your baby."

Damon, observing the interaction, chimed in. The man looked at Estela with a faint smile—the polite smile of a grateful patient.

"How have you been feeling with the latest dosage, Damon? Is the medicine working well?" Estela asked, trying to thaw her nervousness by slipping back into her medical mode.

"Perfectly," Damon answered casually. "As I just told Doctor Hans, I have been feeling much more energized lately. If you don't mind, I will need another batch of that herbal mixture today. We have run out of stock at home."

"Understood. I will prepare it in the laboratory right after this," Estela replied, noting it down on her clipboard.

Shireen sat in silence, intensely observing the interaction between her husband and the woman.

Damon was acting completely normal. There were no adoring glances, no excessive gentleness. Her husband was purely speaking like a patient to his healthcare provider. The same went for Estela, who appeared somewhat awkward yet entirely professional—a far cry from the seductive homewrecker Shireen had imagined the night before.

Witnessing the reality unfolding before her eyes, a wave of confusion slowly washed over Shireen's chest.

'Did I misunderstand the situation yesterday?' Shireen thought, squeezing the edge of her dress. 'Estela doesn't look like she's trying to seduce Damon at all. And Damon only cares about his medicine.'

Shireen lowered her head, gently touching her stomach. The bad premonition that had tormented her was slowly replaced by a pang of guilt. 'Perhaps... this pregnancy is causing my hormones to go out of balance. Maybe I am just being overly sensitive and overthinking things, to the point of suspecting the very woman who is actively saving my husband's life.'