Ch. 441..450

Chapter 441 Care

Colton didn’t seem angry after hearing Nicole’s words. “That’s not true. You’re the only one I’m interested in. You’re the only one I want to kiss,” he replied. Nicole didn’t know what to say—she simply took a step back before wiping her lips with a disdainful look on her face. “It’s my honor, I guess,” she uttered in an unenthusiastic tone.

“If that made you feel honored, I wouldn’t mind kissing you again,” he said. He was the definition of cocky, and Nicole was rendered speechless by his shameless words once more.

She looked him in the eye. “You shouldn’t be interested in me, President Gardner. I’m a mother of a child. Furthermore, with your status, family background, and good looks, there are probably tons of women lining up for you.”

Colton didn’t seem shy after hearing Nicole’s compliments. Instead, he gave her a lazy gaze. “Are you one of those women in line?”

“No,” she replied firmly. A hint of disappointment surfaced in Colton’s eyes when he heard how she rejected him without hesitation. “That’s a shame,” he muttered.

Nicole didn’t have the patience to talk to him for long, so she distanced herself as she bid him goodbye. “Well, if that’s all, then I’ll head off now, President Colton.” She turned and left immediately after that—she didn’t want to give Colton a chance to stop her.

However, when she stepped out of the door, she heard his voice coming from behind her. “I realized that I really like you, Nicole. Since Hayden’s our child, do you want to consider being with me?” he asked. But Nicole simply acted as if she couldn’t hear him and merely hastened her footsteps. When Colton saw the way Nicole hurried off, he simply spread his lips into a faint smile. It’s fine. We have all the time in the world.

Nicole heaved a sigh of relief after she left Colton’s house. Phew. I can’t believe I visited him only to have to make a fool out of myself! My limbs feel weak whenever I think about what happened just now.

Nevertheless, Nicole was more concerned about Julia’s situation right then. The Zuniga Family was in the way of Julia and Richard’s relationship, so it wouldn’t matter even if Julia and Richard were in love with one another.

After some contemplation, Nicole finally decided to go to Julia’s house. Julia was sitting on the couch with a packet of snacks in her hands. She munched on the snacks while watching TV, and looked extremely comfortable. Nicole entered the house with bags of vegetables; that was because Nicole had the experience of being a pregnant woman, and she knew the right food to get for Julia.

When Julia saw Nicole entering, she lowered her snacks and wiped her lips. The corners of her lips were covered with crumbs. “Hey, Nicole. I’m so tired after sitting around for so long, but I don’t feel like going out on my own,” Julia complained while stretching her limbs.

When Nicole saw the lazy look on the other woman’s face, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Nicole started tidying the room and throwing the trash into the bin as she spoke.

“You should move around more since you’re pregnant, Julia. You’re a doctor, so you should know better. Your child will not benefit from all these snacks you’re eating.”

Julia lowered her gaze as a somewhat dejected look surfaced in her eyes. She took a while to gather her emotions before speaking. “I don’t know how to cook—you know that.

I don’t have a choice but to eat these things.” In the past, when Richard was still with her, he would be the one who cooked. She wasn’t used to living alone.

Nicole couldn’t help but let out a sigh at the sight of how messy Julia’s living conditions were. “How about this, Julia? You can stay at my place, and it’ll be easier for me to take care of you,” Nicole suggested in the end.

Julia shook her head. “No. It’s going to be a hassle for you.” Nicole was about to respond when Julia continued speaking. “I can’t allow the Jenkins or the Gardners to see me like this, Nicole. If they see me, they’ll figure out what’s going on. So, it’s best for me to stay in a place where they can’t find me.”

Chapter 442 I Can’t Help

Nicole understood what Julia meant. Now that Richard and Christi were dating, the Zuniga Family wouldn’t tolerate Julia’s presence if they found out about the child in Julia’s belly. Julia had placed all of her hopes on her child, so taking her child away would be equivalent to ending her life.

“Why don’t I get the lady in my house to care for you? Ms. Alicia is a helper Zachary brought home from his time overseas. Her lips are sealed, and she wouldn’t expose anything,” Nicole suggested.

Nicole felt like Julia needed someone to care for her. “What about Hayden?” Julia asked.

“You don’t have to worry about Hayden. He can care for himself, and I’m at home most of the time. So it’s not an issue,” Nicole replied with a laugh.

When Nicole saw the hesitant look on Julia’s face, she continued speaking. “Furthermore, judging by the sight of you, it seems you’re not going to survive alone for much longer if no one cares for you.”

Julia was silent for a while. Nicole’s right. If I don’t get someone to care for me now, I’m afraid my baby’s health will be at risk.

“Okay. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you then, Nicole.” Julia finally agreed in the end. Nicole beamed and rested her arms on Julie’s shoulders. “It’s no trouble at all. I’ll get Ms. Alicia to come over and help with your daily chores,” Nicole offered. Julia nodded in response.

After that, Nicole headed home and explained the situation to Alicia before getting Alicia to pack up and move to Julia’s place. After discovering that Hayden was the famous hacker, Nick, Nicole no longer felt like she had to worry about her son.

When Hayden heard about Richard dumping Julia, he was so furious that he nearly went over to crash the Jenkins’ place. Fortunately, Nicole stopped him before he could do anything. “This wasn’t Richard’s fault, Hayden. The Jenkins simply can’t afford to mess with the Zuniga Family.”

When Hayden heard about Durobrivae’s Zuniga Family, the look on his face turned helpless and discouraged. He tapped his fingers on the keyboard for a while and researched before speaking.

“If we’re dealing with the Zuniga Family, I don’t have a lot of confidence in defeating them,” Hayden remarked. If they wanted to get revenge, Hayden could do some damage to the Zuniga Family’s finances.

However, if they did such a thing, it’d be equivalent to waging war with the whole of Durobrivae. Even though Hayden was confident with his hacking skills, he was still rather worried.

Nicole reached her hand out to ruffle Hayden’s hair. “It’s fine, Hayden. It’s great that you want to do something, but even Julia herself has given up on this. So, we shouldn’t worry about this,” she said.

Even though Hayden was still young, he had a nasty temper. He widened his round eyes and let out a scoff. The Zunigas are only scary because of their power!” he declared in a prideful tone.

With a bitter smile on her face, Nicole patted Hayden on his head. “We can’t do anything even if they use their power against us,” Nicole resignedly said. “But Miss Julia…” Hayden’s eyes were filled with disappointment. He had always thought that he had everything under control, but he felt utterly helpless in this situation.

“I know,” Nicole replied. “I’ll help with everything that I can, but there’s only so much I can do. Let’s just go with the flow,” Nicole said to comfort him. I don’t have anything that can allow me to win a fight against the Zuniga Family now.

The Zuniga Family has a lot of local sources of power, and they have a business that has been running for hundreds of years. They’re not going to collapse in one night. I might be able to think of some ideas if we were overseas.

Hayden was just as disappointed, but he knew there wasn’t much he could do. Even though the news about Julia and Richard’s relationship wasn’t entirely bad, Julia received good news from the research center.

The second round of clinical trials had been a success, and they were about to go into the third round of experiments. If everything went well, they could probably administer the vaccination shots in two weeks’ time. The success of this vaccination could save tons of citizens’ lives!

Chapter 443 Rainy Day

Nicole didn’t have much to do for a few days—she would either be at Gardner Corporation or Julia’s place. The media companies were fighting to get exclusive information about Richard and Christi’s relationship, especially since Christi was the Zuniga Family’s only daughter.

She was like the princess of the family. The Jenkins Family really struck gold this time! They got themselves affiliated with a mighty family, the reporters thought.

Since the Gardner and Jenkins Families were close, the Gardner would undoubtedly benefit if someone from the Jenkins Family got married to one of the Zunigas. So, Bryan was highly discouraged to hear this news.

If Richard and Christi actually got married, the Zuniga Family was bound to be supportive of the Gardners. With the Zuniga Family’s help, the Gardner Family would definitely surpass the Kohlberg Family.

More importantly, Queenie was nowhere to be found. Previously, Bryan heard that Queenie had attended Benedict’s birthday, but he hadn’t seen her since then. That b*tch! Bryan’s face was red with fury.

Queenie had taken so much of his money, and she had just disappeared after that. She even seemed like she was on the Gardner Family’s side! That ungrateful b*tch! I really made a mistake by caring for someone who doesn’t understand the concept of gratitude.

The weather was rather gloomy outside, and it began to drizzle. Even though it was summertime, the air turned rather chilly after it started raining. Nicole was in her office.

Ann from Gardner Corporation’s partnership with Aimee International had been a success. After Nicole told Joanna off, Joanna was finally acting more decently. She was no longer trying anything that would make Nicole mad.

Since Whitney had gone abroad, Nicole didn’t have anyone around her. So, she suggested that Scarlett be her assistant. Scarlett was tasked to handle some of the minor tasks.

On that rainy day, Nicole rested her chin on her hand while spinning a pen with her other hand. She fixed her gaze on the drops of rain stuck onto the large glass panel on her window.

“These are the options for Ann’s physical store, Miss Nicole. President Gardner told me to show you these.” Scarlett’s voice interrupted Nicole’s thoughts, and Nicole returned to her senses to find many documents in front of her. She lowered her head and glanced through the options that Colton had provided.

All the stores seemed exclusive, and the rental for the places was extremely high. However, considering how massive the Gardner Corporation was, the rental probably wouldn’t make a dent in their accounts.

At Scarlett’s mention of Colton, Nicole couldn’t help but recall how he had teased her while they were at his place. At that thought, Nicole felt herself fuming. She looked at the addresses of the physical stores before throwing her hands up in the air. “I want them all,” she announced.

Scarlett was shocked by Nicole’s words. “W-What?” S-She wants all these stores? There are at least ten options here, and the initial plan was to have five physical stores.

When Nicole saw the troubled look on Scarlett’s face, she decided that she didn’t want to make Scarlett’s life too hard. “You can leave this with me. I’ll speak to President Gardner personally.”

Scarlett nodded before hurrying off without a word. Meanwhile, Nicole stayed in her office for a while more. The rainy weather made her feel rather down.

Ever since her last conversation with Colton, she realized she had been trying to avoid him. She felt like things would get awkward if they bumped into one another.

But at the same time, Nicole believed it would be better if they talked things out. Otherwise, the awkwardness would remain as long as they never revealed their true intentions to each other. So even though Hayden was Colton’s son, the only thing that Nicole felt that night was shame and nothing else.

At that thought, Nicole picked the documents up before heading to Colton’s room. Since their offices were next to each other, it only took Nicole a few seconds to get to him.

Once she got to his office, she saw him working on something. When he saw Nicole, he looked up and gave her a smile. “I thought you were planning to avoid me for the rest of your life, Nicole.”

 

Chapter 444 I’m Pregnant

Nicole pressed her lips together without saying anything. She simply threw the documents she had received on Colton’s table. “I thought about it, and I don’t think five physical stores are enough.

Now that we have Alice as our ambassador and Aimee International is expanding the brand overseas, we should invest more into this. I don’t think it’s too much to have ten physical stores,” she declared.

When Colton saw how formally Nicole acted, he couldn’t help but smirk. “That’s a good point, Nicole. Let’s take all of the stores listed here, then,” he agreed with a nod. He didn’t have anything against Nicole’s idea.

When Nicole saw the smile on Colton’s face, she couldn’t help but feel like she had just thrown a punch against a pile of cotton wool. Her actions didn’t seem to have an impact on him at all.

Since Colton had agreed to her idea, she figured there wasn’t anything else they had to discuss. She was about to leave when she heard Tony’s voice coming from outside the door. “There’s still someone else inside President Colton’s office, Miss Queenie. Now’s not a good time,” Tony said firmly.

“I want to see Colton! I have important matters to talk to him about. You have no right to stop me!” Queenie’s shouts were so loud that even the two people in the room could hear her clearly.

Colton couldn’t help but frown when he heard the woman’s voice. When Nicole opened the door, she wasn’t surprised to see Queenie standing outside.

The moment Queenie saw Nicole, Queenie looked at Nicole as if Nicole was a life buoy being thrown at her while she was in the middle of the ocean. Queenie hastily held onto Nicole’s sleeve while wailing. “Let me go in, Nicole. I have important matters to talk to Colton about.”

When Nicole saw the woman in front of her, she simply frowned in disgust before taking a few steps back and fixing the sleeve that Queenie’s grip had crumpled. On the other hand, Queenie continued protesting and throwing her limbs around.

“Colton. Colton! I have some really important matters to talk to you about. I’ll leave after I’m done and won’t cause any trouble. If you don’t trust me, you can get Nicole to wait here as well,” Queenie cried.

Colton felt his head pounding at the sound of the woman’s voice. He knitted his brows in annoyance as he pressed his fingers against his temples. “Let her in,” he finally said to Tony. Tony only loosened his grip on Queenie after hearing Colton’s orders. The moment Queenie stepped in, she ran excitedly toward Colton’s table.

She fixed her bright gaze directly on the man and looked like she was starstruck. Colton felt disgusted to see the look on her face. “What is it?” he responded flatly.

Nicole had intended to leave directly, but she only managed to take one step before Queenie called out for her. “Since you’re here, you should stay, Nicole. I’m afraid Colton might not trust me otherwise,” Queenie voiced.

Nicole stopped in her spot and raised an eyebrow before gazing at her sister. After Colton’s experience of being drugged by Queenie, he was probably extra vigilant whenever he was around her. Regardless, Nicole simply stood around with her arms crossed. Deep down, she wanted to see what Queenie was trying to do.

Queenie didn’t seem to mind that Nicole was standing at the door—she turned her gaze back to look at Colton lovingly. Then, with a bashful voice, she explained her reason for being there.

“I’m pregnant, Colton.” The room was filled with pin-drop silence after Queenie finished her sentence. Colton wore a grim frown on his face while Nicole looked like she was enjoying a blockbuster movie.

After a long period of silence, Colton finally parted his lips to speak. “Did you just say that you’re pregnant?”

Queenie nodded with a smile. “Yeah. I got pregnant after that time we did it, Colton. I went for a checkup at the hospital, and they said that our child was already more than a month old. So the timing fits perfectly.”

Queenie faked a rather shy expression as she spoke. Nicole knew everything about what had happened with the Gardners previously, so she knew that Queenie had slept with the two guards. Nicole was sure that the child didn’t belong to Colton.

 

Chapter 445 A Substitute

Nicole was curious to see how Colton was going to resolve this matter. Initially, a dangerous look flashed across Colton’s face, but he quickly concealed it before looking up at Queenie. “Are you really pregnant?”

he asked in a deep voice. Queenie was worried that Colton wouldn’t believe her, so she had prepared all hospital records. She pulled them out from her bag as she sincerely spoke to him. “Yeah, Colton. I know I might have made a mistake in the past, but I already have your child in me now. Can you give me a chance?”

In the meantime, Nicole was standing by the corner as she tried her best not to burst out in laughter. She had to pinch herself just to stop herself from laughing.

Colton didn’t look at furious as Nicole would imagine him to be. Instead, he seemed relatively calm—he simply read through the report before gazing at Queenie. “You should get some rest since you’re pregnant,” he said.

Queenie thought she would have to put in more effort to convince the man, but the man surprised her by agreeing with her words without hesitation. For a while. Queenie was too dazed to process the situation. “What do you mean, Colton?” she asked while blinking in confusion.

“My mother made a public announcement about my child previously, so your pregnancy happened at the right time. You should take care of yourself and give birth to the child.” Colton was eerily calm—he didn’t seem angry at all.

Queenie thought that she would be able to gain some sympathy from Colton with the news of her pregnancy, but to her surprise, Colton simply acknowledged her pregnancy. She was so excited that her words were starting to get jumbled up. “C-Colton… Y-You’re acknowledging… the child?” she asked.

Colton’s face remained expressionless as he spoke. “You should head home to pack. I’ll get someone to pick you up and send you to the Gardner Residence tonight.

There will be specialized doctors who will do routine body checkups for you. If you’re really pregnant with my child, I’ll definitely take responsibility for the child.

When Queenie heard that Colton was bringing her back to the Gardner Residence, she was overjoyed. I’m confident that a baby is growing in my belly now, so I don’t care if they want to run tests.

The fetus is too tiny now, so the doctors probably can’t get much from it. Queenie nodded excitedly. “Great. I’ll go home and pack up now. I’ll be waiting for you, Colton.” After finishing her words, Queenie lowered her head and walked out.

Right before Queenie stepped out of the room, she turned to give Nicole a provocative glare. After Queenie left, Nicole beamed in Colton’s direction. “Congratulations, President Gardner. You’re about to be a father!”

Colton’s face darkened when he realized that Nicole was teasing him. He narrowed his eyes and looked away before scoffing. “Do you really think that child belongs to me?”

Nicole laughed. Of course, she knew that the child in Queenie’s belly didn’t belong to Colton. After all, the Gardner Family’s bodyguard was the one who slept with Queenie, so the child had to belong to him.

“Queenie had been drugged previously, and the child should belong to your bodyguard. So why did you act as if the child was yours, then?” Nicole asked.

Colton gave her a grim look. “After the incident, I told my bodyguard to feed her morning-after pills. So he gave her two of those,” Colton explained.

He had even fed Queenie an extra one because he feared something like this might happen. Nicole froze before frowning at his words. “Are you saying that the morning-after pills didn’t work?”

Colton scoffed. “How could it be possible for both pills to fail at their job?”

Nicole lowered her head and thought about it for a while more. “Are you saying that Queenie already had this child before she slept with your bodyguard?” Nicole guessed.

Colton nodded at her words, and he looked highly displeased. I’ve already looked past the fact that Queenie drugged me, but now, she’s even trying to hold me responsible for some random guy’s blood and flesh. What a disgusting woman! I would’ve fallen for her trick if I hadn’t watched my bodyguards feed her the pills.

 

Chapter 446 Back to the Gardner Residence

Nicole stared at the rather unpleasant expression on Colton’s face for a while before she spoke. “Why would she do that? If she gave birth to the child, you would definitely do a DNA test with the child.

Wouldn’t her lies be exposed when the test indicates that the child is not yours?” Nicole was still rather confused. If Queenie had been trying to get pregnant with Colton’s baby that night, then why would she get herself pregnant before that?

Colton’s expression was grim. “What if she didn’t give birth to the child?” he questioned sternly. Nicole froze—she hadn’t thought of this. So, Queenie is trying to use this child to win Colton’s sympathy?

If Colton had really been drugged and Queenie was really pregnant with his child, her plan might work. I can’t believe she’s such a manipulative woman.

“What are you planning to do, then?” Nicole looked at the man before her eyes.

Colton curled his lips into an icy smirk. He had already given Queenie a chance, but she didn’t know how to appreciate it. She’s the one who’s asking for it now.

She used that one night with Nicole to create a lie that lasted for five years, and she even drugged me after that. Now, she’s using another man’s kid to hold me responsible. I would be putting her efforts to waste if I didn’t do something in return!

“I’ll fulfill her wishes. She wants to marry me, right? So I’ll let things go her way,” Colton said icily. Nicole was stunned by his words. He knows that the child isn’t his, yet he still wants to get married to her.

Is there something wrong with his brain? She took a long look at Colton without saying much. “It’s your decision,” she muttered before turning around and leaving.

After Queenie left Gardner Corporation, she hurried back to her place. Her heart was still racing after all that had happened. Finally, Colton said that he’d bring me back to Gardner Residence! After being with him for five years, he never suggested that I go to the Gardner Residence.

But now that I have his child in me, he’s letting me stay there. Things really do change when a woman bears the child of a man. I would’ve done it years ago if I knew how good this tactic was. Maybe I’d already be Mrs. Gardner by now! I’d have babies with Colton!

Well, it’s a shame that this kid in me will never get to see the world. But it’s okay—as long as I find a way to fake a miscarriage, Colton will feel guilty toward me, and I’ll just take that chance to sleep with him and get pregnant again.

After Queenie got home, she told Lydia about everything that had happened before packing her clothes in preparation to move to Gardner Residence. William was elated after hearing about this news.

The Anderson Family had a few unpaid debts, so William had been hiding around at home for a while. If Queenie actually got pregnant with Colton’s child, William would finally be relieved of his debts!

“You’re my beloved daughter indeed, Queenie. You must gain full control over Colton so that we Andersons can live a good life, alright?” A wide grin surfaced on William’s wrinkled face.

He didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the method Queenie used. After all, nothing mattered as long as he got to enjoy the life of a wealthy person.

Queenie wasn’t very close to William. She knew what he was like as a person and always thought he didn’t deserve to be her father. So, she simply ignored his words before turning to beam at Lydia.

“Why don’t you come to pack my clothes with me, Mom? Colton said that he’d send someone over to pick me up tonight. I’ll have to dress up for this,” she said anxiously.

Lydia nodded as she led Queenie upstairs. “Sure, Queenie. Let’s go pack some stuff.” Both mother and daughter chit-chatted with each other as they headed upstairs.

Chapter 447 Moving In

Once they got to the room, Lydia wiped the smile off her face. She knew that the child in Queenie’s tummy didn’t belong to Colton. Colton’s such an intelligent guy; I’m afraid that… “Did Colton really believe you, Queenie?” Lydia was still rather worried. She knew that they’d be dead meat if Colton found out about this.

When Queenie saw the worried look on Lydia’s face, she figured that Lydia was just overthinking the situation. “I gave Colton a powerful drug, Mom.

He couldn’t have found someone to give him an antidote in that situation. Even though I was also drugged, I still had a vague memory of me sleeping with someone.”

Lydia still felt rather anxious, and she was about to say something when Queenie interrupted her. “Mom, if Colton didn’t sleep with me, he would’ve definitely come over to confront me after that night. But he didn’t do that and just let me go in the end.

Furthermore, when I went to Gardner Corporation to tell him about the news of my pregnancy today, he told me to go to Gardner Residence without any hesitation. This shows that he believes that the child is his,” Queenie said.

After hearing Queenie’s words, Lydia finally felt a little less worried. Maybe I was really overthinking the situation. I should be happy since Queenie finally got herself a spot as Colton’s partner.

Colton’s better than Bryan—he can actually give Queenie a proper status in the family. “Fine. I’ll stop worrying about this. But you should be more cautious, Queenie. You can call me if you need anything,” Lydia offered.

Queenie nodded and smiled at her mother. “Don’t worry, Mom. If I really manage to get married to Colton, we’ll get to enjoy their wealth for the rest of our lives.” Lydia felt her heart pumping with joy.

She could already imagine what Queenie and Colton’s wedding would look like. If this really happens, then I’ll be Colton’s mother-in-law. People are going to call me Madam York in the future. “Alright, alright,” Lydia replied happily.

Colton’s men arrived at the Andersons’ household in the evening. The driver was the same one who often drove Colton around. When Lydia saw the driver, she felt less worried than before.

The fact that Colton sent his driver to pick Queenie up shows that he genuinely cares for her. Lydia held onto Queenie’s hand. “If anything happens, you can always talk to me, Queenie. I’ll always be here to help you,” she said with a sigh.

Queenie nodded. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll leave now.”

The Gardner Family was rather shocked by Queenie’s sudden appearance. Initially, Anna thought that Queenie had invited herself over. On top of that, Queenie had shown up with a bunch of bags, which made her look like she was prepared to move in.

Wendy was the first to protest. “What are you planning to do, Queenie? Are you going to move in to stay with us?”

Queenie gave Wendy a faint smile even though she could tell that Wendy didn’t like her. “Hey, Wendy. Colton’s the one who told me to move in because he said that it’d be easier to take care of me.”

When Wendy heard that Colton was the one who got Queenie to move in, she couldn’t believe her ears. “That’s impossible. My brother would probably have to lose his mind for him to get you to move in. If you take one step further, I’m going to get someone to chase you out,” she uttered with a frown.

Despite Wendy’s harsh attitude, Queenie didn’t lose her temper. Instead, she simply put on a pitiful expression as she stood in her spot. In the end, it was Anna who stepped forward to resolve the situation.

“Why don’t we wait for Colton to come home and see what he says?” Then, Anna got Queenie to take a seat on the couch, where they waited for Colton to return home.

The moment Colton stepped into the house, he heard Wendy’s protests. “This woman insists that you told her to move in. Is it true, Colton?”

 

Chapter 448 She’s Pregnant

Wendy’s discontent made Colton smile as he nodded lightly; as expected, she was highly upset. “Yep, I asked Queenie to come live with us.”

Her face crumbled in disbelief. With that, she sprung to her feet and started bombarding him with complaints.

“Colton, are you out of your damn mind? How could you bring home such a deceitful woman?”

Her shrieking got on Colton’s nerves, who then glared at her in irritation. “Is this how you talk to your brother? Where are your manners?”

Nevertheless, when Wendy saw how he kept defending Queenie, it angered her even more, but his frigid expression intimidated her. So, all she could do was stomp her feet in frustration.

Eventually, she got so irate that she left and stormed upstairs.

Mrs. Gardner waited until Wendy was gone before she frowned. She looked at Colton in confusion, but she knew her son’s character too well, so she held back her skepticism.

“Ms. Edith, please bring Miss Anderson to the guest room on the second floor.”

Ms. Edith came forward obediently upon receiving orders from Mrs. Gardner and helped Queenie with her stuff.

Quennie initially wanted to stay back and say something, but Colton interrupted her thoughts. “Wait for me upstairs,” he said.

She shrugged off her thoughts and followed Ms. Edith up the stairs.

Once Queenie was completely out of sight, Mrs. Gardner looked at Colton and asked, “Colton, what are you trying to pull off by bringing this woman into our house?”

Queenie had left an awful impression on her. How could she trust someone who had lied to their family for five years?

A woman full of lies would never be likable.

Colton had no intention of hiding anything; he already knew what was on Mrs. Gardner’s mind. “She’s pregnant.”

Those two words stunned Mrs. Gardner for a hot minute before she could gather herself and spluttered, “Is it yours?”

He pursed his lips as he remained quiet.

She went berserk at the thought that the child might be his. So, she grabbed his arms, forcing him to face her as she stared right into his eyes. “I’m not the kind to force you into dating someone within your social class, but I will never allow you to be with someone like Queenie!”

If she were to make a fuss about it, she wouldn’t have had her eyes on Nicole Anderson, who was barely even close to being as wealthy as the Gardners.

To her, one’s character was way more important. After all, the Gardners had a lot of money that was more than enough.

Plus, Mrs. Gardner’s fondness for Hayden made Nicole the perfect daughter-in-law for her.

Colton smiled as he knew exactly what his mom had in mind. Finally, he explained, “Queenie drugged me on Grandpa’s birthday.”

That sentence infuriated Mrs. Gardner further, resulting in her pupils flaring as her whole body quivered with rage. She had never seen such a genteel woman use such filthy means to take advantage of someone.

“This is ridiculous! Even if she really is bearing your child, I will make her abort it. What she did was just sickening!”

Mrs. Gardner’s cheeks were flushed red from her agitation. Colton tried to calm her down upon seeing that. “Mom, calm down!”

Unfortunately, her vision started to fade into black as she clenched her chest, lightheaded from all the anger that caused a lack of blood flow to her brain. As a result, she staggered on her feet, almost falling.

Luckily, Colton was agile enough and grabbed her just in time to prevent her from fainting due to rage.

“How can I not be furious? But, Colton Gardner, are you insane?”

Mrs. Gardner had always been very gentle, but this incident brought forth a rage that she had never felt in a long time.

Colton didn’t want to upset her further, so he decided to come clean to her. “Mom, don’t worry. The child she’s bearing isn’t mine.”

Mrs. Gardner’s tense face relaxed when Colton’s words registered in her mind. Thus, she subsequently sighed in relief before lowering her voice and asking, “So, what are you up to?”

 

Chapter 449 The Checkup

Colton briefly explained what was going on—he told her that Queenie wanted him to be responsible for the baby, so he had to let her stay at the Gardner Residence so she could focus on taking care of the baby in her belly.

After Mrs. Garnder fully understood the whole situation, she suddenly realized something. Hence, she looked up at Colton, asking, “Are you plotting to punish her?”

Colton was not shy about admitting to such a scheme. On the contrary, his eyes were filled with vengeance; he was adamant about getting revenge on that treacherous woman.

“Yes. I would not let Queenie off the hook that easily, especially after drugging me and using such vile means just to get into the Gardner Family.”

Mrs. Gardner felt glad knowing that he was only playing along with Queenie. She slowly sat down, saying, “You should’ve told me about it sooner. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

Mrs. Gardner genuinely thought that her son had taken leave of his senses and that he wanted to date Queenie. She was relieved that it was all just a hoax.

When Colton saw how irritated she was, he immediately soothed, “Alright, I’m sorry, Mom. But please don’t tell Wendy since you know how she can never keep her mouth shut.”

Mrs. Gardner slowly nodded in agreement. She felt much more at ease knowing Colton wasn’t indeed into Queenie.

“That being the case, I’ll let you deal with it alone.”

Colton nodded, satisfied.

He headed upstairs after clearing things up with his mom. Meanwhile, Ms. Edith had already brought Queenie to the guest room.

When he walked in, Ms. Edith was still helping her unpack her stuff.

He glanced at her, saying, “Ms. Edith, I need to talk to Queenie—can you excuse us, please?”

She dropped everything, and she left the two alone in the room without saying a word.

Queenie immediately plastered a gentle face when she saw Colton. She skipped toward him, then gazed at him with innocent eyes, softly saying, “Colton, you’re here! I was going to unpack on my own, but being pregnant just makes things harder than they should be, so—”

She kept hinting about herself being pregnant as she spoke. This annoyed Colton, so he cut her off mid-sentence.

“It’s fine. I’ll get the doctor to come and give you a checkup. In the meantime, get some rest.”

Queenie nodded as she happily rubbed her belly, bashfully answering, “Okay.”

Colton glanced at her with distaste as he continued coldly, “If you need anything, just call Ms. Edith. It would be troublesome for you to go out since you’re pregnant. You might put yourself at risk of miscarriage if anything does happen.”

The word ‘miscarriage’ made Queenie’s face pale, but she quickly recovered and meekly responded to him, “Alright, I understand. I will take good care of our baby.”

Colton had nothing more to say, so he turned and left the room.

The next day, a group of doctors came in early in the morning to give Queenie a prenatal checkup. She was also very cooperative throughout the checkup.

The doctors discovered that the fetus was conceived during the night of Mr. Benedict’s birthday banquet. Colton was silent upon hearing the result. Then, he requested the doctors to prescribe anti-abortifacient pills for Queenie. He and the doctors then left her alone so that she could rest and take care of her baby.

Only after the doctors left did Queenie feel much more relieved; she was so scared that the doctors would learn that the baby was actually conceived a few days before Mr. Benedict’s birthday banquet. That was a close call, she thought.

Colton escorted the doctors out of the house. Just after they stepped out of the house, he asked the doctor, “So, roughly when was the baby conceived?”

“According to the report, the child was conceived around a month and two weeks ago. It is also possible that it was conceived during the time that you mentioned, that is, if you can confirm it. If not, then based on the reports, it might be way before that.”

The doctor spoke very carefully, as the man whom he was speaking to was the current man of power of the Gardner Family; he was not one to mess around with.

Colton’s expression didn’t change much upon hearing what the doctor said. Instead, in a low voice, he said,

“Alright, I understand. And remember, do not tell anyone else about this.”

Chapter 450 Take Good Care of the Baby

The doctor broke into a cold sweat upon hearing Colton’s instructions. Accordingly, he hurriedly answered, “Yes, of course, I understand. So, rest assured, President Gardner. I will not let a single word slip.”

Satisfied with the doctor’s assurance, Colton turned and left.

Queenie lay on the bed and looked completely relaxed, knowing that the doctor somehow confirmed that the baby in her belly was from that night with Colton.

Queenie blushed profusely when she thought about that night. Colton went really rough on her that night to the point where her body became weak and sore the next day.

After Colton had sent the doctor away, he suddenly recalled something. That night, after Queenie left, she also went over to the Kohlberg Residence. Bryan Kohlberg is a lustful man. I bet something definitely happened between the two of them, he thought.

Or perhaps she’s pregnant with Bryan’s child.

If that’s the case, things will get pretty interesting. Bryan’s mother is not just a typical tiger mom. She is one formidable woman. Queenie would definitely suffer under her watch.

It looks like I need to take extra care of that baby inside Queenie’s belly, Colton thought.

When Colton showed up at Queenie’s room, she was still triumphant. Therefore, she wasted no time in playing up her gentle persona as soon as she saw him enter the room.

She shyly sneaked a glance at him as she softly called him, “Colton, you’re here.”

Colton’s face gave her a rare smile as he glanced at Queenie warmly and said, “Rest well. The Gardners will treat you well if the baby arrives safely and soundly.”

Queenie knew that she couldn’t have this baby, but she couldn’t help but fall for his tender charm. Thus, she agreed to his words lightly.

“Okay, I’ll make sure to take good care of our baby.”

Colton had nothing else to say, so he left the room.

Queenie watched as he walked away, rubbing her belly. Suddenly, she moved her gaze down at her belly and maliciously berated it, “Why can’t you just wait until the night with Colton to be conceived?”

The more she thought about it, the tighter she gripped her belly. Colton had never treated her so nicely; he only did so because of the baby in her belly.

She really wanted things to stay this way, but she knew full well that the baby was not Colton’s, and all of this would soon end.

News about Queenie being pregnant with Colton’s baby spread like wildfire; nobody knew who the culprit of spreading the rumor was.

During Wendy’s birthday banquet, Mrs. Gardner announced that the family had a child. This happened to coincide with Quennie’s recent pregnancy. Everyone assumed that the child Mrs. Gardner mentioned was the one Quennie was pregnant with.

Still, a few months ago, Colton made a statement announcing that he had terminated Queenie’s status as his fiancée. It would be an understatement to say that everyone was perplexed about what was happening.

Currently, there was no news from the Gardners themselves. All there was that Queenie was pregnant and had moved in with the Gardners.

Bryan was livid upon hearing the news. Then, in a rage, he slammed his table so hard it echoed throughout the room.

“That deceitful two-faced mole! She said she was on my side, but now look at whose side she’s running off to.”

The butler tried to calm the enraged Bryan down.

“Mr. Kohlberg, there’s a rumor that Queenie conceived the child about a month ago.”

Bryan froze upon hearing what his butler had just told him. Finally, he recalled that Queenie was, in fact, with him about a month ago. This meant that Queenie was probably pregnant with his child.

His brow furrowed as he tried to process everything. “So, you’re saying that she could be bearing my child?”

The butler nodded, but he wasn’t too certain about his suspicions.

“I’m only guessing based on the timelines. If it were your child…”