Chapter 4

Liam didn’t return for several days.

Annie waited until eight that night.

She laid out a table of my favorite dishes. I licked my lips out of habit.

For all that we barely talked, Liam and I shared one area of shocking harmony: food.

After a few bites of vegetables and a piece of meat, Annie set her bowl down.

She policed her figure ruthlessly. What she ate in a whole day barely matched one of my meals.

Not only did she dictate cooking methods, she never allowed herself to eat after six in the evening.

Grandma Miller always said a good appetite is a blessing. I never shorted myself.

Aunt Zara’s Chicken’ was legendary. My mouth watered at a glance. Pity Annie had no luck with food.

Liam paused and looked at her. “Don’t like the dishes?”

Annie smiled serenely. “My appetite’s been poor lately.”

Liam watched her for a long beat. “The butler said that while I was abroad, your appetite was better than ever. I come back and suddenly you can’t eat?”

Annie saw his face and shook her head quickly. “I really haven’t had much appetite these days. Maybe I got overheated.”

Liam lowered his gaze. After a moment he said, “Dizzy, no appetite—let me take you for a checkup tomorrow.”

Annie wanted to refuse, but finally smiled and agreed.

I knew as long as it wasn’t a visit to the plastic‑surgery department, she wouldn’t be afraid.

After all, only three people knew I was gone.

Yun Ting Group owns its own hospital. To save money, I used to go there whenever I got sick—and put it on Liam’s tab.

Liam accompanying Annie for tests almost made my jaw hit the floor.

The hospital director handed over the report. “Mr. Grant, this is a full work‑up. Mrs. Grant is in excellent health.”

“I remember when she first came two years ago, she was deficient in several vitamins. This time we didn’t find anything lacking. Looks like she’s been taking her supplements on schedule.”

Back then, when I first married in, I was in and out of the hospital every other day. The director suggested a full exam.

It turned out I was malnourished, so they gave me a small pharmacy’s worth of tonics.

But medicine is three parts poison. After six months, once I felt better, I stopped.

Whether those tonics worked, who knows. They were examining the body of Annie Lee, princess of a gilded childhood.

Liam flipped through the report—and stopped halfway.

I drifted closer to peek. He quickly turned the page.

After he finished, he asked, “Aren’t those symptoms also common in pregnancy?”

I nearly choked on my own ghostly spit. Even if he wasn’t suspecting me, he knew I took emergency contraception after every time.

Plus, my body had been weak since kid—what baby could I possibly carry?

The director shook his head. “It’s been hot lately. Lots of patients are overheated. I prescribed some herbal remedy—she’ll be fine after a box.”

Liam dropped his gaze to the papers and said nothing.