Chapter 2

Calista's POV

As soon as the car parked in the hospital's VIP area, I discreetly pulled my hand out of Archer's grasp.

"Archer," I softened my voice, lacing it with just the right amount of exhaustion, "the head nurse just texted, she still needs your signature for the maternity insurance paperwork on the first floor. Could you go take care of that?"

He didn't suspect a thing, habitually fixing the stray hairs by my ear. "Okay, you head to the clinic first. I'll come up as soon as I sign."

Watching his tall silhouette disappear around the corner, I immediately turned and bolted to my attending doctor's office.

Twenty minutes later, the doctor handed me the printed pages with a smile. "Congratulations, Mrs. Lennox. The fetus is developing perfectly. It's an extremely healthy baby."

"Thank you..." I clutched those two thin sheets of paper tightly, my knuckles turning white.

As long as I hide the report, as long as I don't let Archer see that damn data, the nightmare of my past life won't repeat itself!

I didn't dare stay in the clinic a second longer. Eagerly dropping my head, I tried to flip open the pages to see what lethal secret was hiding inside—

"How's the baby? Got the report? Let me see."

The familiar voice crashed down from above, instantly freezing the blood in my veins. When did he get back?! The paperwork on the first floor shouldn't have been that fast.

"No need to look!" I instinctively stepped back, my voice spiking.

Archer's deep gray eyes narrowed slightly. "Calista, I am the father. Isn't it completely normal for me to look at our baby's ultrasound report?"

"Do you not trust the doctor, or do you not trust me?" I forced down my racing heart, trying to sound like a pouty wife. "The report is just full of medical jargon anyway. There's nothing to see."

"It wasn't easy for us to have this child." He took a step closer, his long fingers reaching toward my stomach. His voice was soft but laced with ice. "Calista, I want to know everything about him. Be good, let me take a look."

"I... I need to go to the restroom!" I swatted his hand away, hunching over and grabbing my stomach. "I might have drank some cold water earlier, my stomach hurts."

Before he could stop me, I pushed open the door and dashed into the exclusive restroom on this floor.

Leaning against the door, panting heavily, I quickly pulled out the crumpled report from my bag. What kind of data could turn a husband who worshipped me into a butcher in a split second?!

Taking a deep breath, I flipped to the first page.

The moment my eyes landed on it, my brain froze—

[Name: Sophia Miller, Age: 34]

This wasn't my report!

Like a madwoman, I threw the door open and sprinted out. Just as I turned the corner, my feet were nailed to the floor.

Archer stood rigidly at the other end of the hallway.

In his hand, he held another report.

Before I could even make a sound, I watched as his eyes scanned the paper, and his pupils constricted. That elegant face twisted inch by inch into the sickening, demonic expression from my past life.

He looked up, his gaze cutting into me like a sharpened blade.

The next second, he stormed over and smashed the report against the wall with a loud bang.

"Abort it! Send her to the operating room immediately—" He clamped onto my arm with bone-crushing force, his eyes dripping blood-red. "Now! Drag this little freak out of her immediately!"

"Why?!" I screamed miserably, desperately trying to pry his iron grip off me. "The doctor said the baby is healthy! Archer, this is our child!"

"Shut up you disgusting slut!"

He roared in a low voice. This man who usually disdained even cursing was now looking at me with such pure hatred that he seemed ready to eat me alive. Ignoring my struggles, he dragged me down the hall toward the operating room like a lifeless corpse.

"Let go of me! Help—"

"Archer! Are you insane? Let her go!"

A deep, authoritative male voice boomed across the battlefield.

I turned my head with tear-blurred eyes—a lean, tall man was marching over, thinly veiled fury on his face. Next to him was my sister-in-law, Freya, in a khaki trench coat.

It was my stepbrother, Sullivan Monroe!

The moment I saw him, it was like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline.

Everyone in the city's high society knew Sullivan, the heir to the Monroe Group, was absolutely obsessed with protecting his sister.

"Sullivan! Help me! He wants to kill my baby!"

Using every ounce of strength I had, I bit hard into Archer's wrist. Using the half-second he loosened his grip from the pain, I threw myself at Sullivan, gripping the hem of his custom suit for dear life.

At that moment, I almost cried tears of joy.

As long as he was here, my baby and I were saved!