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Novel Catalog
Chapter 87
Shawn stood in front of the glass windows, his back turned as he gazed out into the distance. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, but his stance was calm.
“Mr. Wood, your wife is here,” came the housekeeper’s voice from the door.
“Good,” Shawn replied lazily, his voice devoid of any emotion—no joy, no anger.
Gale stepped into the room, her gaze fixed on his back. She hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking.
“I won’t abort the child. I also want my mother to take her medicine,” she said, her voice steady but filled with quiet resolve.
Shawn’s lips twitched into a small, mocking smile. “You want it all, don’t you?”
Gale bit her lip, her mind racing. She thought back to what Shawn had said while he was drunk last night. Would he remember? she wondered.
After a moment of silence, Gale took a deep breath and gathered her courage. “Last night, you asked me what I want. You said, as long as I ask for it and you have it, you’ll give it to me. Well, now I have an answer.”
Shawn turned slightly, his attention now fully on her. He listened intently, waiting.
“Actually, I don’t want anything,” Gale continued, her voice soft yet firm. “I’m willing to stay by your side and endure your torture and humiliation. I just want you to show mercy to my loved ones and let them go.”
Her eyes dropped to her hands, clenched tightly in her lap. “I want to give birth. My baby is inside me, and I don’t want him or her to lose the right to come into this world.”
She paused, swallowing hard before she continued. “I don’t need to raise them. I can send the child away as soon as they’re born and let someone else take care of them. If…”
Gale’s voice faltered, but she steadied herself. “If you want me to have this child for you, then I will. I’ll agree. I’ll sacrifice my life, my future, for the peace of my friends and family.”
Her eyes were glassy, but she didn’t let her emotions show. She wasn’t just sacrificing herself; she was bartering for the only peace she could offer to the people she cared about.
Shawn’s gaze was unwavering as he processed her words. Gale anxiously awaited his response, her heart pounding in her chest.
Then, Shawn’s expression shifted. “Last night?” He turned fully to face her, his eyes cold as he met hers. “I forgot.”
Gale froze, her breath catching in her throat.
“How can you count on what I said when I was drunk?” he sneered. “You’re too naïve, Gale.”
The words hit her like a physical blow. She felt her heart sink. Yes, she had been naïve—naïve enough to believe that Shawn might actually care for her or that his drunken promises had any weight.
Shawn’s lips curled into a cruel smile as he stepped closer to her. “You don’t even think about yourself, do you? You want your life to be some kind of bargaining chip, but think about it—do you think I’ll let you have it?”
Gale struggled to find words. She had thought she could strike some kind of bargain, but Shawn was proving once again how little her wishes mattered to him.
“You really said…” he mocked. “Do you have any evidence? Did you record it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
Gale’s eyes dropped to the floor. She had nothing. He was right. There was nothing left to back up what she’d said. She had been foolish to think she could get anything from him.
“Just take it as if I didn’t say anything just now,” Gale muttered, ashamed of her desperation.
Shawn’s expression darkened as he leaned against his desk. “But someone recorded what you said.”
Her head snapped up in shock. “What?”
Shawn didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he let the silence hang in the air, thick and suffocating, before he finally spoke.
“What did you say when you saw your mother?” he asked, his voice icy.
Gale’s heart dropped. The words she had said to her mother—the lies about being with Sam and defending her father’s innocence—how could those have been recorded? And by whom?
Her mind raced, trying to figure out how this had happened. Was there someone else listening?
Shawn sneered as he saw the change in her expression. “Looks like you said quite a few things.”
“Who recorded it?” Gale demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear.
Shawn raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Why? Do you want revenge?”
“Did you install surveillance in the ward?” Gale’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Shawn straightened up and slowly walked to the sofa, taking his time as he sat down. He reached into his desk drawer, pulling out a small box and opening it.
“The jade bracelet,” he said nonchalantly, holding up the delicate piece of jewelry that gleamed in the light.
Gale’s eyes widened as she recognized it immediately. “That’s right. The jade bracelet that Paula and Susan both want,” she murmured, unable to look away from the precious item in his hand.
Shawn twirled the bracelet in his fingers, admiring its craftsmanship. “It’s a pity to lie in a box like this all the time,” he said, his voice distant as if he were contemplating something far removed from Gale’s concerns.
The light from the windows caught the jade, making it glimmer almost as if mocking her.
Gale clenched her fists, her mind spinning. How was she ever going to escape this?