Chapter 31

A sudden rush of cold air swept through the private room causing Winnie to shiver.

Daniel stood up abruptly, the movement jolting Winnie's attention. As she turned her head, she saw a masked figure who stood tall and cold, his features masked in an alluring mystery. He was a man impeccably dressed in a black suit and a chilling jawline beneath his mask. His deep smoldering eyes, cold as ice, pierced into Winnie.

"Mr. Rodriguez, how did he come here?" Winnie's voice quavered, tinged with fear. She struggled to get up, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. Suddenly, she felt a cold hand helped her up, steadying her. Winnie bit her lip and instinctively sought refuge behind Lawrence.

The man turned and he saw Daniel who was embracing Winnie by the waist. Under the man's icy gaze, Daniel was taken aback. This was clearly just a small-time hoodlum yet his terrifying aura unconsciously made Daniel release his grip from Winnie's waist.

Coming back to his senses, Daniel couldn't help but become furious. "You again, you little punk?!" Before he could even throw a punch, the man struck him ruthlessly, sending Daniel to the ground.

Daniel stood up, his eyes bloodshot. At that instant, two other young men entered through the door. When Daniel spotted Benjamin and Jeremy, he visibly froze. His expression shifted slightly. Benjamin led one of the Four Great Families while Jeremy, though not part of the Four Great Families, was even more ruthless. Jeremy belonged to the DeRoss family, associated with the criminal underworld, and he was the youngest head of the DeRoss family.

The heir of the Martin family and the head of the DeRoss family were both surrounding this masked man, acting as his right-hand man. Daniel grimaced. He started to question the identity of this man. He thought this man was just a hoodlum and nothing else.

Then, the man lifted Winnie in his arms as he deliberately moved toward the exit.

"Stop!" Daniel shouted unwillingly. "Who do you think you are to take her away? She doesn't belong to you!"

The man's eyes, shadowed in darkness, narrowed as a chill emanated toward the woman cradled in his arms. Sneering, he remarked, "You didn't tell him, that you belong to someone?" Winnie lowered her head as if she had done something wrong.

"Who are you, masked man?" Daniel shouted.

Benjamin glanced at Mr Lawrence as he kicked the door and sneered. "A man who doesn't even give you a second look, Daniel. If you dare touch this woman again, your entire Davis family should watch out." Daniel froze in place, struck by the arrogant tone. He wondered about the identity of this man.

A gentle chill lingered in the night. Winnie was carried into the car by the man and he placed her on his lap. The temperature inside the car was freezing, even his embrace offered no warmth. He didn't say a word, but his oppressive presence was overwhelming. Winnie felt embarrassed with her clothes disheveled, wanting to get down.

Her gentle and curved form remained still as the man delivered a harsh slap. "Are you in such a hurry to leave my lap? Is your ex-fiance's lap more comfortable? I didn't know our grievances ran so deep that old flames could still be ignited," he remarked. This seemed to be his demeanor whenever angered.

Winnie covered the place where she had been hit. Feeling embarrassed, she bit her lip and whispered, "Mr Lawrence, please don't be so sarcastic and about earlier... Thank you."

His eyes narrowed, a storm brewing behind them. A sneer appeared as his gaze raked over her pale face. "You think I wanted to hear a thank you?"

He kicked the front seat forcefully, signaling his assistant to turn on the air conditioning. The woman in his arms trembled faintly as his large hand clenched slightly. His dark eyes shifted to her torn shirt, his gaze becoming intense, and he extended his hand.

"What are you doing?" Winnie asked, unsure of the man's intention. His rough fingers touched her delicate skin. Winnie, who had narrowly escaped trouble earlier that night, instinctively pushed his hand away, feeling fearful.

A low, mocking voice above her head murmured, "What am I doing? Am I supposed to make love to a pregnant woman in the car?"

Winnie blushed, feeling humiliated. "Don't say such things."

"You lied to my mother, saying you went out with your best friend?" His tone turned ice-cold.

Winnie's face turned pale. "I didn't want to worry the old woman. I can explain this matter. I wanted a notebook. Indeed, I can't bear the consequences for tonight since you didn't arrive on time, but I really didn't expect Daniel to come up with such a despicable idea." She was pregnant and she did not expect that Daniel would turn out to be so vile.

The man's breath grew colder. "What did I tell you? Can't you remember, Ms. Winnie?"

Winnie lowered her head, her fluttering eyelashes trembling lightly while thinking about his other life. She feigned indifference for a few seconds and said, "I am grateful for your kindness, but certain matters need clarification. Considering our contractual marriage, it's essential to uphold a certain distance. Our personal affairs should remain separate. I don't wish to burden you and similarly, I won't delve into your personal matters."

After she finished speaking, there was silence for a few seconds. Winnie felt the temperature dropping rapidly. The assistant in the front of the car trembled and couldn't help but turn back and whispered, "Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. Rodriguez just finished work and rushed back... He wanted to pick you up but you didn't respond to the messages or answer the calls."

Winnie's eyes widened in surprise. "Bryan," the man said coldly. The assistant dared not say anything anymore.

Winnie raised her head slightly, only to be met with the man's exceptionally cold tone. "Is that clear to you? Now that you know the truth ... get off of me."

Winnie's body stiffened. She immediately climbed down from his lap and tried to hide herself from the gap of the car window. Glancing at Winnie, the man became colder.

After a second, he shouted at the driver, "Close her side window!"

The chilly wind against Winnie's face subsided, her body no longer trembling, and the heater was turned on in the car. She lowered her gaze. He was so angry, but his observations were still meticulous. He was domineering, cold-hearted, yet considerate. It was difficult for a woman to resist a man like him. Winnie could only think that he didn't want her pregnant belly to get cold.

The car stopped at the hospital, and a doctor quickly came over to examine Winnie and confirm that the fetus was fine.

Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief and complained, "Mr. Rodriguez married this woman for the child. If anything happens to the child, Lawrence's temperament might be the death of Winnie."

Jeremy glanced at the slender figure and said, "Is Mr. Rodriguez's sole desire just for a child? I sense a different motive now."

"What?"

"Love," Jeremy replied with interest.

"Nonsense! Mr. Rodriguez has been abstinent for many years. He hasn't even looked at that lady who was next to him all this time," Benjamin insisted.

"That's different. After all, Winnie is his first woman," Jeremy explained devilishly.

"Nonsense." Benjamin remained convinced that Winnie's background was unknown, and that Lawrence only wanted a child, not the child's mother.

"Excuse me, where is Mr. Rodriguez?" Winnie asked as she walked toward the two men.

Observing that she hadn't grasped the situation, Benjamin deliberately scared her, stating, "His mother fainted because of you. Where do you think he could be?" He then pointed in the direction of the ward.

Winnie's face changed slightly, and she immediately walked toward the ward. "Melissa?"

A tall man stood in front of the ward. He had taken off his suit, leaving only a pristine white shirt that made him appear even more noble and cold.

After glancing at her, he looked toward the hospital bed. "My mother fainted because she was worried about the baby. When you didn't return at eight, the servant unintentionally told her of your whereabouts. As a result, she collapsed."

She couldn't believe what had happened and felt guilty after she heard his explanation.