Chapter 547

The thumping blades of the Rodriguez family's helicopter soon descended upon the secluded villa.

Its roar penetrated the sealed gates, reaching the ears of Ishara, who was entangled with the bodyguard inside. Her head pinned to the sofa, her body contorted, she sensed the danger receding. An icy smile spread across her lips.

"Why are you laughing?" the bodyguard bellowed, outraged.

About to comply with Lawrence's orders, he was startled by the sudden sound of authoritative footsteps approaching from outside.

The butler held an umbrella aloft.

Bob's tall and composed figure disembarked from the helicopter.

Trailing behind him were several security guards from the Rodriguez estate, clad in black and a pale-faced, sobbing Eleanor.

Lawrence stood alone in the curtain of rain, watching them approach.

The cigarette between his fingers burned red and cold, mirroring the chilling gaze he now wore.

Eleanor, desperate and on the verge of making a scene, found herself unable to muster her tears.

She rushed forward, her face streaked with tears. "Ishara, Where are you?

"Mr. Rodriguez, how could you bring my daughter to such a place?

"She's carrying your child. If anything were to happen, I'd never forgive myself.

"What has she possibly done to offend you? She's frail already, and now, with the child, it's all the more dangerous. How could you keep her trapped here?

"Please, I beg you, let her go."

She wept as though shaking through a sieve.

Lawrence watched her theatrics unfazed.

Bob frowned with concern and tried to reassure her, "Mrs. Eleanor, it's just a little spat between the young couple. Now that I'm here, please be assured."

"Lawrence, is Ishara inside?" Bob turned, his gaze piercing.

"Where's the proof she's pregnant?" Lawrence's tone was calm as he barely parted his lips.

Such indifference provoked Eleanor's fingers to clench furiously in frustration.

She immediately retrieved a test result from her bag, looking utterly aggrieved. "Mr. Rodriguez, our Ishara is an innocent individual.

Do you think we would deceive you?"

The corners of Bob's mouth slightly dipped. "Mrs. Eleanor mentioned that Ishara was feeling unwell a few days ago. She went to the hospital for a check-up, and that's when they discovered, quite unexpectedly, that she was pregnant."

The document was handed over, and Lawrence took it.

He looked clearly at the words on it.

His finger harshly swept over the words indicating pregnancy.

This document, identical to the one Winnie had for her blood test, gave him a dramatically different feeling.

His veins nearly bulged out; his lips tightly pressed.

"Mommy." Right on cue, Ishara's cries came from inside.

"Bob, my daughter is in there," Eleanor sobbed and ran forward.

The Rodriguez estate's security headed for the main door, bursting through as per Bob's instruction.

Lawrence watched coldly as they brought Ishara out.

Trembling and with her hair a mess, Ishara's frail body shook like chaff in the wind, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth, her appearance pitiable.

Their eyes met, but there was a hint of relief in hers.

Lawrence captured her gaze, her words echoing in his ears.

"If you hurt me now, you'll regret it immensely."

"You promised me a child," she reminded him. "Do you intend to break that agreement?"

Whether she was really pregnant or faking, it mattered little to her strategy.

She had preemptively targeted Bob, the Rodriguez family's patriarch, as her lifeline.

He let out a cold, mocking chuckle deep in his throat.

Ishara looked at him fearfully, his face, his icy composure upsetting her, and she began to weep pathetically, "Lawrence, don't be angry. My mother couldn't find me and was frantic. It's true, I've lost our child. I only just learned from the doctor's report. I was hesitant to tell you..."

She wiped her tears. Her body looked ready to collapse as if she bore the weight of the world.

"My daughter. My poor, sweet girl," Eleanor sobbed. "You're so delicate, and the pregnancy had me worried sick. Being kept here by Mr. Rodriguez, how could I not be distressed? Mr. Rodriguez, I had no choice but to turn to your father."

Bob rubbed his temples, feeling the headache intensify.

His expression tightened, knowing full well the power of a woman's tears, and he stepped in with a firm stance. "Ishara? You've been frightened enough; there's no need for tears. I'll take you both home. Lawrence is in a bad mood today. He was out of the line. Let me apologize on his behalf."

"Uncle, please, no matter what Lawrence does, I won't hold a grudge. He's the father of the child inside me, and I love him," Ishara expressed her feelings earnestly to Bob.

Lawrence, paying no heed, strode with a determined gait toward the helicopter, seated himself, and turned his head with an icy glare. "Ishara, get on."

His sudden change of tone made Ishara believe he was softening under Bob's pressure.

A flicker of joy appeared in her eyes, but her happiness was short-lived upon hearing Lawrence's word. "We're going to the hospital. I want the doctor to dare and fabricate the truth in front of me."

Ishara stiffened, standing in the drizzle like a soaked rat.

Eleanor was livid but held her tongue. "Bob, what does Lawrence mean by this? Does he think Ishara's pregnancy is a sham?"

Bob cast a glance at his son, taking in the stark, stern lines of his face.

While he had his doubts about Eleanor's sonogram, his immediate concern had been Ishara's whereabouts.

"Ishara, you've got some injuries. We better get on the plane and head over to the hospital," Bob said.

His word was final, and Eleanor cast a covert glance at Ishara.

Exchanging a look with her mother, Ishara sniffled pitifully and boarded the plane.

At Lymington Hospital, Lawrence stood in the corridor, having reached out to Jeremy.

Jeremy rushed over in a frenzy. Winnie left in the dark as Lawrence's words on the phone had been obscure.

Despite the vagueness, Jeremy was visibly shaken and pale-faced as he approached Lawrence. "Mr. Rodriguez, what on earth is going on?"

Lawrence was characteristically tight-lipped.

Bryan quietly filled Jeremy in. "Ishara insists she's pregnant. They've sent her blood to the lab. Mr. Rodriguez want you to oversee the doctor's testing."

Jeremy nodded in agreement.

Bob sat with a commanding presence in the director's office.

A half-hour for tests to run.

Jeremy and the attending doctor approached with the latest test results. Any calm Jeremy had was long gone.

He turned to Ishara and Eleanor, who stood up from the hallway chairs, woefully looking for justice. "Doctor, could you tell Lawrence, is my daughter really pregnant or not?"

Lawrence stood profiled, casually flicking ash off his cigarette.

His gaze shifted to Jeremy.

The doctor confirmed, "After thorough tests, Ishara's HCG levels definitely indicate she's pregnant.

"Early in the pregnancy, considering her last menstruation it's no more than two weeks.

"We did an ultrasound, and there's a tiny gestational sac visible."