No Love, Only Contract

Chapter 5 I'm Pregnant

Jackson couldn't help but click his tongue. "I don't know whether to say you're considerate or inconsiderate."

'Miss Bennett is beautiful, graceful, with an outstanding figure and a striking face—every angle of her was a picture of breathtaking beauty. It is a shame, though, that she is with Ethan, a man without a heart.'

Jackson had known Ethan for many years, and he understood him well.

He had never seen Ethan act with real feelings toward any woman, except for Amelia.

The most dangerous thing about casual affairs was getting emotionally involved.

That was troublesome.

Ethan believed that Eleanor wasn't that naive; at least, she had been quite clever over the past half-year.

She didn't ask questions she shouldn't, and she never did anything she shouldn't. Eleanor understood the big picture and acted with propriety.

Jackson was a bit curious whether Ethan would really get upset.

A little while later, Jackson walked over with a wine glass in hand. He noticed that Eleanor's face looked particularly pale.

Eleanor had heard everything, but she could only pretend to be deaf and mute.

The pain in her heart felt almost numb now.

Jackson was quite a gentleman. "Miss Bennett, good to see you again."

Eleanor instinctively stepped back two steps. "Mr. Blake."

The closer he got, the more Jackson realized how beautiful she really was. Her features were so delicate, like a painting—three parts alluring, three parts innocent—so stunning that it took his breath away.

He was genuinely moved.

Jackson smiled at her. "Miss Bennett, are you free lately?"

Eleanor took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, I've been quite busy."

Jackson's expression was unreadable as he said meaningfully, " Miss Bennett, always the same."

'Cold, pretending to be aloof.'

Eleanor pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

Jackson really liked her—she was not only beautiful but also had a great figure.

Ethan walked over, hands in his pockets, his face cold and distant. He looked like someone who was uninterested in the situation. With casual indifference, he asked Jackson, "How’s the conversation going?"

Jackson chuckled. "I haven’t even had a chance to speak yet. Mr. Grant, are you that eager?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You’re thinking too much."

Eleanor clenched her palms, using the sharp pain to keep herself awake, pretending to know nothing.

'Becoming someone else’s gossip—it doesn't feel good at all.'

Jackson’s eyes were fixed on Eleanor. No more beating around the bush, he directly asked, "I wonder if Miss Bennett would be interested in joining our Blake Group?"

Eleanor's face stiffened. "Not interested."

Jackson was generous. "Name your price. I trust Mr. Grant's judgment."

Eleanor's face went pale, but on the surface, she kept her composure. She always cared about her pride, about that ridiculous sense of self-esteem, and she intentionally acted like she didn’t care.

She didn’t care about being treated as an object for trade.

She didn’t care about becoming someone’s topic.

She smiled. "Mr. Grant is even more generous. I haven’t earned enough from him yet."

Eleanor rarely spoke like this, and both Ethan and Jackson were taken aback.

From Ethan's expression, Eleanor could tell he didn't like her rebelliousness. His face darkened, and the smile on his lips turned cold.

A few seconds later, Ethan scoffed lightly and casually remarked, "Miss Bennett, you have quite the ambition."

Eleanor’s heart twitched. The continuous, sharp pain felt like a thousand needles pricking her all at once.

She forced a smile. "Yeah."

The waiter, perhaps too nervous, accidentally spilled some wine on her skirt as he passed by.

The wine stain was very noticeable, and it looked terrible.

Just as she was feeling awkward, Ethan suddenly grabbed her wrist and gently stood in front of her. "There’s a lounge upstairs."

Eleanor bit her lip. "But I didn’t bring a change of clothes."

Ethan murmured, "Someone will bring some up."

The guest room on the second floor was very quiet, without anyone to disturb them.

The waiter quickly brought over a clean dress, and Eleanor turned to head to the bathroom to change. However, the zipper on her back got stuck awkwardly.

"Could you help me with the zipper? I can't reach it."

Eleanor had no choice but to ask Ethan, who was waiting outside the door for help.

Ethan didn’t say a word. His fingers were cold as they touched her back, sending a faint chill through her skin.

His breath brushed lightly against the delicate skin behind her ear, making her feel both tingling and unbearably hot.

Ethan helped her with the zipper, then casually brushed a strand of her hair, his eyes scanning her body. He suddenly whispered, "Actually, you don’t have to change."

Eleanor was so close to him that her face immediately turned red, and she didn’t even know how to react.

Ethan suddenly twisted her wrist behind her back, using his knee to force her legs apart, his voice cold as he said, "You’ll be taking it off later anyway."

Eleanor's cheeks flushed.

Ethan was always so casual with her. To him, perhaps she was just someone to satisfy his desires.

Ethan noticed the wine-stained fingers on her hand. He grabbed her hand, saying nothing, his head lowered in concentration as he carefully wiped her fingers clean with a handkerchief.

Eleanor really couldn’t resist the fleeting tenderness he occasionally showed her.

She always longed for just a little bit of his pity and affection.

Not too much, just a little was enough.

Eleanor couldn’t help but recall a summer vacation, just before the last physical education class ended.

She had passed by the window of the international class, and the wind rustled the flowers on the trees outside the teaching building.

The sunlight shone perfectly on Ethan’s side profile.

The boy she loved most, mischievous and childish, had tied his wrist to Amelia's with a ribbon.

The girl was lying on the desk, asleep.

Ethan, resting his head on his hand, looked lazily at her, his beautiful amber eyes filled with radiant joy as he lovingly watched her sleep.

The classroom was noisy, but he gestured for everyone to be quiet, not disturbing Amelia’s nap.

Eleanor's heart ached as she remembered. Ethan wasn’t incapable of loving someone; he just didn’t love her.

But, she and Ethan had known each other first.

Ethan had promised her that he would find her and repay her.

Yet, before she could find him, he had forgotten his promise and forgotten about her.

He fell in love with someone else and gave all of his intense love to someone else.

She never even had the chance to speak.

Eleanor snapped out of her thoughts, falling silent.

When the charity dinner ended, her face was still pale, and her stomach was growling with hunger.

The child in her belly must have quite an appetite.

Eleanor wished she could hurry home; there was a cake in the fridge to fill her stomach.

As she got into the car, she smelled the faint scent of alcohol on Ethan, not too strong, but noticeable.

Ethan was always moderate when it came to drinking. He didn’t need to engage in social pleasantries; after all, it was always others who came to him seeking favors.

Eleanor was in his lap, her face gradually turning red.

Ethan's hand rested on her waist, the warmth of his fingertips seeping through the thin fabric, pressing against her skin.

A cold sensation, mixed with a burning heat.

It seemed like he had become aware of his own desire.

Eleanor instinctively placed a hand over her stomach, silent, tilting her head slightly. After a moment, she couldn't help but remind him, "Mr. Grant, we're in the car."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, nonchalantly replying, "So?"

She wanted to say that he never acted recklessly in the car, but today, he was acting differently. She wasn’t sure what had upset him tonight.

Eleanor lowered her head. "Maybe I’ve just been tired lately. I’m really not interested."

Ethan pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. He couldn’t quite understand the fire that had suddenly ignited in him. "Miss Bennett, I’m the buyer, you’re the seller. I make the decisions."

Eleanor's face turned pale with anger, her voice trembling as she said, "Ethan Grant, would you do this to Amelia?"

Would he treat Amelia like a toy, handling her casually?

A few seconds later, Ethan chuckled softly, caressing her face. His eyes softened, his tone gentle. "Miss Bennett, how do you compare to Amelia?"

His expression remained as unreadable as ever. After a moment, he casually added, "You’re usually quite smart. What’s going on tonight?"

He always left room in his words, never pushing too far, making sure she didn’t feel too uncomfortable.

Eleanor understood what he meant.

She wasn’t worthy of being compared to Amelia.

Because—she didn’t deserve it.

Eleanor thought to herself that maybe, by rejecting him again and again, she had truly dampened his mood. Later, Ethan instructed the driver to take her back to the villa, but he didn’t go with her.

After taking a shower, Eleanor sat in the living room downstairs, nibbling on a piece of cake that was a little too sweet, but at that moment, it seemed tasteless.

Tears dripped one by one onto the back of her hand.

Maybe it was the pregnancy, but everything seemed to make her extra sensitive.

She didn’t want to cry, but the tears kept coming, as if they had a mind of their own.

Eleanor wiped her tears away, sitting numbly in the living room for a while.

After some time, when her mood had settled a little, she went upstairs. Despite how heavy her eyelids felt, she still tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

A long while passed, but Ethan still hadn’t returned.

Eleanor reached for her phone from beside her pillow, opened w******p, and looked at the pinned message from him. She deleted and rewrote it several times.

Eleanor: Ethan, I’m pregnant.

Her finger hovered above the send button, lightly pressing down.