The CEO'S Sugar Baby

Chapter4

4

Janet's POV

“Nothing. Must be something in my breakfast,” I gasp out, trying to keep myself steady on my knees.

Ruth helped me stand and led me to a nearby seat. After almost a minute, the room finally stopped spinning.

“Are you alright now? Do you feel better?” Ruth asked.

I nodded.

“Good! Now, tell me what's wrong. And don't try to tell me you're alright because you clearly aren't, both emotionally and health wise.”

Janet's determined tone told me she wasn't taking no for an answer. My mind spun quickly as I thought of what to do.

“Why don't you draw my blood for a proper test? Then we'll both know what's wrong with me,” I said, hoping to buy some time to process the fact that I was pregnant for Drake Hoffman and its implications.

Before Ruth could respond, the door opened and a nurse walked into the room.

“Miss Smith? You're needed at the front desk right now.” she said.

Relieved at not having to answer Ruth's questions, I hurriedly followed the nurse out of the ICU room.

I stopped short as we walked into the reception area. There was a man standing at the desk, facing the hall through which I just came.

One look at him and it was immediately obvious he's a well trained guard for some big shot. But that wasn't what stopped me cold on my tracks.

It's just that…the guard looked oddly familiar.

“Miss Smith?”

I almost yelped. I hadn't realized there was another guard behind me. When did he get there?

“This way, please,”

The two guards led me to a domineering-looking van parked right beside my car, where another guard was waiting.

“Woah. Whoever this is wasn't taking any chances,” I muttered under my breath.

I was suddenly intrigued. Who wanted to meet me so bad? Though I was popular, I didn't have a good relationship with any big shot.

When I got into the van and saw who it was, my body turned cold.

Drake's grandfather and his mother.

Two domineering individuals that both always fought for a claim over Drake's success. They never saw eye to eye. Last time I saw both was at the dinner two years ago when Drake introduced me as his girlfriend.

Then, they hadn't even agreed to sit on the same side of the table. The only thing they ever agreed on was their disdain for me, and that I wasn't worthy of Drake.

The fact that they're in the same van at the moment made me uneasy, especially considering the recent news.

The seconds stretched into minutes as I stood just at the door, and I decided uneasy was a huge understatement.

They weren't even looking at me, as though I was not worthy of their attention.

Just when I was about to go against my better judgment and be the first to speak, one of the guards in the van finally stepped out and offered me a slim envelope.

I hesitated.

“Take it!” the command in the voice was indisputable, one I would rather not flaunt.

I took the envelope. I had an idea what was inside. It was a possibility I had considered from the second I walked out of that dinner.

“Your relationship with my son has gone on long enough,” the grandfather said, his tone cold. But the scoff underneath was unmistakable.

“I'm sure you must have seen the news. I think it's time to end it, don't you think?” he asked.

I had imagined the scenario countless times after the dinner. If his mother offered me money to leave her son, would I? My answer then would be a no, of course.

Three months ago, my no would have been even more resolute. Why would I leave Drake when our relationship was just finally starting to move in the right direction?

I thought of Drake kissing me in the hotel room. It wasn't an exactly romantic setting, seeing as we were both in suits and sweaty from trying to please Mr Greene's incredibly high standards. But the electricity in the air had been undeniable.

And the passion and affection in Drake's eyes even more so.

Who knew he would get engaged to another woman within just three months? These three months, I had been patiently waiting for him to finish his round of business conferences around the world so we can discuss the next step of our relationship.

And what did I get in return? A f*****g engagement to another woman! It was little comfort to know it might just be a business move. Not with the way Drake was looking at Tristan Greene in the picture I saw.

Because it made me wonder if he had been faking it too when he looked at me that way. If he had just been pretending.

“He asked you a question!” Drake's mother's angry voice snapped me out of my self derision.

She was glaring at me, fury in her eyes. “Don't you think it's time to end the fake relationship?” she asked.

My eyes widened in shock. Fake? How did she know it was a contract relationship?

“You're wondering how I knew?” the mother asked. There was a sneer in her voice, one that clearly told me what she thought of me.

“Let me tell you a little secret, young lady. I raised Drake from childhood to the adult he is now. He never does things without a motive. He got into a relationship with you just to spite me.”

The words were like thunderclap to my ears. Has Drake just been using me? But that wasn't possible. Getting into the relationship had been a matter of necessity.

After an accidental one night stand that somehow got leaked to the press, Drake had to announce that we were actually in a relationship to protect his reputation.

How could it be that it was just to spite his mother? Unless…

“Yes,” the woman responded as though reading my thoughts. “It was all arranged. The one night stand wasn't spontaneous.”

My knees suddenly felt weak. All these time, I had been living under the illusion that Drake had just been barely keeping himself from me. That the excitement from winning over Mr Greene had broken down his guard, exposing the feelings he had hidden deep within.

And it turned out even that was staged?

I felt as though my whole life this past two years had been a lie.

A deep sadness welled up inside me, mixed with a sense of embarrassment and foolishness. I had given myself to him, body and soul, thinking that our connection was real. But it was all a lie, a cleverly crafted performance to spite his mother.

My knees buckled, and I collapsed on my knees, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. I couldn't catch my breath, couldn't think straight. The van spun around me, and I felt like I was drowning in a sea of deception.

How could he do this to me? How could he be so heartless and cruel? The questions swirled in my mind, but I knew I'd never get the answers. Drake had already shown me his true colors, and I was just a fool for not seeing them sooner.

A low chuckle made me look up. There was mockery in their eyes as they looked down at me.

For a moment, I stared at them as I desperately tried to see any sign they were lying on their face. I saw only mockery and contempt and disdain.

“Add another half billion,” the grandfather said suddenly.

The guard pried the envelope from my numb fingers. A short moment later, it was returned. I collected the envelope numbly, too shocked by the revelation to resist.

“Knowing my son, he would probably ask you to return all he's spent on your mother. There's enough there to do that and set you up nicely,” the mother said.

I wanted to ask how she knew about my mother. But I realized that if she knew about the contract relationship, she must know about the terms of the contract too.

I swallowed my words.

“Return to college, get a proper degree. Or set up a business. Or buy your way into the modeling industry –” at this, she surveyed me up and down in a manner that made it clear what she thought of my prospects.

“Just stay away from my son!” The frostiness in her voice was enough to freeze all seven oceans.

She was glaring at me now, the hate in her voice undisguised.

“If I discover you're still leeching off him, I will let the media know that you're exactly what they think you are. A gold digger!”