Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 166: Chapter 166

When Elara rushed into the hospital, she found Ruby sitting pale-faced on a bench outside the OB-GYN clinic.
Elara was completely out of breath, partly from her cold and partly from running all the way over. She bent over, hands on her hips, gasping for air. "Ruby... Hey. Have you... Have you been seen yet?"
"There are six people ahead of me," Ruby mumbled.
It was the night clinic, so there was only one ob-gyn on duty.
Elara sat down next to her. "Okay. How many pregnancy tests did you take?"
"Two," Ruby whispered.
"Both positive?" Elara asked.
Ruby's face was pale. "Both of them. Elara, I'm so scared. What if I'm really pregnant? What am I gonna do?"
Elara pulled her into a hug. "Hey, breathe. Let's just wait and see what the doctor says. No matter what, I'm here."
"But... If I am," Ruby whispered into her shoulder, "should I keep it?"
"That's a conversation you and Victor need to have," Elara said softly.
"No. I don't want him to know," Ruby insisted, shaking her head.
"I hate to say it, but he probably already does," Elara replied. "Adrian was right there when you called. He heard everything. Knowing Adrian, he's already called Victor. Your phone's about to blow up."
As if on cue, Ruby's phone began to ring. It was an unknown number, but she knew it was Victor. She had blocked Victor's regular number. Her thumb jabbed the decline icon.
A second later, Elara's phone buzzed with a WhatsApp call from Victor. Elara just let it ring, watching the screen until it finally stopped.
Immediately, Elara's screen lit up with a flood of WhatsApp messages. They were all from Victor. It read: [Adrian just told me Ruby might be pregnant?
Is she okay?
Are you guys at the hospital?
Make her pick up.
Please. Tell her I'm begging.]
Elara didn't reply. After sitting there for like half an hour, it was finally Ruby's turn. Elara went into the exam room right alongside her.
"I took two pregnancy tests and they both came back positive. So, I'm here to find out if... if it's real," Ruby said to the female doctor.
The female doctor listened and then typed a few things into her computer. "The pregnancy tests are pretty accurate these days. But protocol requires a blood test to confirm. You'll have to wait for the lab report."
"Okay, thank you," Ruby replied.
"You'll pay for it downstairs, then take this paperwork over to the emergency lab on the first floor to get your blood drawn," the doctor said, handing Ruby a form.
They took the form and found the lab window. After a nurse quickly drew Ruby's blood, they returned to the hard plastic chairs in the waiting area, both of them staring blankly into space. It would be another thirty-minute wait.
Ruby hadn't eaten anything for dinner, so Elara went to get her some food. On autopilot, she picked out food a pregnant person should eat: a bottle of milk, a simple chicken sandwich, and two hard-boiled eggs.
Ruby looked at the food Elara handed her and managed a weak, knowing smile. "Guess you already know the result of this test, too, huh?"
Ruby's period was late, and both pregnancy tests were positive. Deep down, they both knew she was already pregnant. Waiting for the official report was just a desperate, fading hope for some kind of miracle.
"Anyway," Elara said, "we need the official results on paper."
After Ruby finished her sandwich and milk, exhaustion hit her hard. Soon enough, her head was resting on Elara's shoulder as she finally drifted off.
Elara muted her phone and started mindlessly scrolling through videos. A message from Adrian popped up.
Adrian: [Any news?]
Elara: [Is this you asking, or Victor's messenger service?]
Adrian: [He's freaking out. I'm asking for him.]
Elara: [Waiting for the blood test results. The doc basically said the pregnancy tests don't lie.]
Elara: [And Ruby doesn't want him to know. At all.]
Adrian: [I get it. My lips are sealed.]
Elara: [You should go to bed. You have that early flight.]
Adrian: [I'm waiting up for you. I can't sleep until you're back.]
Elara: [Ruby's a mess. I'm staying with her tonight. Not coming back to yours.]
After a long, heavy pause, a final message from Adrian appeared. Adrian: [Okay.]
Elara checked the time before she switched off her phone screen. It had been almost half an hour. She gave her friend a gentle shake. "Ruby. It's time. Let's go get the results."
Ruby jumped up and rushed toward the self-service kiosk. She was so panicked that she tripped over her own feet and pitched forward. Elara lunged forward and caught her, both of their hearts pounding from the sudden jolt.
"Slow down," Elara said.
The machine whirred to life, the sound of the printer starting up. Every second felt like forever. Ruby was completely losing it.
Finally, the report slid out. Ruby's hands trembled as she grabbed it. When she saw the result, the last bit of hope in her heart was finally crushed.
Elara took the paper from her. Her eyes scanned the page until they landed on: Pregnancy: Confirmed. 'So much for a miracle.' she thought.
Ruby was trembling. "Elara, what do I do now..."
Elara squeezed Ruby's shoulder. "Hey, breathe. The first thing you need to do is stay calm. Panicking isn't good for you right now. We need a plan. Let's just go home. We'll get Julian on the phone, and we'll figure out the next step. Together."
They got in the car, and Elara drove to Ruby's place.
"Victor blew up my phone earlier," Elara said quietly. "Do you want me to text him back?"
Ruby shook her head. "My head's a mess right now. Let's just not tell him. Not yet."
"Sure," Elara said.
Back at Ruby's place, they crashed on the living room couch, waiting for Julian.
The doorbell rang. Ruby jumped up, thinking it was Julian. She opened the door to find a delivery guy.
She walked back in, puzzled, holding a small paper bag. "Elara, did you order cold medicine or something?"
Elara was in the kitchen, frying an egg for Ruby. It seemed the pregnancy cravings had already kicked in.
Elara brought the plate of freshly fried eggs to the table. Then, she ripped open the paper bag from the delivery and shook out the small box of pills.
Ruby, already sitting at the table, glanced at the box. "You slept with Adrian?"
Elara popped the morning after pill, which needed to be taken within 72 hours, and washed it down with a big gulp of water. "Yeah. I was sick all day yesterday and almost forgot about taking this."
'Especially after what happened with Ruby,' she thought, 'I can't take any chances.'
"You guys didn't use a condom?" Ruby asked.
"Nope." Looking back, Elara felt like an idiot.
'Adrian swore I wouldn't get pregnant,' she thought wryly. 'Men probably think the safe period means they're bulletproof.'
"Seriously, how could Adrian—" Ruby started to complain.
The doorbell cut her off. Elara went to answer it. Julian stood there in his fancy suit and black coat, looking like he'd walked off a movie set.
"Well, look who it is, Mr. Quinn," Elara said with a smirk.
Julian stepped inside and spotted Ruby with her fried eggs. "Elara, if you're cooking, I'm eating. I haven't had dinner yet."
"How about spaghetti?" Elara offered.
"Perfect." He sank into the chair across from Ruby. "You guys sounded panicked on the phone. What's going on?"
Ruby spent ten minutes explaining everything.
"Fuck." Julian exploded, slamming his hand on the table. "That son of a bitch, Victor. Why the hell wouldn't you tell him you're pregnant? You should be demanding a huge payout from him."
Elara set a steaming plate of spaghetti carbonara in front of him. "Ruby, for what it's worth, I'm with Julian on this. Keep the baby or don't, that's your choice. But Victor needs to know. And he owes you. Big time."
But Ruby shook her head. "If Victor's mother finds out I'm pregnant and trying to get money from him... God knows what she'd do to me. After last time, I'm still terrified of her..."
Elara had to admit, she had a point. Victor's mother had actually gotten Ruby thrown in jail just to split her and Victor up. A pregnancy would send her completely over the edge.
"That's why he can never know," Ruby whispered. "Not ever."
"But to just let him get away with it? It's not right," Julian bit out, his jaw tight with anger. "So what's the plan, Ruby? For the baby. Are you keeping it, or...?"