Chapter 126

Hannah

The sounds of fighting had stopped, the ring going utterly silent save for one thing: the growls that escaped my throat before I even realized what I was doing.

Drake blinked at me in shock for a moment, his eyes flickering down to my stomach—where my left hand was still protectively pressed. And then he met my fiery gaze, and realization seemed to dawn on him.

“Hannah, are you…?”

No, I thought to myself. Oh no. Pull yourself together, Hannah! Snapping out of it, I quickly straightened, cleared my throat, and stepped out of the ring, wondering if I could play it off as nothing more than a stomachache.

“Sorry, Drake,” I mumbled, heading for my gym bag with quick steps. “I’m not feeling well. Maybe we should call it a day.”

But Drake wasn’t buying it. He followed me, his footsteps echoing in the empty training center. I kept my back turned in the hopes that he wouldn’t see how beet red my face had just become, just focusing on grabbing my bag and getting the hell out of here.

“Hannah, wait,” he called out, jogging now to catch up. “Wait! We need to talk.”

I quickened my pace, my breath hitching in my throat, but Drake was faster. He caught up to me just as I reached my bag, placing a hand on my shoulder to stop me before I could make a run for it.

“Hannah,” he said, his voice low and serious. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. He couldn’t know; no one except Viona could know. Hell, I even questioned whether I had made the right choice in telling her half the time. Slowly, I turned to face him, trying to keep my expression as neutral as possible.

“What?” I scoffed, feigning ignorance. “No, I just—”

“You don’t need to lie to me,” Drake interrupted, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my stomach twist painfully. “The way you reacted when I went for your stomach, the protectiveness... It all makes sense now.”

I opened my mouth to deny it again, but no words would come out. My silence seemed to satisfy Drake, and he nodded slowly.

“I thought so,” he murmured, sighing and running a hand through his dark hair. “Look, I won’t tell anyone, okay? You don’t even have to admit it out loud. But Hannah, you can’t be engaging in combat like this if you’re pregnant. It’s too dangerous.”

I pressed my lips into a thin line as my heart hammered like a war drum in my chest. Dammit, I thought to myself; Drake was too smart for his own good, and there was no going back now.

“Drake, I... if I am pregnant,” I said carefully, still not confirming it outright, “then I need to be able to protect my future child. I can’t just stop training and become vulnerable again.”

Drake’s expression softened, and he took a step closer. “I understand that, I do. But there are safer ways to train, ways that won’t put you or the baby at risk.”

“Like what?” I asked, curious despite myself.

“Well, we could focus more on defensive techniques, evasion, and non-contact drills,” Drake suggested. “I can modify the exercises to avoid any impact to your abdomen. If you want to continue training, I’ll find ways to do it safely.”

I narrowed my eyes, unable to avoid feeling suspicious of his good nature even though he had never given me a real reason to feel that way. “And, hypothetically, if I needed these special accommodations—which I don’t—what would you want in return?”

Drake smiled sheepishly. “Just what we agreed on before. A date with Zoe.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re still hung up on that, huh?”

“What can I say? I’m persistent,” Drake grinned. Then his expression turned serious again. “But Hannah, I mean it. I want to help you. This isn’t just about Zoe.”

I studied his face, looking for any sign of deception. But all I saw was genuine concern and sincerity, and my shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

“Alright,” I said finally. “I believe you. And for the record, I never planned on going back on my promise about Zoe. I’ll set it up soon, okay?”

Drake’s face lit up. “Really? Thanks, Hannah. You won’t regret it.”

“I’d better not,” I warned, but there was no real heat behind the words. “Now, if you don’t mind, I really should get going.”

Drake nodded, stepping back. “Of course. Take care of yourself, Hannah.”

Nodding myself, I grabbed my back and whirled on my heel. It was only then, once my back was turned to Drake, that I allowed my expression to twist into one of pure fear and worry. I had to get out of here—away from him, away from everyone.

Goddess, that was too close of a call; I couldn’t confirm anything, just in case…

Suddenly, the sound of Drake’s gruff voice caused me to stop in my tracks. “Hey, Hannah?” he called out, his voice echoing in the empty training center. I froze by the door, my hand resting on the doorknob, but I didn’t turn.

“Yeah?” I called out, my voice trembling.

Drake paused before saying, “Congratulations. If congratulations are in order, I mean.”

My shoulders tensed instinctively, my eyes widening even further. I said nothing in return; simply swung the door open and hurried out into the bright morning sun.

…

As I drove home, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Drake knew now, or at least strongly suspected that I was pregnant. How long would it be before others started to notice? How much longer could I keep this secret? How long until I officially began to show, and then there would really be no denying it?

I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought, but one thing was for certain.

This divorce needed to happen before anyone else figured it out. Especially before Noah did.

When I arrived home, I kicked my shoes off by the door and began scurrying toward my bedroom—in need of a hot bath to relax my tightly wound muscles. But, just as I reached the steps, the sound of muttering and papers rustling in the other room gave me pause.

Frowning, I followed the source of the noise—and that was when I found Noah sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, surrounded by a sea of papers with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his tie hanging discarded over the arm of the chair beside him.

Lunar Festival plans were scattered all around him, and he looked more stressed than I had maybe ever seen him; or at least, more stressed than I had seen him in a very long time, which was surprising given how tumultuous our lives had been lately.

I stood in the doorway for a moment, watching his hair fall into his eyes as he bent his head over the papers. With the festival just a couple of weeks away now, I could see the toll it was taking on him. Despite my own worries and fatigue, I knew I couldn’t leave him like this.

“Do you need help?” I asked softly.

Noah’s head snapped up, surprise dawning across his face. He blinked at me a few times, as if processing my offer.

“I... what?” he said, his brow furrowed.

I gestured to the mess of papers around him. “With the festival plans. Do you want some help?”

Noah stared at me for a long moment, and I could almost see the gears turning in his head. Finally, he nodded slowly.

“Sure,” he said, gesturing to the cushion on the floor beside him. “I guess I’d appreciate the help.”