Chapter 331: He’s Suffering

“Of course, I’m already at the airport, heading back home now,” Diana exclaimed. “Caroline, you can’t even imagine the life I’ve been enduring overseas. I’ve been practically suffocating over here…”

Oblivious to Caroline’s ordeal, she rambled on, her complaints filling the air. Caroline, utterly disinterested, rolled her eyes and set the phone on speaker, tossing it aside. It was always the same with Diana. Once she started, she could go on forever, talking about everything and nothing all at once.

Sure enough, Diana continued, her voice droning on about the most mundane details, including the food, accommodations, scenery, and trips. The main thing she kept mentioning was how Nathan sent his cronies to keep her on a leash, leaving her no freedom.

Caroline’s patience was wearing thin. She was just about to hang up when Diana finally hit a topic that piqued her interest. “By the way, Caroline, how are Frederick and Claire doing while I’m away?”

“Oh, Diana, let me tell you, things have been quite dramatic. After you left, Claire has been acting like she’s losing her mind.”

Caroline quickly grabbed the phone and poured fuel on the fire, exaggerating Claire’s situation to emphasize the pregnancy and the planned abortion.

“What? Claire’s pregnant with another man’s child?” Diana shouted in a fit of rage.

“That’s my assumption,” Caroline replied smoothly. “Otherwise, why would she insist on aborting the baby? Think about it. Frederick hates her. If she had the child, wouldn’t it be her best protection?”

Caroline knew exactly how to manipulate Diana, stoking the flames of her anger and suspicion. After some more prodding, Diana finally hung up, determined to create a scandalous video involving Claire and Antony.

Caroline lay back on her bed, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. Her mind already relished the chaos that would soon unfold. With Diana stepping into the fray, she could finally relish some peace and quiet. And if anything went south, well, that would be on Diana, not her. The best part was she didn’t have to grovel to please Zachary. It was a perfect plan!

Meanwhile, Claire was in her room, unaware of Diana’s return. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of the baby growing in her womb. It was a tiny, living being who she was hesitant to let go of. But she knew she had no choice. The image of Frederick’s cold response and nod echoed in her mind.

She thought, her heart aching, “How could I not be sad? Getting pregnant with Frederick’s child was something I longed for.” Now, the dream she had held dear for so long had finally come true, only to twist into this outcome. It was the kind of turn that would leave anyone feeling a deep sorrow.

For the rest of the day, until the evening shadows stretched across the room, she lay motionless on the bed. Her hands rested lightly on her belly as she fixed her gaze on the ceiling with a blank expression.

Across town, Frederick had been in a foul mood all afternoon. From the moment he arrived at the Kingstown Security Department until he clocked out for the day, he was a tempest of rage.

“How did you handle this? Are you all useless? If you can’t manage such a simple task, what good are you to me? This is the best solution you’re giving me? Seriously, can you not think harder? Go back and try again!”

“Fine, I’ll give you one hour. But if you still can’t get this spy to talk, then all of you are out of here!”

Richard stood by, watching Frederick roar. The last time he had seen Frederick this furious was when Claire and Antony had disappeared. Richard gathered his courage and asked, “General Hawthorne, could it be something about Ms. Prescott…”

He truly felt that this wasn’t a real solution. His gut told him to find a way to resolve the issue before it spiraled further out of control. It was as if the weight of his anger had burst through his control, so Frederick blurted out before Richard could even finish his question, “Claire might be pregnant!”

The file in Richard’s hand slipped, fluttering to the ground with a soft thud. He thought, “Ms. Prescott is pregnant?”

“She said she’s going to abort the baby once it’s confirmed!” Frederick shouted again as Richard tried to process the bombshell Frederick had just dropped.

“What?” Richard’s jaw practically hit the floor.

He thought, “No wonder he’s been acting like a caged animal all afternoon. Claire is pregnant, and she wants to get rid of the baby.”

For a moment, Richard felt an odd sense of satisfaction as if he’d been watching a long-running drama and finally reached the climax. He pondered, “General Hawthorne clearly has feelings for Ms. Prescott, but he’s too blind to see it or admit it. Instead, he keeps torturing her. Now that everything’s fallen apart, he’s the one feeling the pain.”