Chapter 711

Austin dismissed the makeup artist, his gaze fixed on Natalie, awaiting her response.

Natalie almost choked on her food. "Pregnant? How did you know?"

Hank was speechless. Scratching his head, he finally said, "At the airport, when you got off the plane, you looked like you were about to throw up. I may not be married or have much experience, but I could put two and two together. And didn't you notice I've been reducing your workload lately? I haven't scheduled any overseas business trips for you."

Natalie was speechless, finally realizing his mistake. "You're wrong. I had a stomach issue, nothing more. I'm not pregnant, nor could I be. I thought you were unhappy with my work and reducing my assignments because of that."

It was a series of misunderstandings, one leading to another. After leaving the courthouse earlier, she had even been preparing to look for a new job. Jeremy had offered a generous divorce settlement, ensuring her financial security, but she had refused, despite his insistence. Only her persistent refusal made him finally agree.

Hank was stunned. "You're not pregnant? That's impossible! Natalie, you…"

Though Natalie had recently lost weight, she looked healthy. Hank couldn't believe her health issue was affecting her ability to conceive. Natalie realized his hasty conclusions left her feeling helpless. "Come on, Hank, don't overthink it. It's not what you think."

Noticing Austin also looking at her, she felt embarrassed and couldn't take another bite of cake. Austin's eyes seemed to flicker with amusement, though too quickly for anyone to be sure. "You talk too much," he said to Hank.

Hank rubbed his nose sheepishly. "So it was all a misunderstanding. Well, let's eat then."

Hank had spent the past few days trying to manage Natalie's situation, glancing at her stomach every chance he got, imagining how things would change once she started showing. He was sure Jeremy would never allow her to continue working, and Austin's interest would wane. The PR materials he'd been secretly preparing could be shelved, but now he'd have to prepare others. His emotions had been all over the place. He decided he needed food to calm his nerves and relieve work stress. Though the situation had been a mess for him, Austin's mood had clearly improved. Though Natalie wasn't pregnant, she was still married.

The cinema was crowded, filled with couples their age. Romantic movies were always box-office hits, it seemed. Skylar had quickly looked up the film's synopsis online and had a rough idea of the plot. The movie chronicled the main characters' school days into adulthood, culminating in a bittersweet reunion after various trials. Reviews warned it was a tearjerker, suggesting tissues.

After finding seats, Skylar drank water. Recovering from her injury, she avoided sugary treats like popcorn, yet couldn't help but glance longingly at the buckets around them.

"Do you want some?" Joe noticed her gaze and felt an overwhelming urge to spoil her.

Skylar's eyes lit up. "Yes, but I can't. Movies without popcorn feel incomplete, but I must abstain."

Seeing her disappointment tugged at Joe's heartstrings. He quickly pulled out his phone. "Can Skylar have popcorn with her current recovery status?" he asked after dialing the number.

Thankfully, the movie hadn't started, so Joe's call didn't seem out of place. However, the doctor on the other end was momentarily confused, wondering if he'd misheard.