Joanne felt like she did not deserve that.

As if she were standing at the coast, watching the scenery, to suddenly be swept away by the raging waves, drowning in them. She could not even protest, let alone push Brian away.

She set her heart on stopping that, and angrily bit on Brian's lips.

Brian was stunned. Perhaps her actions were out of his expectation.

Joanne was about to escape with that chance, but Brian had gone a step ahead of her, realizing her intention. He locked her waist with his arms, and kissed her even more intensely.

Brian grew more forceful with both his lips and arms.

Ever since Joanne had initiated a divorce, he had been penting up rage. Joanne's actions those few days had worsened it. First it was openly riding on Shawn's car from the police station, then it was to appear at the party hand in hand with him.

They were still married. What did Joanne take him, her lawfully wedded husband, as?

If that were not a cocktail party hosted by someone else, and with so many other unrelated people around, he would have thrown Shawn down from the seventh floor!

After a round of mindless and indulgent ravaging, the darkness and danger in Brian's eyes had diminished substantially.

"Joanne," He released Joanne, staring at her intensely. "Look carefully, who you belong to."

Joanne cheeks were flushed red, and was still panting heavily. Her eyes were filled with indignance and rage.

Only after a while later, she could finally speak, and shoved Brian forcefully, "You bast..."

Before she could complete her sentence, she suddenly felt nauseous, and the words got stuck in her throat.

Joanne's face paled, and pushed Brian away, then rushed off to the washroom.

Liquid filled her mouth, and her stomach cramped. All the food she had in the afternoon had been vomited.

Joanne was shocked-why did that suddenly happen? She was very sure she was not feeling sick?

All of a sudden, Chris's words surfaced in her mind, "What's with you lately? You've been complaining about the smell of milk and fish soup. When did you become so picky?"

Accompanied with her inexplicable uneasiness in the morning, it was because her period was late.

She... seemed to be...

No way, no way it could be that coincidental. It should not be that way!

"Joanne... Joanne?"

Brian called out for a few times, Joanne did not respond.

He held Joanne's hand and said, "Let me take you to the hospital."

"No!" Joanne slapped away Brian's hand and glared at him defensively. "Why should I go to the hospital?"

"You're not feeling well?" Brian was partially commanding and partially pleading. He reached his hand out to Joanne. "Be good, follow me."

Joanne shook her head, and retreated subconsciously, "I'm not uncomfortable. I'm not going."

She could not go, either.

If it were that she was pregnant as she predicted, it would definitely be confirmed at the hospital.

The following sequence of events were imaginable to her. Brian would take her home, Chris would tell Brian about her secret, and by then, to make Brian sign the divorce papers would be impossible.

Joanne calmed herself down, and looked at Brian as she said, "I've merely had some food I haven't had in a long time, and wasn't adjusted to it. I'm fine after puking."

Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with the guilt of lying. Brian squinted at her, and her facial expression looked increasingly natural, regaining a healthy glow. Indeed, it did not look like she was unwell.

Because of her mother passing away at the hospital, she had never liked hospitals, so Brian did not think much of it and ordered someone to send in a bottle of mouthwash.

Joanne received the mouthwash, and was going to shut the washroom's door.

Brian was quick to stop her, and he stared intensely at Joanne. Joanne explained innocently, "I... only need to use the toilet."

Only then did Brian withdraw his hand. He said, "I'll wait for you outside."

Joanne simply acknowledged quietly, then sat on the toilet, with her face buried in her hands. Her heart was in a mess.

She vaguely heard Brian making a call outside, but she could not hear whatever he was saying because she had been thinking about how to deceive him.

After sitting for a while, she was still clueless. However, in order to not make things suspicious, Joanne could only leave the seat. She flushed and went out.

Brian had just finished the call, and looked at her. "Are you better?"

"...I'm okay," Joanne was suddenly flustered, and lowered her head awkwardly. "I'm leaving."

She was going to leave when her wrist was tightly grabbed. She could no longer move forward.

Brian said coldly from behind her, "Who are you going to look for?"

"It's not like you didn't see who I came with," Joanne said as she turned back, then calmly asked, "Oh right, why aren't you with Rosalyn?"

Brian sneered coldly, "Would you be happy if I were here with Rosalyn?"

Joanne shrugged and said, "I don't care."

She knew, only that type of indifference would hurt Brian.

As expected, his face turned sullen, then pushed Joanne on the sofa.

Even though the sofa was soft, the impact of the fall was still hard. Joanne subconsciously shielded her abdomen in a panic, and at the same moment, Brian went and pressed down on her.

Joanne's expression changed instantly. She pushed him away, panicking, "Brian, no!"

Brian locked both of her hands, and asked forcefully, "Then who do you want? Hm?"

His eyes were a beautiful dark shade, but at that moment, they were dark like a solid, jet black ink. Joanne shielded her abdomen, and could no longer care about his feelings, she articulated,

"Brian, if you were to touch me today, I'll tell the journalists tomorrow that we've already signed the papers! I will even tell them about you and Rosalyn. You're the one who made her popular, and she has never had any negative news. I'm sure you don't wish for her to have any scandals at this moment?"

"You dare threaten me with Rosalyn?" Brian sneered. "Then who are you most worried about right now? Shawn?"

"Brian!" Joanne yelled, and went all out to interrupt Brian. "If you dare touch Shawn, I will immediately file for divorce!"

"..." She dared to defend Shawn like that before him, and even called Shawn so intimately.

Brian slowly released Joanne's hands. The smile on his face grew increasingly cold.

He stood up, then left the lounge without looking back once.

Joanne could no longer care about Brian. She stood up and adjusted her gown, then went out to look for Chris, flusteredly asking to return home.

"What happened?" Chris observed that she did not look right. "What did Brian say to you?"

Joanne shook her head, and pleaded, "Brother, take me home."

Chris bade farewell to the party's host, then left the hotel with Joanne.

Only until they got in the car, Joanne remembered Shawn. Just when she was about to call him, Chris stopped her, saying, "No need. Shawn said just a moment ago that something had cropped up at home, so he already left."

Joanne was puzzled. "Wasn't he here today because of his family, so why...?"

"Haven't you realized?" Chris shook his head as he smiled and said, "Brian's doing."

Joanne suddenly recalled that when she was in the washroom, Brian was making a call outside. She had vaguely heard him saying "Mr. Shawn" or something. It turned out that he was calling Shawn's father.

She was left speechless. If it were in the past, Brian would never resort to such means.

"What happened to you two inside the lounge?" Chris said. "Do you know that everyone was standing outside, anticipating a good show?"

Joanne fiddled with her hands nervously, "Brother, I think... I might be... pregnant."

Chris was very glad that Joanne had finally noticed, and asked, "What do you plan to do? I will definitely not let you do this anymore. If Brian knew, he would definitely take you home. I won't be able to stop him."

"So, he can't know," Joanne looked like she was begging Chris. "Brother, I must divorce him, so you must definitely keep this a secret. If he knew about this, we can't get divorced."

Chris nodded. "I will try my best."

He only feared that, Brian might have noticed something was off. It would be hard even if he wanted to keep it a secret.

Passing by the pharmacy, Joanne got Chris to stop the car. Chris knew what she was going to buy, so he got her to stay in the car. He was going to buy it for her instead.

There was a crowd at the pharmacy at that timing, so it took Chris a while before returning. He handed the things to Joanne.

Joanne squeezed the little box. She felt uneasy yet happy.

Even if that child had come at the wrong time, but... it was hers and Brian's child.

If all that had not happened, she would pick the most unexpected moment to tell Brian. He would definitely be sent to cloud nine.

But currently, she could only hide it from Brian, and chase him away with the most callous words.

She wondered where he went after leaving the lounge.

Brian had attended the cocktail party in order to help stabilize the situation of Lambert Group. Even if he had been completely enraged by Joanne, he could not leave, so he could only send Gavin to watch after Joanne.

But not too long later, Gavin returned, and whispered to him, "Joanne and Chris have left."

Brian frowned. "They left?"

"I watched them leave," Gavin was very certain, but his voice slowly turned hesitant. "However..."

"Say it!" Brian commanded coldly.

"I think something is off with Joanne," Gavin said. "She was very nervous when she left, and had almost pulled Chris away as if she were escaping. If you did not do anything to her in the lounge, then did you discover anything odd?"

Odd?

Brian put down his wine glass, facing the window, where he could see Arlington's dazzling night view.

Joanne's sudden vomiting. The image of her falling onto the sofa and her actions surfaced on his mind.

People would usually try to place their hands on the ground when they fall, as an attempt to minimize the impact on their bodies.

But Joanne had instinctively shielded her abdomen.

He had yet to go near her, but she had already reacted so dramatically. She even went all out to threaten him in order to prevent him from touching her. As if by touching her lightly, it would cause an irreversible damage.

Brian had made the connection of a possibility.

He suppressed the joy of his heart. He recalled carefully, thinking about the days in Paris with Joanne; it was most probably during the right time of Joanne's menstrual cycle. Yet they were still...

Joanne was pregnant!

Brian turned and went outside. He rushed out without a care, Gavin chased after him to the elevator landing, and stopped him. He asked, "What are you thinking of doing? Joanne insists on divorcing you now, you must keep calm no matter what you thought of!"

Brian was enlightened by Gavin, and nodded. "Right, she wants a divorce now, so she will not admit to it. If I forced her, what would she do?"

Gavin was lost, "...What are you talking about?"

Brian showed no signs of wanting to explain, and said, "I'll be at the downtown condominium tonight. Come pick me up earlier tomorrow morning, I'm going to look for Joanne."

A helpless Gavin,"...Oh."