Doctor’s Fee Incident 49

**LAURA SAT** silently in the corner of the room, hugging her knees to her chest. Her frail body trembled, but her growing belly, now almost four months along, was impossible to hide. Her once-bright eyes were now dull and heavy with sadness, and tears stained her pale cheeks.

She couldn’t believe it—four months pregnant, and there was no doubt in her mind that Clyde was the father.

“Clyde… I’m sorry…”

Her head felt like it was going to explode. Fear, confusion, and heartbreak swirled inside her, making it hard to breathe. She felt trapped, suffocated by Paul’s control. Paul—the man she had waited so long for. The man she could never fully let go of, even after all the damage he’d done.

“You bastard, Paul…”

The house was eerily quiet, except for the muffled sounds coming from the next room. Paul wasn’t alone, and the woman’s moans only made the knife in Laura’s heart twist deeper.

“Bastard…”

She pressed her hands against her ears, trying to block it all out, but the sounds only grew louder in her mind. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her lips stung from the slap Paul had given her earlier when she confronted him about the other woman.

“You bastard…”

Silent tears streamed down her face as she closed her eyes, hands still clamped over her ears.

**CLYDE AND TEJIE’S POV**

“So, they’ve already moved?”

“Yeah, Doc. Locals said they’d sometimes hear yelling and crying from that house. Seems bad,” Tejie said, his voice heavy.

Clyde sighed deeply, running a hand through his sleek neat hair. They had been too late—by the time they got to the house, it was empty.

“Even the neighbors didn’t know when they left,” Tejie added.

They were standing on a rooftop, trying to piece together their next move.

“Doc, we can’t let this go. We have to find her,” Tejie said, looking Clyde dead in the eye. “The house was like a prison—metal bars on the windows, reinforced doors. One of the neighbors said they’d hear a woman crying and being hurt.”

Clyde’s fists clenched, his jaw tightening as anger and worry boiled inside him.

“She’s in trouble,” he muttered.

“I’ll file for leave,” Clyde said firmly. “We’re finding Laura.”

Tejie gave a small nod, the same determination etched across his face.

**THE NEXT MORNING**

Laura was still asleep, unaware of the heated discussion happening in another room.

Paul was there, lounging with a stunning woman dressed in an expensive, sleek outfit. She looked every bit the part of a wealthy socialite. A cigarette dangled between her perfectly manicured fingers as she puffed smoke into the air.

“Paul, stop being so rough with her,” the woman said casually.

“She’s stubborn as hell!” Paul snapped back, clearly frustrated.

“Yeah, well, if you keep it up, she might lose the baby. She’s already four months along, and she doesn’t even know it,” the woman replied, exhaling another plume of smoke. “Doctor Tuason’s the father, right? That kid’s probably going to be brilliant. I’ll gladly take the baby and raise it as my own.”

Paul smirked, but it didn’t last long.

“So, she cheated on me while I was gone? Guess she never really loved me,” he said bitterly.

The woman shot him a sharp look, her lips curling into a cruel smile.

“Oh, don’t play the victim, Paul. You’re useless. Sure, you’re fun, but you can’t give me what I need,” she sneered. “And didn't you see that doctor? Damn, he's so fine, such a fine young man! And it seems that he got interested in Laura too because he paid the bills for her! Rich as me too, I am sure… And— his parents were businessmen and women, I heard, and not that small time either, so— we better be quick! Ran like rats, hole to hole! She’ll stay here with a private nurse. I don’t want you anywhere near her,” she added, taking another drag of her cigarette. “We both know you can’t keep your hands to yourself. And admit it—Laura’s still a knockout, even after everything.”

“Tch.” Paul clicked his tongue, scowling.

“Let’s go. The nurse is here, and this place is remote enough that no one will find her. Especially not Doctor Tuason,” she said with a smug grin.

“Five more months. That’s all we need.” Paul said.

“Yeah, and we need to keep her hidden. Don’t forget—Tuason’s a doctor, and he won’t stop looking for her. Good thing we got out of your house in time. My source is solid, unlike you.”

Paul didn’t even flinch at her insults. He was used to it by now.

The woman was Alorica Nievez, a billionaire businesswoman who had everything—except the to have kids. Her marriage to Paul was just a transaction, a way to secure her inheritance.

“Tuason probably knows by now that you’re infertile. That’s why he’s desperate to find Laura,” she added.

“Do you think he knows she’s pregnant?” Paul asked, frowning.

She shrugged, blowing out another puff of smoke. “Who cares? Let’s go. I have a meeting.” She turned and strutted out, leaving Paul to follow behind her.

**LAURA STIRRED** slightly, her body weak and trembling.

“You… monsters…” she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. “Clyde… he’s… looking for me…”

Tears leaked from her tightly shut eyes as she clung to the faint hope that Clyde would save her.

To be continued…