Chapter 194 She Would Never Compromise
Susanna froze, not expecting Aaron to show up so fast.
She had rushed over, hoping to see Maria before Aaron arrived and then slip away quietly.
But she still ran into him.
She heard Aaron's footsteps behind her, steady and powerful, making her almost hold her breath.
Those few seconds felt like torture.
When the footsteps stopped, she felt his piercing gaze on her neck, like a knife ready to drop.
Aaron stood behind her, looking down with a complex expression in his narrow eyes.
His thin lips pressed into a cold line as he asked Taylor, "Where's Maria?"
"She was just taken out for a full check-up. The doctor said she seems to be in good condition, so there shouldn't be any problems," Taylor replied.
Aaron's expression softened a bit. "Taylor, thanks for all your hard work."
"It's no trouble. When Mrs. Maria Abbott comes back and sees both of you here—no, I should say the three of you—she'll be very happy."
Susanna's smile froze.
She felt the chill emanating from Aaron beside her, lowering the temperature around them.
She was at a loss for words; Taylor really had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Aaron's gaze darkened instantly. "Taylor, you can go rest now. I'll take it from here."
"I'm fine, but I'll go prepare Mrs. Maria Abbott's room and make sure everything is in order." Taylor knew when to leave.
As Susanna watched Taylor depart, her breath caught, her entire body tensing up. "Now that Taylor is gone, what should I do next?"
The hallway fell silent.
Susanna felt Aaron's piercing gaze and straightened her back without saying a word.
After a while, Aaron's voice came from beside her. "Why aren't you hiding? Why aren't you running away?"
Her heart trembled, but she knew she couldn't keep avoiding the situation. If she kept running, she wouldn't be able to protect the child in her belly. She pressed her lips together and replied, "If I don't hide, are you going to take action?"
Aaron lowered his eyes, his gaze complicated. "It seems you have some self-awareness. Even after jumping from such a high building, the child is still fine."
Susanna touched her belly, murmuring, "Yeah, we're lucky."
"Have you thought it through? What good does it do you to keep this child?" Aaron asked.
He didn't quite understand why she insisted on keeping the child. Did she already know that her condition wasn't suitable for an abortion?
Susanna didn't dare to look into his eyes. "This is my own decision."
"What if I insist you get rid of this child? I'll find you the best doctor, and you can take care of your body afterward. You can still have children in the future. Even if you don't, it's fine," Aaron said coldly.
To Aaron, it didn't matter whether there were children or not.
Upon hearing this, the color slowly drained from Susanna's lips. As expected, he was still unwilling to let go of the child.
She lowered her hand from her belly and looked up at the man in front of her. "Aaron, you should know that Maria has always been looking forward to the child in my belly."
Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to use Maria to threaten me? She just had a close call!"
Susanna lowered her eyes, uttering, "Whatever you think."
She needed a double guarantee to buy herself some time.
The air suddenly dropped to freezing, and Aaron's eyes showed displeasure and warning, with something else she couldn't quite read.
Aaron's eyes reflected her image, and he finally said slowly, "Very well."
Her hand slowly clenched, and she stood in front of him with a stiff upper lip. She couldn't back down now, not for the sake of the child.
"Susanna, you and Austin are really alike, both using Maria to threaten me," Aaron added.
Hearing Austin's name, Susanna suddenly panicked. Did Austin negotiate with Aaron?
Only Austin knew about her marriage to Aaron and her pregnancy.
She was worried. "Don't make things difficult for Austin. This is my decision. He also disagrees with me keeping the child."
"He also disagrees with you keeping the child?" Aaron didn't expect Austin to not want the child either.
So why was Susanna so determined to keep it?
Aaron tugged at his tie, anger simmering. "Using a child to manipulate a man is the most foolish thing to do," he said firmly.
Susanna looked up at him with a hint of sarcasm. "I know."
"If you know, why are you still doing it? You're really unreasonable, a love-struck fool!"
Aaron was aware of her physical condition and had already arranged for investigations to determine the suitability of an abortion. He had also consulted with the most reputable doctor for the procedure. He assured Susanna that taking care of her health would provide opportunities for future pregnancies.
He just didn't understand why she was so obsessed with Austin.
Susanna smiled faintly. "Yes, if I weren't a love-struck fool, how could I have married you and served you for three years? Aaron, now that you're so concerned about me and the child in my belly, do you want to keep me?"
After saying this, she waited for Aaron's cold sneer and rebuttal.
But Aaron was unusually calm, his narrow eyes deeply fixed on her, making Susanna a bit scared.
Finally, Aaron's thin lips parted, speaking coldly, "It's not impossible."
Now it was Susanna's turn to be stunned, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
Aaron's eyes were inscrutable, his handsome features flawless even under the light, his skin better than hers.
He continued, "You know Maria likes you. Before, to trick her into having surgery, we said you were pregnant. Now it turns out you really are pregnant. It's a lucky coincidence. If we don't get divorced, we can pretend nothing happened and everything will be like before."
"Like before?" Susanna was perplexed. 'Does this mean he doesn't want a divorce?' she wondered.
Aaron's expression was a bit unnatural, but he quickly returned to normal. "Of course, you will have all the rights of Mrs. Abbott. Whether it's reputation, money, or status, we can share it all."
Susanna's eyes widened, and her heartbeat instantly went out of rhythm. She blurted out, "But the child isn't yours."
"Yes, I know. But I never had any requirements for marriage or children. However, you must cut off all ties with Austin and the Jones family," said Aaron.
He could tolerate Susanna giving birth to the child, but he wouldn't allow her to have any contact with the child's 'father'!
Hearing this, Susanna's mind went into chaos. She couldn't cut off ties with her brother for the sake of the child.
But Aaron must have misunderstood her relationship with Austin, thinking the child in her belly was Austin's.
"Susanna, this is my final bottom line!"
Just as Aaron finished speaking, he received a call from an unknown number. "Hello, this is the Guardian Police Station. We need you to come over to handle a kidnapping and assault case..."
