Chapter 111 Accompanying Her for a Prenatal Checkup
Seb drove the car to the hospital. Isabella had no choice but to grit her teeth, get out of the car and followed him into the hospital.
At the registration machine, Seb extended his hand towards her and said, "Card."
Isabella rummaged through her bag for a moment and handed over the medical card to him.
Seb operated on the screen for a while, then turned to ask her, "Which doctor do you usually see?"
There were many people in line behind them, and Isabella didn't want to delay others, so she reached out and tapped a few times on the screen, finding Dr. Johnson.
After registering, the two of them took the escalator upstairs.
Seeing that Seb didn't seem to have any intention of leaving, Isabella spoke up, "Mr. Landon, thank you for bringing me to the hospital. You can leave me here and I can go in by myself."
Seb stopped in his tracks and questioned, "Are you embarrassed to have me accompany you?"
"That's not what I meant."
Seb continued, "Which way?"
Isabella had no choice but to lead him to the obstetrics and gynecology department.
A sign saying "No Men Beyond This Point" stood at the entrance to the consultation room. Seb handed her the card and said, "I'll wait for you outside."
"Okay." Isabella took the card and entered the consultation room. Because Seb was waiting outside, Isabella seemed a bit distracted.
Jessica routinely asked, "No unusual symptoms recently, right?"
Isabella thought for a moment and said, "Does a small amount of bleeding count?"
Jessica paused and looked up at her. "Have you had any intense sexual activity?"
Isabella's face flushed as she thought of that night. She hadn't expected that even when Seb was feeling unwell, he could still be so vigorous.
The intensity was comparable to their first time in the tent and it was even more vigorous. It was as if Seb had been holding back for too long and was finally released.
Jessica could tell the answer from her expression and frowned. "Your boyfriend accompany you here earlier?"
Isabella was taken aback, realizing the doctor had misunderstood. Just as she was about to explain, Jessica said, "Call him in and I have a few things to tell him."
Isabella looked troubled. "Doctor, he's not my boyfriend."
"Not your boyfriend, but he came with you for a prenatal checkup?" Jessica shook her head, looking helpless. "You look about the same age as my daughter, so I'm telling you this. You should call him in and I need to ask him."
Isabella still refused. "Whatever you need to tell me, just say it to me directly. I'll keep in mind."
"No intense sexual activity. I've told you this before. You're too soft-hearted. Your boyfriend looks like a successful man, so are you unable to make decisions at home? Even if you can't, you both need to take the child's matters seriously," Jessica said, reaching out to press the intercom button in front of her.
The other end was connected to the nurse's guidance desk outside. After it was connected, Jessica said, "Mary, please call in Isabella's family member."
"Okay, Director."
It happened too quickly for Isabella to stop it. Soon, there was a knock on the door. "Come in." The door to the consultation room was pushed open, and Seb strode in with a straight and imposing presence.
"Are you Isabella's boyfriend?" Jessica asked directly.
Seb closed the door, walked over, and stood slightly behind Isabella.
Hearing this, he looked down at Isabella. Isabella waved her hands repeatedly, eager to clarify her relationship with Seb. "No, doctor, he's just my former boss."
Jessica didn't respond to her, her gaze fixed on Seb, waiting for his answer. Seb didn't answer directly but asked, "Is there something wrong with her?"
Jessica didn't waste any more words and got straight to the point. "During the first three months of pregnancy, there should be no intense sexual activity. I remind her of this every time she comes for a checkup."
"Young people are full of vigor, and I understand you desire . But for the sake of the child, it's best not to be too intense during the first and last three months," Jessica said, her words precise and to the point.
"This is no joking matter. If not careful, it could lead to a miscarriage. She's already shown signs of bleeding, so you need to be extra cautious."
Upon Jessica's saying, Isabella's face turned bright red. Seb listened with a frown on his face and replied, "Alright, we'll be careful."
Jessica then wrote an order for an ultrasound and handed it to them.
Seb took long strides, quickly leaving Isabella far behind.
Isabella watched his back, sensing a change in his attitude from before.
Suddenly, Seb stopped and turned to look at her. When he stopped, Isabella instinctively halted as well. Thus, there remained a distance between them, neither too close nor too far. It seemed close enough that if he waited a bit and she hurried a bit, they could walk side by side. But Isabella knew that the distance between her and Seb was something that could never be bridged in a lifetime.
In the silent exchange of their gazes, ten seconds passed unnoticed.
Seb suddenly lifted his foot and walked towards her. As he got closer, Isabella's heart pounded. "Why did you stop?" Seb asked, standing in front of her, looking down.
His deep, dark eyes fell on Isabella's small face. He couldn't understand why he kept him thinking about her. When he couldn't see her, he could manage to endure it, but once they met, Seb felt uncontrollable to be near her. If it weren't for the fact that Isabella was carrying Matthew's child and had reconciled with Matthew, Seb would have suspected that Isabella had cast some spell on him. And that was the only explanation for his loss of control.
Isabella lowered her head, unable to meet Seb's gaze. "I can go for the ultrasound by myself. Mr. Landon. You should go back to your work."
He asked, "Do you really want to get rid of me that badly?" Isabella felt a pang in her heart.
She clutched the ultrasound request form tightly, her voice still soft but with a sharp edge. "Men and women should keep their distance, especially since I'm pregnant. Mr. Landon, you should avoid suspicion."
Seb's brows furrowed slightly as he stared at her. "Yes, I should avoid suspicion." In name, he was the child's uncle. But in reality, Seb wanted nothing to do with anyone connected to the Landon family.
Hearing Seb's words, Isabella thought he was going to leave. But after waiting a moment, he was still standing in front of her.
Isabella couldn't help but look up at Seb. As soon as their eyes met, Seb suddenly pulled her close. Isabella was almost pressed against Seb. His fingers were so strong, gripping her wrist like steel, that she had no chance to pull away. His dark eyes locked onto hers. He asked, "Have you really decided to reconcile with Matthew?"
Isabella knew Seb had misunderstood. She usually disliked being misunderstood, especially about her relationship with Matthew. If it were anyone else, she would have explained. But Seb was someone she needed to push away, so she pressed her lips together and didn't plan to explain.
Seb let go of her hand. Isabella quickly stepped back, keeping her distance from him.
Seb's face grew darker. "Go for the ultrasound. I'll wait for you in the car." He still intended to take her back.
Isabella looked up, but before she could say a word, he interrupted her coldly, "I brought you here, so naturally, I should ensure you get back safely!" Seb's tone left no room for refusal, devoid of the earlier ambiguity.
