Chapter 406 Samantha is Pregnant
The Next Day
Ethan personally prepared another light breakfast for Ashley. They had just finished eating when James walked in.
"Ethan," James called out. "We're scheduled at the hospital for nine o'clock. We should get going."
Ethan gave James a brief glance and nodded curtly.
He turned back to Ashley, his cold eyes softening with tenderness. "Sweetheart, I've assigned several security personnel to watch over you. Please don't go anywhere without them keeping you in sight."
Ashley nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
Only then did Ethan grab his jacket and head out. He ignored James completely, walking past him through the door. James's expression was complicated, but he eventually followed Ethan to the hospital.
Ashley watched them leave, lost in thought.
Her phone rang—Pauline's name appeared on the screen. "Pauline, what's up?" she answered.
"Ashley, finally got hold of you! The executive from the Yates Group wants to meet with you. Are you going to see them?"
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
"Ashley, please tell me you're not planning another switch with Samantha like last time," Pauline said. "The same trick won't work twice. Besides, Samantha's been abroad so long without contacting us—quite the emotionless friend, isn't she?"
Ashley had been too busy to keep up with her friends lately.
After considering for a moment, she said, "You're right. I have to face this eventually. Go ahead and schedule the meeting."
"Will do, Ashley."
"Are you free this afternoon?" Ashley asked.
"What's going on?" Pauline inquired.
"Sienna had her baby. We promised to visit her. You're her friend too—want to come?"
Pauline answered without hesitation, "Absolutely."
"Let's meet up later to buy a gift for the baby, have lunch, and then head to the Weiss Mansion afterward."
"Sounds perfect."
After arranging the time with Pauline, Ashley went upstairs to change clothes and apply some light makeup. Once ready, she prepared to leave.
With plenty of time before their meeting, Ashley checked her social media and was surprised to see a new post from Samantha.
Samantha: [He's under my protection now. Please support us!]
The photo showed Samantha with a handsome young man.
Ashley's eye twitched. The post was only a minute old, so she immediately called Samantha, who answered surprisingly quickly despite the time difference.
"Samantha, what have you been up to? Is that your new boyfriend in your social media post?" Ashley fired off two questions in succession.
After a brief pause, Samantha replied, "Oh no, nothing like that! I'm in Kamira working as a talent agent. That guy in the photo is my new client. Isn't he gorgeous?"
"Not bad," Ashley admitted.
"Young people love his type these days," Samantha said enthusiastically. "I've got a keen eye—Louis Cox is definitely rising talent!"
Louis was the name of the artist pictured with Samantha.
"Once my client becomes famous, I'll be rolling in money," Samantha's excited voice came through the phone.
Suddenly, her voice cut off with a strange sound, followed by footsteps and the unmistakable sound of retching.
"Samantha? Are you okay? What's happening?" Ashley asked, alarmed.
After a long silence that left Ashley breaking into a cold sweat, Samantha finally responded weakly, "I'm here."
"What's wrong? Are you feeling ill?" Ashley pressed with concern.
Samantha's voice sounded muffled, "Been attending a lot of business dinners to network for Louis. Too much alcohol—my stomach's upset."
Hearing this, Ashley felt a pang of sympathy and chided, "You're alone abroad with no one looking after you. You need to take better care of yourself!"
"Let me come to Kamira and stay with you for a while," Ashley suggested.
"No!" Samantha's voice sounded panicked, as though afraid Ashley might discover some secret. "It's just from drinking too much. Really, I'm fine."
"Do you have any medicine for hangovers at home?" Ashley asked.
"Yes."
"Make sure you take it and get some rest. Don't push yourself too hard for work."
"I know. You're the best, Ashley."
Samantha made a kissing sound over the phone.
Ashley smiled. "Get some sleep. Talk to you soon."
"Goodbye."
After they hung up, Ashley couldn't shake an uneasy feeling that Samantha was hiding something.
Meanwhile, in Kamira, Samantha gazed forlornly at her visibly pregnant belly, which appeared to be several months along.
She sighed deeply while gently caressing her unborn child. "Don't worry, baby. I'll keep you hidden. Even from my best friend—I can't let her know about you."
It wasn't that she didn't trust Ashley, but Ashley was Landon's sister. This child was an unexpected surprise that had happened after her breakup with Landon. If Landon found out about the baby, he would surely pressure her to terminate the pregnancy.
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