Chapter 134: She has lost the chance to become a mother forever.
Noah couldn’t stop thinking about Victor’s proposal. Part of him was tempted. The other part remained cautious.
Going against the Rowan family...
The very thought unsettled him.
"No," he muttered under his breath. "I’ve already made enough mistakes. I won’t be the reason my family is destroyed."
Knock. Knock.
The sound at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Come in."
His assistant stepped inside with a file in hand.
"Sir," he placed it on the desk before speaking in a solemn voice. "Your instructions have been carried out."
Noah lifted his eyes.
"Miss Tessa’s pregnancy has been terminated while she was in custody." He paused briefly before continuing, "She also underwent a hysterectomy. She will never be able to have children again."
Noah remained silent. His expression didn’t change.
There was neither satisfaction nor remorse on his face.
The assistant waited for a response, but none came. Unable to hold back any longer, he spoke cautiously.
"Sir... don’t you think that punishment was a little too harsh?" He hesitated before adding, "She has lost the chance to become a mother forever."
Noah’s eyes turned icy. Not a trace of regret crossed his face.
Prison alone was never enough for Tessa.
She had used an unborn child to deceive him, seize the Sinclair family’s fortune, and destroy his marriage with Elena. She had carefully orchestrated every lie.
Now she was paying the price.
"She deserves it," Noah said coldly. His voice carried no emotion. "She used that child as a weapon."
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
"If she had succeeded, who knows what else she would have done."
His gaze grew colder. "This punishment will ensure she never dares to mess with another person."
A heavy silence settled over the office.
Noah leaned back in his chair. "That Chapter is over."
He didn’t even open the file. "It’s time to focus on the company."
"Yes, sir." The assistant nodded before speaking again, "What about Mr. Kane’s proposal?"
He looked at Noah carefully. "Have you made your decision? Will you work with him?"
Noah didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked directly at him.
"What do you think? What is your opinion?"
The assistant froze. His eyes widened in disbelief.
For years, Noah had never asked for anyone’s opinion, especially not his.
For a moment, he thought he had heard wrong. "I... I’m sorry, sir."
He lowered his head nervously. He thought Noah was angry with him and instantly regretted asking that question.
"I shouldn’t have asked. I’ll leave."
He turned to leave.
"You still haven’t answered my question." Noah’s calm voice stopped him.
The assistant slowly turned around. "You... really want my opinion?"
"I do."
The assistant took a hesitant breath. "Then..."
He gathered his courage. "I don’t think we should get involved with the Rowans. No matter what happens. Mr. Elias Rowan is far too powerful. Messing with him will be a disaster."
He spoke more confidently as he continued, "And honestly, I don’t trust Mr. Kane. He feels... dangerous."
Noah remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"He is trying to use you." The assistant walked closer to the desk. "He wants to stay hidden while pushing Sinclair Group to the front. If anything goes wrong, Mr. Rowan will come after us first. He’ll remain safely in the shadows."
Noah’s expression turned thoughtful.
"His enmity with the Rowan family has nothing to do with us. You should turn down his offer. The Sinclair Group doesn’t need a partner like that."
The assistant lifted his chin slightly as he continued, "The company has been doing just fine before. And we can withstand this crisis as well. We don’t need someone’s fake sympathy.
Noah slowly tapped a finger against the desk. A calculating glint flashed across his eyes.
"Using me won’t be that easy."
An idea had already begun forming in his mind. He looked at his assistant.
"I want everything on Victor Kane. His business dealings, his allies, and his weaknesses. I want to know every move he has made over the past few years."
The assistant nodded immediately. "Understood, sir. I’ll begin the investigation right away."
He bowed slightly before leaving the office.
The moment the door closed, Noah’s expression turned cold.
"Victor Kane..." he murmured thoughtfully. "If I want to uncover what you are really planning, I’ll have to stay close enough to watch you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day of the surgery...
Evelyn had already changed into a hospital gown and lay on the gurney, ready to be wheeled into the operating room. Her fingers suddenly tightened around Elena’s hand.
"Elena..." Her voice quivered. "Please take care of Leo." She swallowed hard, struggling to hold back her tears.
"He is a picky eater. He refuses vegetables unless someone tricks him into eating them. And he can’t sleep without me. He’ll cry."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Elena’s heart ached. She gently squeezed Evelyn’s hand, offering silent reassurance.
"I’ll take good care of him," she said softly. "Don’t worry about anything. Right now, the only thing you need to do is focus on your surgery."
She smiled encouragingly. "Everything will be alright. So don’t cry."
Evelyn tried to return the smile, but it quickly faltered.
"I heard..." she whispered, her voice breaking, "that he cried every night while I was in a coma. I don’t want him to go through that again."
The room fell silent.
Even the nurses couldn’t help exchanging sympathetic glances.
Just then, Elias stepped forward. "Enough already, Eve. You’ve repeated the same thing at least ten times."
He folded his arms across his chest and looked down at his sister. "Leo isn’t a baby anymore. He is stronger than you think."
His expression softened almost imperceptibly. "And even if he cries, he has us."
He glanced at Elena before looking back at Evelyn. "Stop worrying about everyone else for once and think about yourself."
Evelyn bit her lip, trying to hold back another wave of tears. "I just..."
"No more," Elias cut her off before she could continue.
He turned toward the nurse waiting beside the gurney. "Take her to the operating room. Otherwise, she’ll keep talking nonsense until tomorrow."
The nurse couldn’t suppress a smile. "Yes, Mr. Rowan."
She gently pushed the gurney forward.
A few moments later, a doctor appeared.
Elias froze right there. "Ian?"