Chapter 30: A gift for him.
Noah stormed into the villa, fury radiating from his entire body.
Linda came rushing toward him nervously. "Sir, Madam left. A man came and took her away."
"Who was that man?" he snarled.
"I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before."
Noah’s fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged across the back of his hands.
"Madam said the relationship between you and her is broken beyond repair," Linda continued. "She said she wouldn’t come back again."
Noah’s expression shifted.
Broken beyond repair? Not coming back?
Those words echoed repeatedly in his mind, making his heart pound uncontrollably.
Fear flashed in his eyes.
Ever since Elena entered the Sinclair family at the age of ten, she had always stayed by his side no matter how coldly he treated her. Even when he ignored her and misunderstood her, she never once talked about leaving him.
But this time, she left.
He started to suspect that Elena had found out about his relationship with Tessa. His breathing tightened.
He had always been careful. He had never mentioned anything about Tessa before Elena. Everything was hidden so well.
How could she know?
Yet the more he thought about Elena’s recent behavior, the more restless he became.
He had noticed Elena had become distant, quiet, and cold toward him. And now she had left without hesitation.
"She is angry, sir," Linda said cautiously, pulling him out of his thoughts. "You just lost her child. And then the wedding she dreamed about was canceled. Ever since she returned from the hospital, she has not been the same. She became quieter. She spent most of the time in her room. You should have given her more time. But..."
She didn’t dare to say the next words. After a moment of hesitation, she gathered her courage to speak again.
"Please bring her home before it’s too late. Otherwise, you will truly lose her."
"She can never leave me," he snapped immediately.
He was certain of it.
Elena had nowhere else to go. Other than her sick aunt, she had no one in this world. Without the Sinclair family’s support, she couldn’t survive.
And her aunt... without money for treatment, she wouldn’t make it either.
"She is only throwing a tantrum," he said arrogantly. "Without me, how long can she survive outside? She will come back on her own soon. I don’t have to look for her."
Linda stared at him in disappointment before sighing helplessly and walking away.
Noah casually sat down on the sofa and phoned Elena.
This time, Elena answered the call.
The moment he heard her voice, anger exploded inside his chest. "I told you to stay home, yet you left. You even called some random guy to help you. This is outrageous. Come back right now, and I’ll pretend none of this happened. Or don’t blame me for punishing you severely."
"My child was killed. I took the blame for Tessa and resigned from the company. Then you hurt me again and locked me inside the room."
Her voice thickened with emotion. "You didn’t even care that my pendant was broken. Aren’t those enough? You still want to punish me?"
He fell silent. He had not realized she had gone through all this.
"You wanted to be with Tessa, so I stepped aside," she added. "Now stop looking for me. I am not going back."
Noah’s heart shook violently. The suspicion he had been suppressing resurfaced instantly. Quickly, he pushed away the growing panic in his chest.
"I’ve told you several times. I treat Tessa well because she saved my life. Why are you still jealous of her?"
Elena, on the other end of the phone, was stunned. She had left all the evidence in that box. How could he still be lying?
"Didn’t you check the gift I left for you?" she asked, sounding skeptical.
"What gift are you talking about?" he asked, confused.
Elena sighed, realizing he had not opened it yet. "I prepared a gift for you, Noah," she said. "Go and check it first. Then you will understand what I’m talking about."
She ended the call.
Noah lowered the phone slowly, confusion filling his eyes.
’A gift for me?’ he murmured inwardly.
Then he suddenly remembered the box Elena had been hiding from him that night. She had even told him to wait patiently for a few days because she was preparing a surprise for him.
The corners of his lips curled slightly. "So this whole thing is just an act to get my attention. She prepared a gift for me and wanted me to go after her."
That was the only explanation he could think of.
"Alright. Since you want me to chase you badly, I’ll fulfil your wish this time." The next moment, his face darkened. "But after this, you’d better behave yourself. You can no longer target Tessa. If you do, I’ll not forgive you easily."
He got up and headed upstairs.
The gift box sat quietly on the nightstand.
’This is the gift she prepared for me.’
He strode over, curious to see what was inside. Just as his fingers touched the box, his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Are you Miss Tessa’s family?" came a woman’s anxious voice. "She suddenly passed out. Please come to the hospital."
His blood drained from his face instantly. "I’m coming."
He spun around and dashed out.
The gift box remained untouched on the side table.
He arrived at the hospital in no time. When he rushed into Tessa’s room, he froze.
The bed was empty.
A nurse was changing the sheet.
"Where is she?" he asked hurriedly, grabbing the nurse by her shoulders.
"Calm down, Mr. Sinclair. The patient has been taken for further examination. She will be back shortly. Please wait here."
But Noah was too anxious to sit and wait quietly. He stormed out of the room and headed straight to find the doctor.
As he walked toward the doctor’s office, he saw him coming from the opposite side.
"Doctor." He strode toward him with brisk steps, tension obvious on his face. "What happened to Tessa? Why did she faint all of a sudden? How is she?"
The doctor sighed heavily. "She is pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Noah exclaimed with disbelief.
Shock filled him instantly.
He had always been careful when he was with Tessa, as she was a heart patient. He rarely became physically intimate with her because he feared intense moments or physical strain might trigger a heart attack. Except for that one night.
Memory surfaced.
Two months ago, when Elena found out about her pregnancy, Noah had been emotionally overwhelmed. He had already been married to Tessa and couldn’t fulfil Elena’s wish to have a proper wedding.
The guilt and pressure had suffocated him. That night, he got drunk. And he ended up sleeping with Tessa.
’Could she have become pregnant because of that night?’