Chapter 497

Crystal leaned over the sink, retching violently.

The attendant patted her back gently, lowering her voice. "Are you pregnant?"

Crystal's cheeks flushed pink. She shook her head. "I'm not sure... Mr. Sullivan is just so... intense. He wants me multiple times every night. I'm actually starting to get scared."

"So many women would kill for a chance to be in his bed. You get his attention several times a night, and you're complaining? You don't know how lucky you are."

"If you really are pregnant, you'll be set for life. You'll have climbed straight to the top."

As they left the restroom, Vivian Bennett quickly slipped into a shadowed alcove.

At the same moment, the door of the farthest stall swung open.

Isabella Sullivan emerged slowly.

She moved to the sink to wash her hands. The conversation she'd just overheard echoed in her ears.

Crystal was pregnant?

The same question circled in Vivian's mind.

But something felt off.

Liam Sullivan had just reconciled with her. He had even proposed.

Why would he suddenly turn to a substitute?

Yet today on the red carpet, his attentiveness to Crystal was undeniable. Everyone had seen it.

It was a tenderness even she had never experienced.

Vivian shook her head firmly.

She couldn't let her thoughts spiral.

Instead of speculating, she would ask him directly.

She smoothed her gown and walked into the hallway on her high heels.

The plush carpet was soft. Her thin heels sank into the pile with each step.

She had to slow down, carefully watching her feet.

As she turned the corner and looked up, she froze.

There he was. The very man she was looking for.

Vivian started forward, but a coquettish voice called out first. "Mr. Sullivan."

She pulled back instantly, pressing herself against the wall.

Crystal swayed toward Liam Sullivan.

The man's stern features softened slightly. "Feeling better?"

Crystal tilted her delicate, pale face up shyly. "Still can't handle anything sweet. I've been craving sour things lately."

Vivian's pupils constricted sharply.

Craving sour things?

Could she really be pregnant?

Before she could process it, Liam reached out and pulled Crystal into his arms.

He bent his head, whispering something that made Crystal playfully pound his chest.

A moment later, he released her and gently patted her cheek. "I'll take you to the hospital after the gala."

Crystal nodded, her face still flushed. "Alright. I'll go wait on the sofa."

"I'll join you after a cigarette."

After Crystal left, Liam took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He didn't light it.

Vivian watched his handsome profile, a dull ache spreading through her chest.

"How long do you plan on hiding?"

His cold voice cut through the silent air, piercing straight to her core.

Vivian took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows.

Under the shifting hallway lights, a flicker of something unreadable—something almost tender—passed through Liam's eyes.