The eviction was halted by the doctors. Fabian's blood pressure had spiked to dangerous levels, and they warned that too much stress could cause a fatal hemorrhage.
An hour later, Haleigh was escorted by two guards into a sterile recovery room that had been converted into a temporary study.
Fabian was sitting in a velvet recliner. A new IV line was taped to his hand. He waved his assistant out of the room as Haleigh walked in. The only other person left was the family's chief lawyer.
Fabian's eyes dragged slowly over Haleigh from head to toe. He looked at her like she was trash that had blown in through the window.
"Sit," he commanded. His voice was still rough, but the arrogance was suffocating.
Haleigh sat in the chair opposite him.
The lawyer slid a thick stack of papers across the desk. "These are Annulment documents," the lawyer said.
"I will never acknowledge this circus of a marriage," Fabian said coldly. "Sign the papers. You get ten million dollars to keep your mouth shut, and you leave today."
Haleigh looked at the number. Ten million. It wasn't even close to the fifty million she needed to keep her father alive.
She kept her spine straight. "I cannot sign this right now. I need to speak with your mother first."
Fabian's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He hated being manipulated, especially using his mother as leverage.
He leaned forward. The physical pressure radiating from him made it hard for Haleigh to pull air into her lungs.
"Do not think I am stupid," Fabian said softly. "I know exactly what the old woman wants. She wants an heir to secure the board."
Fabian stared directly into Haleigh's eyes. "If you try any dirty tricks to get pregnant, I will personally drag you to a clinic and have that bastard scraped out of you."
The word "scraped" hit Haleigh like a physical punch to the gut. All the blood drained from her face. Her hand shot to her stomach, pressing hard against her abdomen.
Fabian's eyes snapped down to her hand. His gaze sharpened. "Are you already pregnant?"
Haleigh's heart hammered frantically against her ribs. Cold sweat broke out across her back. She forced herself to look back into his terrifying black eyes.
"No," Haleigh lied. She forced a bitter smile. "I ate something bad this morning. Besides, who would want to have a child with a monster?"
The insult landed. Fabian's jaw clenched. He grabbed the bone-china teacup next to him and hurled it at the floor near her feet.
The cup shattered. Boiling hot tea splashed across Haleigh's bare ankle. The pain was sharp and immediate, making her leg jerk involuntarily as the scalding liquid burned her skin. But she bit her inner lip so hard she tasted copper, forcing herself to remain seated. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry out.
Fabian glared at her. "Add an NDA to the stack," he snapped at the lawyer. "If she ever speaks of this marriage, sue her for a hundred million dollars."
The lawyer quickly produced the Non-Disclosure Agreement and handed Haleigh a pen.
Haleigh knew if she didn't sign something, she wouldn't leave this room. Her hand trembled as she signed her name on the NDA. But she pushed the annulment papers back.
"Legal procedures take time," Haleigh said, keeping her voice steady. "I need one week to pack my things and find a place to live."
Fabian closed his eyes in disgust. He waved his hand dismissively, like he was swatting away a fly. "Get out of my sight."
Haleigh turned and walked out the door. The second the heavy wood clicked shut behind her, her knees buckled. She leaned against the hallway wall, gasping for air.
She pressed both hands against her flat stomach. She was in terrible danger. She had to get the blood test results from the clinic today. If she was pregnant, she had to run before Fabian found out.
