Chapter 7

The face of the maid, Joanna Elliott, turned pale. "I... I don't know what you're talking about." Lila was done wasting her words. She unlocked her phone and pulled up the video she had saved. The maid's eyes went wide with panic. "It wasn't my idea. Ms. Pearl told me to do it!" Lila's lips curved in a cold smile. "You're going to make the chicken soup and take it to the hospital now." "Alright. I'll go!" the maid replied. "If Dominic and Pearl ask where I am, you know what to say, don't you?" Lila asked. "I'll tell them you got sick and were worried you might pass it on to Ms. Pearl," the maid answered. "Good." Lila flashed a satisfied smile and went back to her room. She turned off her phone and crawled into bed. Exhausted, she slept straight through until noon. She had just gotten up to wash her face when the bedroom door swung open with a violent kick. Dominic strode in, his expression as dark as a storm. Before Lila could speak, his hand was around her throat. "I warned you not to pull any more tricks. Why won't you listen?" Dominic's voice was low and vicious, his teeth clenched. "You won't give me a child, and now you won't even let me have one with Pearl?" His grip was so tight that Lila could barely breathe. The terror of not getting air swallowed everything else. She barely even registered what he was saying. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Right before she blacked out, Dominic finally let go. Lila sucked in a desperate breath. Her throat burned like it was on fire. Dominic's gaze flickered as he watched her. "You never learn. So, I had to..." Before he could finish, Lila swung her hand up and slapped him hard across the face. A crisp smack echoed through the room. Lila's voice came out hoarse and raw. "I didn't do anything! Stop trying to pin this on me!" Dominic actually froze. He clearly hadn't expected her to hit him. When he snapped out of it, his face darkened, a vein pulsing at his temple. "Pearl had severe cramps after drinking that soup," he said. "The doctor said she was on the verge of miscarrying. They sent the soup to the lab. It was full of mifepristone. The evidence is right there. What else do you have to say?" Lila gave a cold laugh. "I didn't make the soup." Dominic was stunned. "If it wasn't you, then who was it?" "I had a fever last night," Lila said evenly. "I didn't want Pearl to catch anything from me, so I told Joanna to make the soup. She was the one who took it to the hospital. I never touched it. What? You weren't there?" Dominic frowned. "I had an important video call with overseas partners. I took it in the car because I couldn't cancel. Not long after that, Pearl called and said her stomach hurt—" Lila cut him off and said, "You didn't ask a single question, and you just slapped the blame on me. Pearl is my sister. Why would I ever hurt her or her child? "Dominic, is that really how cruel you think I am?" Dominic stared at Lila, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Whose baby is it, then?" Lila stared back, completely lost. "What?" Dominic pressed his lips together. He was just about to speak when Pearl's voice came from the doorway. "Dom, are you in there?" Dominic turned toward the door at once. "The doctor told you to stay in the hospital on bed rest. Why are you here? Come on, I'll take you back." "I was worried you and Lila might be fighting," Pearl said softly. Listening to them made Lila's stomach churn. Lila opened her mouth to expose Pearl's scheme, but Pearl suddenly spoke up in a timid voice. "Lila, I'm sorry. Dom and I misunderstood you. "At first, we thought you put something in the soup, but when Dom came back, the doctor said he had mixed up the lab reports." Dominic's expression darkened. "How could the doctor be so careless about something this serious?" "I was angry too," Pearl said with a sigh. "But he felt really guilty and kept saying he didn't mean to." Lila let out a mocking laugh. "Pearl, how much did you pay him to take the fall for you?" Pearl clearly had realized Lila never went near the soup, which was why she had rushed back to "clear things up". Pearl's eyes welled up. "Lila, I'm telling the truth. If I'm lying, then I won't deserve a good end!" She slid an antique watch off her wrist and held it out. "Dom gave this to me," she said. "I want you to have it as an apology from both of us. I hope you won't be angry anymore." Lila scoffed. "I'm not interested in taking things that belong to someone else." Then, she raised her voice. "Joanna!" Pearl didn't even flinch. "Joanna took the day off and went home. Did you need her for something?" Lila raised an eyebrow. "You move fast. I really did underestimate you." Dominic's tone turned sharp. "Pearl came here to apologize sincerely. What kind of attitude is that?" Pearl still looked soft and innocent. "It really isn't Lila's fault. We're the ones who misunderstood her first." "If Lila were even half as thoughtful as you, we wouldn't be in this mess," Dominic said. Lila stared at them coldly, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. She'd been too thoughtful for too long, and this was where it got her.