Chapter 463

Harrison sat stiffly in the clinic chair, glaring at Nathaniel.

"I refuse this blood test."

Nathaniel's piercing gaze locked onto hers. His voice held an edge of steel. "The choice is yours. But if you decline, I demand honesty. Are you carrying my child or not? Deception in this matter won't be tolerated."

Her chin lifted defiantly. "I'm not pregnant."

A muscle twitched in his jaw. "Very well. Proceed with the blood draw."

Harrison's nails dug into her palms. "I've told you the truth, yet you still insist? What exactly do you want to hear? Should I fabricate a pregnancy to satisfy you?"

Nathaniel ignored her outburst. He turned to the flustered nurse. "Draw the blood now."

The young nurse's cheeks pinkened under his attention. "Sir, could you help your wife roll up her sleeve?"

"Wife?" Harrison scoffed. "We're not married."

The nurse blinked in confusion. "But... this is a pregnancy test?"

Harrison's mouth snapped shut. She had no rebuttal.

Before she could react, Nathaniel's long fingers brushed against her arm, rolling up her sleeve with clinical precision. "Begin," he ordered.

Harrison turned her face away, jaw clenched.

Nathaniel studied her pale profile. "Needle phobia?" When she remained silent, his lips quirked. "Odd for a physician to fear bloodwork."

She refused to dignify that with a response.

Suddenly, his large hand cradled the back of her head, guiding her face against his chest. His heartbeat thundered beneath her cheek.

"Close your eyes," his deep voice rumbled.

She stiffened, but his grip tightened. "Don't move."

Trapped, Harrison inhaled his expensive cologne - sandalwood and something uniquely Nathaniel. The scent enveloped her as the needle pierced her skin.

Later, in the sterile hallway, Harrison perched on a bench while Nathaniel loomed over her like a storm cloud.

She met his gaze head-on. "Mr. Falcon, this entire farce was unnecessary. I told you - no pregnancy."

His expression remained unreadable. "I'll believe the results."

Just then, Lawrence hurried over, clutching a lab report. "Ms. Whitmore's results are ready."

Nathaniel snatched the paper.

"Negative," Lawrence confirmed.

The document clearly stated Harrison wasn't pregnant. She rose gracefully, a sardonic smile playing on her lips. "Satisfied?"

As Dr. Sinclair's protégé, Harrison had taken precautions before arriving. A carefully administered injection ensured the test would read negative.

Nathaniel's grip tightened on the report. Relief? Disappointment? He couldn't decipher the strange void in his chest.

This was the desired outcome. Children complicated everything. So why did this confirmation leave him... unsettled?

"Are we done here?" Harrison's voice sliced through his thoughts.

Nathaniel's mask slipped back into place. "Yes."

Lawrence bowed deeply. "Safe travels, Mr. Falcon, Ms. Whitmore."

Back in the Rolls-Royce, Harrison stared out the tinted window. "Take me home."

Nathaniel's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as the car surged forward toward Rosewood Manor. "Is Oliver staying with you tonight?"

Her smile was razor-sharp. "He bought the apartment. As my boyfriend, that's his privilege, isn't it?"