Chapter 2 Recognizing Her
"Oh my God! You are infuriating me!"
Eleanor Hart clutched her chest, looking like she was about to faint.
The maid, Molly, quickly supported Eleanor. "Mr. Hart, Mrs. Hart has a weak heart. Please, don't provoke her."
"How long are you gonna keep up this act?" Killian sneered as he turned and left the dining room.
Eleanor's pained expression vanished instantly. She grabbed Lila's hand and smiled. "Don't worry. I know how to handle Killian. Just make yourself at home."
Lila didn't see Killian again and assumed he wasn't in the mansion.
It wasn't until she entered the guest room the maid had prepared for her and turned on the light that she saw Killian sitting on the sofa.
Killian's long legs were crossed, and he held a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.
"Sorry, I didn't know this was your room," Lila said, turning to leave.
But she couldn't open the door.
"Mr. Hart, could you please unlock the door for me?"
Killian stood up, his tall and imposing figure moving closer to Lila with each step.
"Where do you think you're going? We're about to be married. What's the harm in sleeping together?" Killian's tone was laced with amusement.
Lila felt a chill run through her body. "Mr. Hart, please don't joke. I know you won't marry me."
"That's right, I won't marry you, but I can sleep with you." His cold hand brushed against Lila's cheek. "Women like you are only good for spending money on."
Lila didn't know what to say. If it weren't for the lack of further instructions from her employer, she wouldn't have stayed here, swallowing her pride.
Killian's words were like sharp knives, wounding Lila's dignity.
"If it weren't for Grandma protecting you, I could make you disappear from Vesperhaven right now."
His dark eyes were full of menace, scrutinizing Lila's expression inch by inch.
"You should remember, after that night, I gave you five million dollars and a pill."
Killian had watched Lila take the pill. Unless she had secretly spat it out, she couldn't be pregnant.
There was another possibility—the child wasn't his.
"I took the pill, and I haven't been with anyone else."
"Whether you've been with someone else, only you know."
Killian interrupted Lila with a mocking tone. "Wouldn't you sell yourself again for money?"
"Believe what you want."
Lila looked at him coldly, her eyes filled with scrutiny and observation.
Killian's hand, which was gripping Lila's chin, paused, a current seeming to pass through his heart. His voice turned hoarse. "Don't try to seduce me again."
Lila felt near despair.
That reckless night had made Killian believe she was a woman who would do anything for money.
Lila had only been intimate with Killian that night. She had taken the pill the next day.
Unless there was something wrong with the pill, she couldn't be pregnant.
Lila understood that the five million dollars Killian had given her after that night was meant to keep her from bothering him.
Lila hadn't refused. She needed the money desperately.
Killian Hart had paid for one night and didn't want any further entanglement with Lila, but she couldn't afford her grandmother's medical expenses.
Lila had come to the Hart family with ulterior motives.
After working abroad for so many years, she had always been working for others.
Even though she earned a lot, her assets were frozen for this mission, and she had revenge to take. Life in Vesperhaven was tough.
For the past six months, no matter what job Lila took, she would be inexplicably fired within three days. She knew it was all Silas's doing.
Eleanor Hart had some connection with Lila's grandmother. After meeting Lila, she had always wanted Killian Hart to marry her. Unfortunately, at that time, both Killian and Lila had their loves.
Meeting again, Eleanor Hart still liked Lila. She promised that as long as Lila married Killian, she wouldn't have to worry about her grandmother's medical expenses.
The Hart family was Lila's only hope at the moment.
In the darkness, Lila couldn't see Killian's expression, and she felt a strange sense of panic.
"I'll get checked again tomorrow, but if I am pregnant, I... I want to stay."
Killian let out a cold laugh. "You want to have the baby in the Hart family? Do you even know whose child you're carrying?"
She was carrying someone else's child and wanted to marry him!
"If you don't believe me, we can do a paternity test when the baby is born."
Lila was angry. It was one thing for Killian not to believe she was pregnant, but to accuse her of being so promiscuous was too much.
Fueled by anger, Lila grew bolder and grabbed Killian's hand, placing it on her collarbone.
The marks from his kisses a month ago were still visible, proof of how rough he had been.
"Don't forget, you were the one who tore my clothes off that night!"
Killian had been the one holding onto Lila, and now it seemed like she had planned it all.
Killian shook off Lila's hand and pushed her against the wall, pressing down on her shoulders.
"How dare you bring up that night! If it weren't for my grandmother protecting you, I would have sent you away long ago."
Killian's voice was full of warning, his presence radiating violence as he squinted at Lila.
"You said you wouldn't appear in front of me again. Is five million not enough? Do you want to marry me? You should consider if you are worth it!"
Lila was startled. She felt like her shoulders were about to be crushed. She panted heavily.
Killian had watched her take the pill and didn't believe the child was his.
He had been a golden boy since childhood. The Hart family's power and wealth dominated most of Alderidge.
Since taking over the Hart family, Killian had made it even more prosperous, becoming a feared figure in the business world.
Killian had never been close to women. Apart from a long-ago first love, he had never kept a woman by his side.
Lila knew her place.
When she returned to the country six months ago, before the Voss family fell, Killian Hart hadn't even glanced at her. Now, it was even less likely he would have any feelings for her.
"Was it you who had someone drug me that night?"
Killian's deep voice carried a chilling edge.
Lila couldn't believe it. Killian suspected she had drugged him. She was a victim too!
"No, I was hired to perform at a club. As soon as I entered the room, you grabbed me."
"Really? How convenient."
Lila didn't want to explain further. It was clear he didn't believe her, and she had no evidence to prove it.
Lila had other reasons for being there that night, but she wouldn't tell anyone.
The pain in her shoulders brought Lila back to her senses.
Someone like Killian wouldn't compromise easily. Staying would only make their relationship worse.
Killian's expression suddenly turned cold. "Or we can go to the hospital now and prove if the child is mine."
"How?" Lila asked.
His eyes were icy, and he pulled out a nearly cruel smile. "Take it out, and we'll know."
Lila stared at him, her eyes full of fear.
This man was insane!
Lila's face turned pale. She forced herself to stay calm.
If she continued to argue with Killian, she would end up in the hospital that night.
"I'll give you three days to come up with a reason my grandmother will accept for you to leave the Hart family. Otherwise, I'll take you to the hospital myself."
The next morning, Lila was brought to the dining room by a maid.
Eleanor Hart warmly took Lila's hand and led her over. "Lila, see what you like to eat. After breakfast, you two can go get your marriage license."
Killian sat across from Lila, looking at his phone.
"No time," he said.