RankNovelChapter 0185
Hannah
The sounds of fighting had stopped, the ring going utterly silent save for one thing: the growls that escaped my
throat before | even realized what | was doing.
Drake blinked atin shock for a moment, his eyes flickering down to my stomach-where my left hand was still
protectively pressed. And then he met my fiery gaze, and realization seemed to dawn on him.
“Hannah, are you...?”
No, | thought to myself. Oh no. Pull yourself together, Hannah! Snapping out of it, | quickly straightened, cleared
my throat, and stepped out of the ring, wondering if | could play it off as nothing more than a stomachache.
“Sorry, Drake,” | mumbled, heading for my gym bag with quick steps. “I’m not feeling well. Maybe we should call
it a day.”
But Drake wasn’t buying it. He followed me, his footsteps echoing in the empty training center. | kept my back
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtturned in the hopes that he wouldn't see how beet red my face had just become, just focusing on grabbing my
bag and getting the hell out of here.
“Hannah, wait,” he called out, jogging now to catch up. “Wait! We need to talk.”
| quickened my pace, my breath hitching in my throat, but Drake was faster. He caught up tojust as |
reached my bag, placing a hand on my shoulder to stopbefore | could make a run for it.
“Hannah,” he said, his voice low and serious. “You're pregnant, aren't you?”
| froze, my heart pounding in my chest. He couldn't know; no one except Viona could know. Hell, | even
questioned whether | had made the right choice in telling her half the time. Slowly, | turned to face him, trying to
keep my expression as neutral as possible.
“What?” | scoffed, feigning ignorance. “No, I just—"
“You don’t need to lie to me,” Drake interrupted, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my
stomach twist painfully. “The way you reacted when | went for your stomach, the protectiveness... It all
makes sense now.”
| opened my mouth to deny it again, but no words would cout. My silence seemed to satisfy Drake, and he
nodded slowly.
“I thought so,” he murmured, sighing and running a hand through his dark hair. “Look, | won't tell anyone, okay?
You don’t even have to admit it out loud. But Hannah, you can’t be engaging in combat like this if you're
pregnant. It's too dangerous.”
| pressed my lips into a thin line as my heart hammered like a war drum in my chest. Dammit, | thought to
myself; Drake was too smart for his own good, and there was no going back now.
“Drake, I... if am pregnant,” | said carefully, still not confirming it outright, “then | need to be able to protect my
future child. | can’t just stop training and becvulnerable again.”
Drake's expression softened, and he took a step closer “I understand that, | do. But there are safer ways to train,
ways that won't put you or the baby at risk.”
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Chapter 0185
“Like what?” | asked, curious despite myself.
“Well, we could focus more on defensive techniques, evasion, and non-contact drills,” Drake suggested. “I can
modify the exercises to avoid any impact to your abdomen. If you want to continue training, I'll find ways to do it
safely.”
| narrowed my eyes, unable to avoid feeling suspicious of his good nature even though he had never givena
real reason to feel that way. “And, hypothetically, if | needed these special accommodations- which | don’t-what
would you want in return?”
Drake smiled sheepishly. “Just what we agreed on before. A date with Zoe.”
| couldn’t help but chuckle. “You're still hung up on that, huh?”
“What can | say? I'm persistent,” Drake grinned. Then his expression turned serious again. “But Hannah, | mean
it. | want to help you. This isn’t just about Zoe.”
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