Chapter 5

Alice spent a restless night in the luxurious room, waking up early due to the unfamiliar surroundings that made her feel insecure. Her stomach ached slightly, reminiscent of pre-menstrual cramps. After checking, she found no bleeding, indicating that the "seed" was indeed growing inside her. Now that the whole school and her family were aware of the situation, how could she face them?

And that man from last night—he was a demon. How could he treat her like that?

A wave of panic and helplessness washed over Alice.

There was a knock at the door, rhythmic and regular. Startled, she looked up as a voice called from outside. “Miss Howell, are you awake?”

She felt a glimmer of goodwill toward Raven —he had saved her before. Opening the door, she found Raven waiting. He nodded, “Miss Howell, breakfast is ready. After you eat, I’ll arrange for someone to take you back to school.”

Can she even go back?

Her anxiety was evident on her face. Raven reassured her, “Don’t worry; no one will find out about this. At least not until your belly starts showing. Now, let’s eat.”

In the lavish dining room, under the glittering crystal chandelier and on the pure white Persian carpet, a plump Persian cat lounged lazily, nearly blending into the carpet. Alice almost stepped on its tail, prompting the cat to spring up, claws bared, in defense, nearly scaring her to death.

“Snowball, sit!” Raven commanded, and the hefty cat settled back down.

Alice sighed in relief, looking at the long dining table filled with breakfast—both Western and Eastern dishes—yet only one chair was prepared for her. Did they expect her to eat all of this alone? It felt excessive, especially since her stomach was unsettled. After hastily swallowing a few bites, she left the eerie, heavily guarded place.

As she exited, her eyes were covered.

They uncovered them only when they reached the city center.

Raven parked at the school gate, and Alice told him to stop. “I’ll get off here.” She didn’t want to cause another commotion going inside.

He nodded, handing her a bag of meds. “Remember to take these on time, Miss Howell. I know you don’t want this child, but—”

“But what?” Despite the chaos she had experienced, Alice had not lost her rationality. For the sake of her future, she absolutely could not keep this child, but she hadn’t expected Raven to see through her resolve.

“It’s the life of your whole family!” After saying this, he drove away, leaving Alice stunned. The life of her entire family?

Dragging her weary feet back to her dorm, she realized her morning class had already started. The room was empty. She took out the medication—it was all for stabilizing the pregnancy—except for one transparent green bottle labeled for “use on private areas.” Alice’s pale face instantly flushed red.

The class bell rang, and footsteps approached. In a panic, she shoved the medication into her drawer and locked it. Just then, Riley entered, her eyes wide as she rushed over. “Alice, you’re back?”

Alice nodded, feeling a bit better. “Sorry to worry you all.”

“Alice, what happened to your face? And your injuries?” Although her hair was slightly disheveled, the visible wounds couldn’t have healed overnight. Riley, noticing, rolled up her sleeves. “Did your stepmother hit you again?”

“It’s nothing,” Alice shook her head, lowering her sleeves. “Don’t make a fuss.”

Riley was furious but helpless, her eyes reddening with anger, while Elena and Zara shared her indignation. Little did they know, these injuries paled in comparison to what was happening inside her.

The life of her whole family? Alice was the only one in her family, but she had her own plans.

That evening, after her last class, she saw Robert’s car waiting outside the teaching building. As the window rolled down, Robert’s face appeared. “Alice, get in. We’re going home.”

...Home? Alice hesitated. Was he going to hit her again? Her frail body trembled slightly as Robert continued, “Your grandfather is waiting for you to have dinner. We need to hurry.”

Riley tugged at Alice’s sleeve, worry etched on her face, but seeing Robert’s mild expression seemed to suggest otherwise. Even the school’s head teacher and department chair, who knew about her situation, acted as if nothing was wrong when she returned to class today, just as Raven had said.