Chapter 673: Confession
Smiling faintly, he answered the call. "Honey?"
However, Jules’ anxious voice immediately came from the other end. "Lucas!"
She deliberately sounded panicked. "Adeline came over, and she’s refusing to leave our apartment."
She paused just long enough to make it believable before adding, "Come back quickly and get her out."
The smile on Lucas’s face disappeared instantly. His brows knitted tightly together.
"What?"
A strange sense of uneasiness settled inside his heart. Even so, he didn’t dare waste a single second.
’What if Adeline says something that makes Jules misunderstand even more?’
Without another thought, he immediately rushed toward the apartment. The entire drive felt unusually long.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much traffic. Only a few minutes later, he arrived outside the apartment.
The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he noticed something unusual. The apartment door was already slightly open.
Lucas instinctively frowned. ’Why is the door open?’
A trace of vigilance appeared in his eyes. Slowly, he pushed the door open.
His gaze immediately landed on the figure sitting on the sofa. It was Adeline.
Lucas’ brows furrowed even more. The first thing he did wasn’t greet her. Instead, he looked around the apartment.
"Jules?"
His voice echoed through the quiet living room. No one answered. He called again. "Jules?"
After waiting for several seconds without receiving any response, Lucas slowly turned back toward Adeline.
A wary expression appeared on his face. Keeping a respectful distance, he asked,
"What are you doing here?"
Meanwhile, the person sitting before him wasn’t exactly Adeline. Or rather, it was Jules.
Jules had asked Adeline to help her with one final test.
At that very moment, Adeline was crouching behind the large sofa, hidden completely from Lucas’ line of sight.
Beside her rested a small wireless speaker. Adeline quietly held the connected microphone in her hand.
The moment Lucas spoke, Adeline took a slow breath before speaking into the microphone.
"I’m here because... I wanted to tell you something."
Her voice echoed naturally from the speaker positioned beside the sofa. She continued softly,
"Please... just stay where you are."
A brief silence followed before she added, "I don’t think I’d have the courage to face you if I didn’t say this today."
Hearing those words, Lucas’ heart skipped a beat. A bad feeling instantly crept into his chest.
His brows gradually knitted together. After remaining silent for a few seconds, he finally asked, "What is it?"
Behind the sofa, Jules nervously clasped her hands together. Even though she was the one who had suggested this test, her heartbeat had become uncontrollably fast.
’Please... Lucas... Don’t disappoint me.’
Taking another slow breath, Adeline continued speaking into the microphone. Her voice remained calm.
"Lucas... I think I have feelings for you. Would you accept me?"
The moment those words reached Lucas’ ears, he completely froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief. For several long seconds, he simply stared at Adeline’s back without saying a single word. Even his breathing seemed to stop.
Finally, he spoke. "You are lying, right? Is this some kind of prank?"
Silence answered him. No further explanation came.
Lucas slowly closed his eyes before letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
"I’m already in a relationship. And I’m going to marry my girlfriend."
There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation in his tone.
"So please leave."
His expression softened slightly. "I’ll pretend I never heard what you just said."
Without waiting for another reply, Lucas immediately turned around.
The front door quietly closed behind him. The living room fell silent once again.
Behind the sofa, Jules slowly stood up. The tension inside her body finally disappeared.
She let out a long breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. Her heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally settled down.
Turning toward Adeline, she lowered her head apologetically. Her voice was filled with guilt. "I’m sorry."
Adeline immediately shook her head with a gentle smile. "It’s alright."
She walked over and softly held Jules’ hand. "I understand."
Her smile remained warm. "I understand why you’re feeling insecure."
She gently squeezed Jules’ hand. "And I also understand that your pregnancy hormones are making everything feel even more overwhelming."
The moment those comforting words entered Jules’ ears, her eyes immediately became red. Tears slowly gathered at the corners of her eyes.
She felt deeply ashamed. Ashamed that she had doubted Adeline. Ashamed that she had doubted Lucas.
Yet, at the same time, an enormous sense of relief washed over her heart. She finally believed Aurora’s words. Lucas truly had no romantic feelings for Adeline.
Still, there were two more tests remaining. The next day, Lucas sat inside his office.
Stacks of completed documents rested neatly beside his computer. After finishing the last file, he glanced at the clock mounted on the wall.
It was exactly five o’clock. Stretching slightly, he reached for his coat. Just as he was about to leave work, his phone suddenly began to ring.
Buzz... Buzz... Lucas looked down.
The moment he saw that the caller was his wife, a gentle smile appeared on his face. Without any hesitation, he answered immediately. "Honey?"
From the other end came Jules’ trembling voice. She sounded as though she was enduring immense pain.
"Lucas... my stomach hurts... it really hurts."
Her voice trembled. "Can... can you come home quickly?"
The smile instantly disappeared from Lucas’ face. His expression changed dramatically.
His voice became filled with urgency. "Stay right where you are."
He was already grabbing his car keys. "I’m coming immediately."
As he hurried toward the office door, he asked, "Are you at the apartment?"
Jules softly replied, "Yes..."
Without wasting another second, Lucas ended the call.
He practically ran out of the office, his footsteps echoing loudly through the empty hallway.
All that remained in his mind was a single thought.
’Nothing can happen to Jules or our baby.’
Within moments, he had already started his car and sped toward the apartment as quickly as he safely could.
However, before he had gone very far, his phone rang once more. This time, the caller ID displayed Adeline.
Lucas frowned even more before answering. "Adeline?"
From the other end came Adeline’s weak voice. She sounded as though she were struggling to breathe.
"Lucas... can you come to my house?"
She paused to catch her breath. "My condition is getting worse, and I can’t get in touch with Alex at all."
Hearing that, Lucas’s expression immediately became serious. "All right."
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I’ll handle it."
With that, he ended the call. Meanwhile, inside Jules’ apartment, Adeline and Jules were sitting directly across from each other.
The atmosphere inside the living room was strangely quiet. Neither of them spoke for several moments. Finally, Adeline smiled helplessly.
"Don’t worry."
She looked at Jules reassuringly. "He won’t abandon you."
Jules pursed her lips. "We’ll see."
Just then, Adeline’s phone suddenly rang. She lowered her gaze. It was Lucas.
Without hesitation, she answered. Immediately, Lucas’s calm voice echoed from the speaker. "I’ve already informed Olivia."
He continued, "She’ll reach your house within a few minutes."
His voice remained composed. "Don’t worry. Once Alex becomes available, I’ll notify him immediately as well."
He added, "Olivia is much closer to your house than I am, so she’ll arrive first."
The moment those words reached their ears, both Jules and Adeline subconsciously let out long sighs of relief.
Deep inside her heart, Adeline had once wondered whether Lucas might secretly have feelings for her.
His unusual concern and strange behavior over the months had naturally made her think that way.
But now, his response had completely put her mind at ease. He hadn’t rushed to her side. Instead, he had calmly chosen the person who could reach her the fastest.
It wasn’t favoritism. It was simply the most rational decision. Adeline smiled faintly. "Never mind."
Her voice had become much steadier. "I’m feeling a little better now."
She continued, "Just leave everything as it is."
Lucas didn’t insist. "All right."
After ending the call, he continued driving toward his apartment. A few minutes later, he hurried inside.
The moment he entered the living room, he saw Jules lying quietly on the sofa with one hand gently caressing her stomach.
His expression immediately changed. Walking over quickly, he anxiously asked, "What happened?"
His eyes were filled with concern. "Should I take you to the hospital?"
Jules slowly shook her head. "No..."
She forced a small smile. "I’m fine."
As she spoke, guilt slowly crept into her heart. She wanted to confess everything. "Lucas... I have something to tell you."
The words reached the tip of her tongue. But then, she hesitated.
’One more time. Just one final test.’
She slowly closed her eyes. "It’s nothing."
Lucas quietly observed her for several seconds. Although he sensed that something was bothering her, he decided not to pressure her into speaking.
Taking a deep breath, he simply nodded. The matter appeared to end there.
However, the following morning, the moment Lucas walked into the dining room, he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks.
Jules looked different today. He carefully observed her appearance.