Husband With Benefits-Chapter 875: What What?

"Your Highness, your friend is pregnant."

Rafe froze mid-step, his gaze snapping to the doctor. He coughed, caught off guard. "What?"

The doctor’s tone remained calm, though her words carried significant weight. "She is pregnant, Your Highness. Judging by her condition, it seems she has not been eating well or has been under considerable stress. Her blood sugar dropped, which led to the fainting spell. But yes, I can confirm that she is expecting."

Rafe blinked, struggling to process the news. "But... she just took a test," he stammered. "It came out negative." The words slipped out before he could stop himself, and his expression tightened, realizing he might have said too much.

The doctor, merely offered a small, understanding smile. "That’s likely because it’s still very early in the pregnancy. At this stage, some tests might not detect it. In another week or so, the result would likely have been positive. These things take time to show conclusively."

He took a calming breath. Dam* it! This was like sitting on a roller coaster ride. And he did not like those. Once he’d taken a moment to calm himself, he cast a warning look at the doctore,"Doctor, you do realise the importance of discretion, correct?"

The doctor stiffened and nodded," Of course, Your Highness. The news will not be leaked."

Of course the doctor did not reveal her thoughts. There was no news of their crown prince dating so of course this child might not be ’welcome.’ It was something common among the rich.

But before she could continue with her thoughts, the man asked her in a concerned tone, "Is she okay? This won’t affect her and the baby in the long term? Is she awake? Does she know?"

The doctor gave a reassuring nod even as she blinked in surprise. Okay. She might be mistaken. Maybe they were dating and had managed to hide things from the media. Curbing her need to gossip, she poke up, "Yes, Your Highness. She and the baby are alright as of now. She’s awake and has been informed. She’s resting now. As for the future health, both should be fine as long as they eat well and the lady takes care of herself."

Rafe exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, his hands clenching at his sides. "Can I see her?" frёeωebɳovel.com

Rafe hesitated briefly, his hand hovering near the doorframe. He drew in a deep breath, steeling himself, before giving a soft knock and pushing the door open. The moment he stepped inside, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Her glare hit him with the force of a thousand daggers. If looks could kill, he was certain he’d have collapsed right there, lifeless on the cold, sterile floor. The intensity in her eyes was enough to make even the most battle-hardened warrior take a step back.

She leaned slightly forward on the hospital bed, her expression thunderous, her voice low but seething as she ground out a single word: "YOU."

Rafe felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward in what he hoped was a reassuring smile, though it likely came across as more sheepish than confident. Raising his hands slowly, palms out in mock surrender, he replied with deliberate emphasis, "ME."

She closed her eyes then and leaned her head back," Just don’t say anything for now. I don’t want to hear your future plans, okay?"

Rafe sighed and carefully walked over to her, sitting by her bedside as he took hold of her hand," Okay then," he said in a calm, measured tone. "We can discuss the future plans later. There’s no rush."

For a moment, the room was quiet, then Arabelle slowly opened her eyes and cast him a wary glance. Her lips pressed together tightly before she finally spoke, her voice trembling just slightly. "There might not be a need for future plans," she said, her words deliberate and heavy. "You know... I might... I might decide to have an abortion. I never planned to hav children and this is too soon."

Rafe froze, the weight of her statement settling over him like a heavy blanket. His hand, still holding hers, tensed reflexively. He wanted to protest, the words rising quickly to the tip of his tongue. But he stopped himself.

After a beat, he exhaled slowly, "Whatever it is you choose to do,I just hope you take your time to think it through, really think about it." He paused, searching her face for any sign of what she might be feeling. "And no matter what you decide," he continued, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "I’ll support you. I’ll be here, for whatever you need."

She looked at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable, before turning her gaze toward the ceiling. "I thought you would protest an abortion. I mean you need an heir and all, and you even sounded excited earlier..."

"I want to protest," Rafe admitted, his voice steady but carrying an edge of frustration. He let out a sharp breath and leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped together tightly. "Believe me, it’s not easy to hold back. I could give you hundreds of reasons—hundreds of points—to argue against this decision of yours."

He paused, letting the words settle in the air before continuing in a softer tone. "But considering the fact that I fought long and hard in the council to make abortion legal in Petrovia, I’d be the biggest hypocrite if I turned around now and pressured you into a pregnancy you don’t want."

He looked up at her then, his gaze steady and sincere. "So, as much as I might have my own thoughts, I’m choosing to stand with you in whatever you decide. This is your choice, and I’m keeping my opinions to myself, no matter how hard that might be for me."

Arabelle stared at him then, piercingly and he wondered what it was she was thinking. Honestly, he did want to tell her all the reasons she should keep this baby, so he tried to hold himself back and instead started to talk about