"Ayla!" Ethan exclaimed, instinctively rising from his chair to catch Ayla's collapsing body before it hit the floor.
The waitstaff, who had been standing by the door, froze in place, unsure of what to do. Ethan's face turned pale and panicked an expression rarely seen on a man as composed as him. He immediately lifted Ayla into his arms.
"Connor!" he shouted.
Connor entered promptly upon hearing the call. "Bring the car to the back entrance. Now!" Ethan ordered sharply.
Connor nodded and moved swiftly. But before he could take a step, Ethan added, "Make sure no one in this restaurant utters a word about what they saw tonight. That includes the staff. Anyone who talks—ensure they can't work again. Understood?"
"Understood, sir."
Ethan glanced down at Ayla's face in his arms. Her skin was pale, cold sweat dampened her temples. She looked fragile and exhausted. Ethan strode out of the room, ignoring the stares from the restaurant staff they passed. Everyone lowered their gaze as Ethan walked briskly with Ayla, the cold aura and pressure around him too intense to ignore.
Upon reaching the car and as it sped away from the restaurant, Ethan immediately gave instructions over the phone. "Prepare a private room. Use the VVIP suite my family typically uses. Ensure only you and the special team attend to her. No information is to be leaked. You know what's at stake."
"Understood, Mr. Calloway. I'll have everything ready. By the time you arrive, all will be set," the hospital director responded on the other end.
The car sped through a rarely used special access route into the hospital. As per Ethan's instructions, several hospital staff were discreetly waiting to receive them. Ayla was taken down silently, directly to the sterilized room.
Upon entering, the hospital staff were momentarily surprised. They had assumed the emergency patient was a member of the Calloway family. But upon seeing Ayla's face, their shock turned to realization: this was Dr. Ayla, one of the hospital's most competent and accomplished young doctors.
Ethan remained in the car. He didn't enter the treatment room. His sharp eyes fixed on the entrance, occasionally glancing at his phone screen. Fifteen minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes passed, and finally, a message arrived.
"Mr. Calloway, please come to my office. We need to talk. — Hospital Director."
Ethan stepped out of the car. His strides were steady as he walked down the corridor, took the elevator, and finally reached the hospital director's office. His face remained stoic, seemingly unshaken. But beneath that, his mind was racing.
After sitting on the sofa opposite the hospital director, Ethan got straight to the point. "Is her condition serious?" he asked flatly.
The hospital director didn't answer immediately. He pushed an ultrasound image toward Ethan. "This is our initial examination result," he said calmly.
Ethan took the image, glanced at it briefly. His eyes narrowed, not understanding. "What is this? A tumor? Organ dysfunction?"
"No, Mr. Calloway. She is pregnant."
The room fell silent. Ethan looked at the image again, this time more intently. "How far along?" he whispered, more to himself.
"Approximately nine weeks. Early pregnancy. Fatigue, work stress, and possibly sensitivity to food aromas tonight caused her to faint. Ayla needs complete rest. Otherwise, this pregnancy will be at risk."
For the first time in recent memory, Ethan's expression was unreadable. He stared at the ultrasound image for a long time. Then he looked sharply at the hospital director. "Are you sure this isn't a mistake?" he asked in a low but intense voice.
The hospital director remained steadfast. He knew who he was dealing with, but he also knew his responsibilities as a doctor. "This is no mistake, sir," he replied firmly. "I guarantee this ultrasound result is genuine, not manipulated or based on assumptions. I personally oversaw the examination to ensure accuracy."
Ethan continued to scrutinize the ultrasound image, as if trying to find a non-existent error. "Why did you proceed directly to an ultrasound?" he asked, suspicious. "Typically, early pregnancy is confirmed with a urine test, isn't it?"
The hospital director nodded slowly. "Yes, generally a urine test is the first step. But in Dr. Ayla's case, we observed a significant drop in her blood pressure, cold sweats, and mild disorientation. Additionally, she reported extreme nausea, which is unusual for mere fatigue. These symptoms pointed to several possibilities, one being pregnancy. This information was also obtained when Dr. Ayla regained consciousness and described her current sensations."
He continued calmly but firmly, "So I decided, rather than wait for urine test results which take time and considering Dr. Ayla's weakness to perform the test, we took swift action. We conducted a transabdominal ultrasound to rule out other serious medical conditions, such as internal bleeding or organ issues. What we found was a clearly formed gestational sac."
Ethan fell silent. His hand gripped the ultrasound image more tightly. "So, this is certain?"
"Absolutely certain, Mr. Calloway. The gestational sac is clearly visible, approximately nine weeks along. No signs of abnormalities. But we will continue to monitor closely, as extreme fatigue can be a risk factor."
Meanwhile, in Ayla's hospital room, she stared blankly out the window. Although the doctor had advised her to rest, her mind was anything but calm. Her head felt crowded, as if thousands of voices were clamoring simultaneously.
She recalled the intense nausea that had struck her earlier, accompanied by dizziness, cold sweats, and weakness. In her mind, she had briefly considered the worst-case scenario, though she tried to dismiss it. But reality is always harsher than denial. She was indeed pregnant.
Her hand instinctively touched her still-flat abdomen. Her world felt like it was crumbling. Ayla took a deep breath. How could this happen? she thought, her breath trembling. She was certain that night wasn't during her fertile period. Besides, she had taken contraceptive pills. That should have been enough to prevent pregnancy, right?
However, amidst her constant busyness, she hadn't even realized that she hadn't menstruated for over two months. She had attributed it to stress and workload. In truth, her body had been signaling her for a long time, but she had chosen not to listen.
The hospital room door opened slowly. But Ayla continued to gaze out the window, unaware of someone now standing at the doorway. Footsteps approached. The sound of heavy breathing grew closer. Yet Ayla remained still, too lost in her own thoughts.