The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes-Chapter 47- under control

The moment Janet was wheeled out of the operating room, August quietly slipped away. He lingered silently by the stairwell in the corridor, lighting a cigarette before pulling out his phone. Without hesitation, he dialed the number saved under "1."

"Manfred, she’s pregnant."

His voice carried a trace of exhaustion—and something darker beneath it. Since it was Charles’s child, a spark of malicious intent ignited in August’s heart. He now had another bargaining chip to use against Charles. But deep down, he hesitated—he didn’t want to hurt an innocent woman. Yet, there was no turning back now.

Whatever Manfred said didn’t register. After hanging up, August moved mechanically out of the hospital.

When Janet awoke, the first thing she saw was a weary, handsome face looming close. She tried to move, but a sharp, tearing pain surged through her lower body. Her mind raced back to the moment before losing consciousness—Elvira had pushed her into the pool, then she’d heard Charles’s voice. Now... how had she ended up in the hospital?

"Don’t move," Charles said softly, noticing the frown on her delicate brow. His fingers gently smoothed away the crease, then he settled beside her. One arm wrapped tenderly around her waist, his voice smooth and captivating like a freshly opened vintage wine.

"Are you feeling any pain? Is your stomach hurting?"

Before she could answer, she felt his warm hand slide under the blanket, resting lightly on her abdomen. Through the thin fabric, the lingering ache in her belly softened under his touch.

But why did his eyes suddenly look so gentle when they met hers?

"I... I’m okay now," Janet said, still unused to this softness from him. She tried to pull away and sit up, but immediately realized her body felt foreign—weak and heavy, like a drowning person struggling for air. Every movement was an ordeal.

"Janet..." Charles gently stroked her hair, his voice tinged with a rare softness. His clothes had long been changed into hospital attire. Janet blinked up at him with bright, innocent eyes—eyes filled with a pure kindness that made Charles’s heart ache even more. This foolish woman didn’t even realize she was pregnant!

"What’s wrong?" Janet asked, sensing the change in him. When their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat with unease—was there something she didn’t know had happened?

She remembered hearing another familiar voice when she fell into the water—Manfred, perhaps?

"You’re pregnant..." Charles said heavily, already anticipating her reaction. Janet’s eyes widened like copper coins, and she instinctively recoiled, as if shocked.

"That can’t be... I never even—" Janet’s mind raced back to that wild wedding night, to the mysterious man...

"I’m sorry, it’s my fault for not protecting you. Don’t get upset now. The doctors say there’s still a risk of miscarriage. You have to cooperate, okay?" Charles knew at this point there was no point hiding the truth. Besides, she had already suspected it—she’d felt it. The man who was with her that night was him.

"No, this can’t be real. How could I be pregnant?" Janet struggled to accept it. She had thought her nausea was just a stomach upset, never imagining she was already carrying a child.

What was she going to do about Philip and Derrick—and the father of the child?

Thinking of this, Janet suddenly lifted her head, glaring fiercely at Charles—the cunning man who had ensnared her from the start but never told her the truth!

"Janet, the child is mine. Don’t think about anything else right now. Just have this baby. I’ll handle everything else, okay?" Charles tried to soothe her, holding her shoulders gently, speaking in a pleading tone.

"This is ridiculous. How can this be happening to us?" Janet felt humiliated by Charles’s admission. She had guessed it was him, but given their current situations, how could they suddenly have a child together?

Her husband was Philip, yet she was carrying Charles’s baby!

"You divorce Philip. I will marry you!" Charles stopped her struggling arms firmly. His crimson eyes burned with determination. This wasn’t a sudden whim—it had been on his mind for a long time. The only woman who could make him consider marriage was Janet.

"You—you said what?" Huge tears spilled from Janet’s eyes. She was truly shocked by Charles’s words.

"You are my woman. I will marry you and make you my wife!" Charles said sincerely. Then he bent down and kissed away her tears. The salty drops mingled on their lips, strangely sweetening the moment.

Janet’s thoughts grew tangled and confused. Her eyes widened, but no words came out.

Philip had rejected her from the start, yet despite that, she still found it hard to accept. How had everything become so tangled overnight?

She knew Charles was a man who kept his promises. She had once been moved by him—but was he only with her out of a sense of responsibility?

This child had come at the worst possible time. She was utterly unprepared. What path should she take now?

Charles gave her no chance to refuse. His gentle kisses brushed her eyes, nose, and lips—soft and careful, nothing like the urgent, rough passion before. From every gesture, Janet saw his tenderness. It seemed he was even more hopeful about the baby than she was...

Charles arranged her hospital admission. Her body couldn’t return to the office, and following the doctor’s orders, he wanted her to stay in the hospital to rest. The medical equipment here was advanced; he couldn’t risk any more accidents.

"Is everything under control?" Charles called Giles. After Janet fell asleep last night, he had instructed Giles to manage the situation. With such a scandal, the media would surely blow it out of proportion. For now, Charles didn’t want Janet dragged into the storm.

"We’ve already moved faster. The news has been locked down. It’s ZT Group!" Giles reported.

Charles paused briefly at the mention of ZT Group—Manfred’s company? How had he forgotten Manfred had appeared last night too?

"Mm, Janet’s work will be handed over to Novia for now. If anything comes up, I’ll handle it when I get back!" Charles gave a brief instruction before hanging up. That malicious woman who nearly made him lose his child—he swore he wouldn’t let Elvira off so easily.

Janet stayed in the hospital for a week. Her condition improved slightly, but Charles didn’t dare relax. He stayed by her side without leaving for a single moment, accompanying her throughout the entire week. Though they spoke little, Janet could feel his attentiveness and unwavering care. Still, their relationship wasn’t quite ready for this kind of closeness. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

He had promised to marry her, but she was still Philip’s wife. She had disappeared for a whole week; Philip and Derrick would definitely have their suspicions.

"The doctor says you need to rest and cannot be discharged!" Charles saw through her thoughts. He was also preparing to confront Derrick. He knew Derrick’s temper and understood that getting him to accept Janet as his second wife wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

But Charles didn’t care. The one he owed the most was Philip. Though he said nothing, Philip knew the truth.

"You can rest at home too. What are we doing here like this?" Janet murmured. Charles’s expression shifted slightly. For a proud and cold man like him to tolerate her this much, she should feel satisfied. But Janet was a woman of principles; she didn’t want to blindly follow Charles’s orders. Even if they were to divorce, she needed to communicate with Philip.

Charles didn’t want to push her too hard. As long as her emotions stayed steady, the baby should be fine. Every one of her smiles and frowns held his soul captive. After her repeated requests, Charles finally agreed to let her return to the Elwin family home.

Fortunately, Derrick had gone to France. Derrick’s first wife Allison was French; after Allison’s death, Derrick shifted his focus back to the country, though he still occasionally flew to France to meet his father-in-law. Philip had a mixed heritage face, resembling their mother more, while Charles had a classic Eastern look—handsome, upright, and noble.

"Dad will be back in a while. You should go live at home for now!" Philip said to Charles. His casual suggestion made Janet feel even more guilty. Charles had arranged a place for Janet to stay, while Philip had moved into the next room. She felt subtly that the two brothers seemed to have reached some unspoken understanding.