Chapter 174: Chapter 185

Chapter 0185 Hannah The sounds of fighting had stopped, the ring going utterly silent save for one thing: the growls that escaped my throat before I even realized what I was doing.

Drake blinked at me in shock for a moment, his eyes flickering down to my stomach-where my left hand was still protectively pressed. And then he met my fiery gaze, and realization seemed to dawn on him.

“Hannah, are you...?”

No, I thought to myself. Oh no. Pull yourself together, Hannah! Snapping out of it, I quickly straightened, cleared my throat, and stepped out of the ring, wondering if I could play it off as nothing more than a stomachache.

“Sorry, Drake,” I mumbled, heading for my gym bag with quick steps. “I’m not feeling well. Maybe we should call it a day.”

But Drake wasn’t buying it. He followed me, his footsteps echoing in the empty training center. I kept my back turned in the hopes that he wouldn’t see how beet red my face had just become, just focusing on grabbing my bag and getting the hell out of here.

“Hannah, wait,” he called out, jogging now to catch up. “Wait! We need to talk.”

I quickened my pace, my breath hitching in my throat, but Drake was faster. He caught up to me just as I reached my bag, placing a hand on my shoulder to stop me before I could make a run for it.

“Hannah,” he said, his voice low and serious. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. He couldn’t know; no one except Viona could know. Hell, I even questioned whether I had made the right choice in telling her half the time. Slowly, I turned to face him, trying to keep my expression as neutral as possible.

“What?” I scoffed, feigning ignorance. “No, I just—”

“You don’t need to lie to me,” Drake interrupted, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my stomach twist painfully.

“The way you reacted when I went for your stomach, the protectiveness... It all makes sense now.”

I opened my mouth to deny it again, but no words would come out. My silence seemed to satisfy Drake, and he nodded slowly.

“I thought so,” he murmured, sighing and running a hand through his dark hair. “Look, I won’t tell anyone, okay? You don’t even have to admit it out loud. But Hannah, you can’t be engaging in combat like this if you’re pregnant. It’s too dangerous.”

I pressed my lips into a thin line as my heart hammered like a war drum in my chest. Dammit, I thought to myself; Drake was too smart for his own good, and there was no going back now.

“Drake, I... if I am pregnant,” I said carefully, still not confirming it outright, “then I need to be able to protect my future child. I can’t just stop training and become vulnerable again.”

Drake’s expression softened, and he took a step closer “I understand that, I do. But there are safer ways to train, ways that won’t put you or the baby at risk.”

1/2 +25 BONUS Chapter 0185 “Like what?” I asked, curious despite myself.

“Well, we could focus more on defensive techniques, evasion, and non-contact drills,” Drake suggested. “I can modify the exercises to avoid any impact to your abdomen. If you want to continue training, I’ll find ways to do it safely.”

I narrowed my eyes, unable to avoid feeling suspicious of his good nature even though he had never given me a real reason to feel that way. “And, hypothetically, if I needed these special accommodations- which I don’t-what would you want in return?”

Drake smiled sheepishly. “Just what we agreed on before. A date with Zoe.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re still hung up on that, huh?”

“What can I say? I’m persistent,” Drake grinned. Then his expression turned serious again. “But Hannah, I mean it. I want to help you. This isn’t just about Zoe.”