Chapter 210: You’re Definitely Not Pregnant*

Claire Grace sat contentedly with a small pack of marinated snacks, chopsticks in hand, happily indulging in every bite.

"Claire, isn't this a bit much? You've already eaten quite a bit, and yet you're still going like this?" Blaine Jackson teased, shaking his head with a smile. "You look like a refugee who just escaped from some crisis."

"Really?" Claire's cheeks were puffed out as she kept eating, unbothered by his remark.

"Take it slow. It's not like I'm going to steal your food."

"It's not that I'm worried about you stealing my food," Claire said after swallowing, "but I need to finish quickly and head home to brush my teeth and change. Otherwise, my husband might catch the smell of these snacks on me." She shuddered slightly, imagining the scolding she'd get from Lucas.

Blaine chuckled. "Claire, honestly, I don't even know what to say to you. Just don't blame me if your baby ends up with acne because I took you out for spicy snacks."

"Come on, it's just this once," Claire glared at him. "But you'd better keep quiet about this and not report me to Lucas, or I'll really be in trouble."

"Seriously? Do you think I'd snitch on you?" Blaine poked her forehead lightly with two fingers. "I'm just worried you'll upset your stomach from eating so much." He glanced at the nearly empty snack pack. "You've been at it non-stop for an hour."

Pregnant women really are something else, he thought.

"You're such a pessimist. My stomach is just fine, and eating a little won't…" Suddenly, Claire's words trailed off. Her posture stiffened, and a sharp pain crossed her face. Her complexion turned alarmingly pale.

"Claire, what's wrong?" Blaine asked, startled. He quickly took the snack pack from her trembling hands and set it aside.

Claire tried to respond, but the stabbing pain in her abdomen rendered her speechless. Her hands instinctively clutched her stomach as cold sweat dripped from her brow. Worse yet, she felt a strange, sticky sensation flowing out of her body. Panic seized her—could something be wrong with the baby?

"Blaine, hurry—take me to the hospital," Claire managed to whisper before collapsing into his arms.

Without hesitation, Blaine scooped her up and ran toward his car.

---

**XX Hospital, Obstetrics Department**

"Ms. Grace, here are the items you requested." A nurse handed Claire a small black tote bag and left the room.

Claire didn't need to look inside to know it contained sanitary pads and a change of undergarments—exactly what she needed at the moment.

Five minutes later, Claire sat across from Dr. Feng, her face clouded with worry. "Dr. Feng, can you tell me why this happened?"

"Ms. Grace, are you referring to the bleeding or the abdominal pain?" the doctor asked, looking up from her notes.

"...Both."

"Well," Dr. Feng began, "the bleeding is normal, but the intense pain is likely due to irritation from eating cold or spicy foods recently."

"What?" Claire's eyes widened. Could the spicy snacks really have caused such a dramatic effect? But—"Dr. Feng, why do you say the bleeding is normal? Isn't that abnormal?"

"Ms. Grace, bleeding during menstruation is entirely normal," Dr. Feng explained patiently, while the nurse beside her stifled a chuckle.

"Menstruation?!" The word hit Claire like a thunderbolt. She stared at the doctor, utterly dumbfounded.

"Ms. Grace, are you alright?" Dr. Feng asked, concerned by Claire's stunned reaction.

"Wait... you must be mistaken," Claire stammered. "I—I can't be menstruating... I'm pregnant! Yes, I'm pregnant. How could this be a period?"

"Ms. Grace, I conducted a thorough examination," Dr. Feng replied gently. "You're not pregnant. The bleeding is from your menstrual cycle, and the pain is simply dysmenorrhea. Here's the detailed report for your reference." She handed Claire a file.

"No, no, this has to be a mistake," Claire said desperately, clutching Dr. Feng's hand. "I did a pregnancy test—ten times! And they all showed the same result. How could this possibly be my period?"

"Ms. Grace, I'm certain you're not pregnant," Dr. Feng affirmed. "Home pregnancy tests are not 100% accurate. Factors like diet or certain medications can sometimes result in false positives. More importantly…" Dr. Feng hesitated, debating whether to continue. Finally, she said, "I suggest you review the report for clarity."

---

**Elsewhere:**

At a corporate gala, Lucas Zeller's silence was palpable. The tension in the room was so thick that even the company's major clients began speculating about what had upset him.

"Mr. Zeller, how about a toast to celebrate our partnership?" one cosmetics company executive ventured nervously, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yes, Mr. Zeller, it's a rare occasion. Let's drink to our success!" another chimed in.

"My apologies, everyone," Lucas said abruptly, rising from his seat. "I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please enjoy the evening. All expenses are on me." With that, he left the room, leaving a trail of surprised murmurs in his wake.

Once in his car, Lucas dialed a number. The call connected almost immediately.

"Lucas, you'd better have a good reason for calling me right after I got home," Roy Lin's annoyed voice came through.

"You're home already?" Lucas had been about to ask Roy to cover for him at the gala.

"What else did you expect? I've been working overtime every day. When I get home, I still have to prepare a nutritious dinner for my wife. Do you think I'm some kind of invincible superhero?"

"Enough complaining. I'll make it up to you with bonuses later. Since you're already home, forget it. Bye." Lucas hung up abruptly.