Chapter 145

Noah vibrated with rage, watching Hannah and Drake laugh together, clinking glasses, and making dinner plans. It sickened him. Drake’s gaze, crinkling at the corners when Hannah spoke, their closeness—it all infuriated him. Hannah had handled the tabloid scandal surprisingly well, crafting a new narrative that repaired her public image. Noah was impressed, not only by this but also by her upcoming campaign. She was smarter and more prepared than she let on.

But this didn't alleviate his unease about her and Drake's undeniable closeness. The thought of countless dinner dates made his blood boil. Downing his lemonade, he slammed his glass on the bar and approached Hannah.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, ignoring Drake.

Hannah rolled her eyes but nodded, allowing Noah to lead her away. In a quiet hallway, away from other guests, Hannah turned, hands on her hips.

"What is it?"

"If you go out with Drake, you'll give everyone the wrong idea," Noah hissed. "He'll think it's a date."

Expecting a clever response, he was shocked by her bored shrug.

"So what if he does?" she asked, checking her nails.

Noah recoiled. "What do you mean, 'so what'? You can't be serious."

"Why not?" She arched an eyebrow. "Drake's a good man. He's kind—far kinder than you've been lately. And we're getting divorced soon, so…"

Her implication ignited Noah's anger. He stepped forward, caging her against the wall.

"You think Drake is kind?" he snarled, his face close to hers. "You think he cares about you the way I do?"

He searched her eyes, hoping for a flicker of desire, the passion that had once burned between them. But Hannah met his gaze with cool indifference. She shoved him away.

"Watch yourself, Noah," she warned. "We're in public."

He gaped as she walked away.

Later, pacing the guest bedroom, Noah couldn't shake the image of Hannah and Drake, or Hannah's words at the Luna Queen's reception—about her ovulation window. He felt foolish, but hadn't had time to investigate. Now, with the possibility of a relationship between Hannah and Drake… what if Drake got her pregnant? If she could conceive outside her ovulation window, yet had refused him…

Desperate, he called their family doctor's office.

The receptionist informed him that Dr. Patel was on an unexpected holiday, abroad, leaving no advance notice. This was unusual. He pressed for details of Dr. Patel's location and return but learned nothing. A nurse he spoke to later confirmed there was no record of Hannah's supposed "frail" condition in her file. The nurse promised to inform Dr. Patel and have him call.

With the doctor's absence unexplained and no information on Hannah's condition, Noah knew he had to act quickly. If Hannah was planning on sleeping with Drake, he needed to intervene before she became pregnant with someone else's child.