Chapter 241: The Weight of Choices

Fraser stood motionless, his silhouette radiating desolation. His gray-tinged eyes were dull, and his low voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.

“Who was responsible!”

An experienced physician nearby recognized the situation only too well. He sighed. “Sir, please accept our condolences. As doctors, we advised the young lady against it, but she insisted on terminating the pregnancy. We had to respect her choice.”

At these words, Fraser’s lips curled into a bitter, self-mocking smile. Summer… Do you really despise any connection to me that much? How could you be so inconsiderate?

His fist slammed into the operating room door with brutal force, instantly splitting the skin as blood gushed from his knuckles. The surrounding onlookers recoiled from the icy rage emanating from him, too intimidated to approach.

Meanwhile, Summer stepped out of the adjacent recovery area, her eyes immediately drawn to the commotion nearby. And there he was, impossible to miss. Dressed head-to-toe in black, his tall frame radiated an almost palpable intensity. For a moment she stood frozen, unable to look away.

Fraser stiffened. Then, as if sensing her presence, he slowly turned. His dark eyes fixed on her with the stillness of a winter storm, still and yet seething beneath the surface.

Summer’s breath caught. That searing gaze made her skin crawl with guilt and discomfort. Instinct screamed at her to flee, but in the next heartbeat, he was there. Long strides closed the distance between them before his arms wrapped around her, crushing her to his chest with almost desperate force. His entire body trembled, as if he feared she would vanish.

Trapped against the hard planes of his body, Summer could barely breathe. She pushed at his shoulders. “Fraser, what are you… Let me go!”

It took agonizing seconds for his grip to loosen. When she finally met his eyes again, they were darker and more dangerous than she’d ever seen, like submerged reefs. His gaze dropped to her stomach, his expression tightening.

Summer knew. He’d heard about the pregnancy. About the abortion.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was harsh, raw.

“We broke up,” Summer replied.

A humorless laugh escaped Fraser. “So that means I don’t even deserve to know? You’d just…” His voice cracked, the words unfinished.

The bluntness of his words drew stares from the nearby patients and staff. Heat flooded Summer’s cheeks. This wasn’t exactly something she wanted broadcast.

When his grip didn’t loosen, she blurted, “I didn’t take it away! Okay?”

“We’re going to start the sedation now,” the doctor said.

“Stop.” The word left Summer’s lips before she could question it. Maybe it wasn’t impulsive. Maybe she’d known all along. So what if she’s a single mom? She has the resources. The strength. This child is hers, no ties to the Frinters, no complications.

She pushed past the startled medical team and left.

Back in the present, Fraser was completely still. A flicker of something fragile—hope?—burned through the darkness in his eyes.

Yvette chose this moment to return, thermos in hand. She took one look at the scene and marched forward, ready to intervene, but Xavier smoothly stepped into her path.

Yvette gazed at him coldly. “You had blocked my way…”

“Let them sort it out,” Xavier said, arms folded. His mouth twisted. “How about coffee instead?”

Yvette’s stare could have frozen lava. “Do I look like I need your pity coffee?” After a long, judgmental look at Summer, she turned on her heel and stalked off.