?<strong>Chapter 443:</strong>


    Shaun hesitated, then replied, “It’s not cherry season at the moment.”


    Tracy seized the chance to express her displeasure. “What do you mean? If my friend wants cherries, you should find some. You can’t just brush her off with ‘it’s not the season.''”


    Elyse gave Tracy a helpless look. She felt the fuss over cherries was unwarranted since she wasn’t really insistent on having them.


    Shaun turned to his butler and issued a firmmand, “Get some cherries here, now. Frozen or canned, it doesn’t matter. I want them within thirty minutes.”


    The butler nodded and hurried off to fulfill the order.


    Meanwhile, Elyse raised her hand to interject. “Really, it’s okay. An apple would be fine.”


    Tracy shook her head dismissively. “No, apples are too ordinary. You deserve cherries.”


    She then fixed Shaun with a defiant stare, as if challenging him.


    Shaun maintained hisposure and met Tracy’s gaze without any change in his expression.


    Elyse, however, thought she detected a trace of indulgence in Shaun’s eyes. Could she be imagining it?


    Thirty minutester, the butler returned with a can of cherries. He opened it, emptied the contents into a small bowl, and set it before Elyse.


    Just as Elyse took a spoon to try the cherries, she was overwhelmed by another wave of nausea. The nausea hit harder this time around. She couldn’t hold it back and gagged in front of everyone.


    Tracy looked on, shocked and concerned, and quickly asked, “Elyse, are you alright?”


    Elyse turned around, retched, and eventually said, “I’m fine. Maybe it’s just because I’ve been hungry all day and have an upset stomach.”


    Darren looked at her skeptically and gestured to his te. “That doesn’t sound right. If you were hungry, you’d be devouring food like me,” he observed, pointing at the shrimp shells scattered across his te.


    Perplexed, Elyse scratched her head, unsure how to respond.


    Tracy, who was standing next to her, breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled, “d it’s just an upset stomach. For a moment there, I thought you might be pregnant—you had that look.”


    The remark altered Elyse’s expression momentarily before she masked her surprise, pretending indifference.


    Shaun, who had been observing quietly, noted the fleeting change in her demeanor and paused to think.


    Impatiently, Tracy turned to the butler standing by Shaun and snapped, “Go get some medicine for her.”


    The butler nodded and began to move away, but Shaun raised his hand to stop him.


    “Wait,” he interjected calmly. “There’s no need for medicine. Just have the cook prepare some light food instead.”


    Relieved, Elyse let out a soft sigh.


    Tracy heard Shaun’s decision and murmured under her breath, “So stingy.”


    Shaun remained silent, offering no exnation.


    Feeling a bit unsettled, Elyse forced a smile and asked, “I’m sorry, could you tell me where the bathroom is? I need to rinse my mouth.”


    This time, Shaun stood and offered politely, “Let me show you the way.”


    Surprised by his sudden gantry, Elyse nodded and followed him quietly.


    At the bathroom door, Shaun lowered his voice and asked, “Do you need me to call the family doctor to check on you?”


    Elyse frowned and replied awkwardly, “Check on me? I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor.”


    Shaun nced at her abdomen and smiled slightly. “Maybe you should let a doctor confirm whether you’re pregnant.”


    “I’m not pregnant. Stop saying that,” Elyse retorted, her face draining of color.


    “It really does seem like you might be pregnant, especially since you and Jayden have been married for almost a year. I thought you’d be thrilled about having Jayden’s baby, given how much you love him.”


    “I’m not pregnant,” Elyse insisted firmly.


    Shaun waved dismissively and said, “Fine, if you insist. Pregnant women can be so touchy. I’ll have the cook prepare something suitable for pregnancy anyway.”


    Elyse bit her lip and watched as Shaun walked away. She then turned on the tap and rinsed her mouth, feeling a numbness that made her ufortable.


    After managing to swallow her difort, she returned to the dining room.


    The cook had indeed prepared lighter fare.


    Tracy noticed Elyse’s pallor and said with concern, “Elyse, you need to eat something. You were probably just too nervous from today’spetition. Try some food.”


    Nodding, Elyse managed to take a few bites.


    Shaun touched his chin, pondering whether to inform Jayden of the supposed pregnancy. However, remembering how Jayden had kept Tracy hidden from him, he decided against it. Anyway, Elyse was not his wife. Why should he worry?


    After a few more bites, Elyse felt too full to continue. Just then, her phone rang. It was Jayden. She answered immediately.


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