Leaving While Pregnant：He Goes Crazy！
Chapter 442 Just Fooling You

"Rest assured, Ms. Hansen," the bodyguard calmly replied, "Mr. Blackwood has already paid for a full year's services upfront." A year?

Eva was taken aback when she heard the figure.

He had prepaid for such a long time in advance.

"So, Ms. Hansen, we'll ensure your personal safety for the coming year," the lead protector said.

Hearing this, Eva couldn't help but look up at him.

"Do you guys work for money?"

The leader nodded in affirmation.

"Alright then. If I offer a higher bid than his to have you accompany me abroad to replace someone and ensure my security, would you agree?" The leader paused upon hearing her proposition.

"Don't worry, it's not just Adrian Blackwood who has deep pockets. I can afford it too. And if you need reassurance, I can pay upfront as well." "This..."

"Do your protection services only extend within the country?"

"It's not like that; we can also provide protection abroad. It's just... we've already promised Mr. Blackwood to safeguard you, so we..."

"Yes." Eva smirked, "You're ensuring my personal safety, but you're not restricting my freedom of movement, right? Did he specifically instruct you not to let me go to certain places?" When she posed this question, the team fell silent.

Indeed, they couldn't restrict where she chose to go; they could only accompany her.

With this in mind, Eva knew what she had to do next.

"Uh, Ms. Hansen, we don't object to you traveling abroad, but I must remind you, how do you know if what he told you is true? What if Mr. Blackwood is fine and it's just a ruse?" That's right, Eva had considered this since Michael Cooper had spoken to her. What if it was all a deceit?

But... having known Michael for so many years, spending the last five together, she felt she understood him well. If he'd gone out of his way to call her and say those things, then it likely meant things were as serious as she suspected. Although she couldn't fathom how Adrian Blackwood could have lost to him.

Of course, there was also the chance that Michael was playing mind games, knowing her well enough to provoke her deliberately.

With these thoughts, Eva lowered her gaze, sinking into deep contemplation.

Seeing this, the lead protector quickly spoke up, "Ms. Hansen, I'd advise you to think this over carefully."

Snapping back to the present, Eva looked at him, "I can reconsider, but can you get in touch with Adrian Blackwood?"

"This..."

"Is it that his phone is unreachable? Can't replace him at all, no word from him whatsoever?"

Sometimes, there are things that we can only deduce for ourselves, based on the hard facts.

Eva's inquiry about Shen's whereabouts left everyone speechless; after all, no one could get in touch with him, and the possibility of an accident couldn't be ignored.

Of course, Eva was worried about being duped, so she had given herself a window of time an opportunity to wait.

It all came down to Jacob.

He was already abroad, and for now, Eva had no choice but to pin her hopes on him. If he couldn't locate Adrian Blackwood once he got there, then...

Eva felt her heart plummet. Despite it being nearly time to clock out, she couldn't help but seek out Tim for a prolonged chat before finally leaving.

Once home, Eva acted as if nothing was amiss, carrying on with life among the Blackwoods just like any other ordinary person.

No matter how well she concealed her anxiety, Margaret saw through it. After dinner, when the kids were playing in the study with Kim Blackwood, Margaret approached Eva softly and asked, "Any luck? Have you reached Adrian?" At her words, Eva hesitated, at a loss for how to respond.

"What's wrong? Is there something you're hesitant to tell your mother about? Eva, I may not be your birth mother, but if you're willing, you can think of me as such. You can tell me anything. When you left back then, I couldn't even manage a proper goodbye, nor was I privy to your affairs. But I want you to know, regardless of what's happened between you and Adrian, even if you've parted ways with him, you can always consider me your mother."

These unexpected words triggered a surge of emotion, and Eva's eyes reddened.

"Thank you. I'll remember your kindness," she replied, her voice tinged with gratitude.

As a child, Eva had always envied those with mothers. She longed for one who would buy her pretty dresses, dress her up, cuddle her to sleep, tell her bedtime stories, and greet her with a gentle kiss when she woke up. Even without any of that, she yearned for such a connection. And so, she had eventually placed these feelings upon Granny Blackwood. As a matriarchal figure in her life, Granny Blackwood was an irreplaceable presence to Eva. "Your grandma has passed away. In her final moments, she was still thinking of you, regretting her perceived shortcomings. She believed if she had counseled you and Adrian better, perhaps your marriage wouldn't have ended in divorce." The mention of Granny Blackwood brought fresh tears to Eva's eyes.

Anything could be brought up around her, just not Granny Blackwood. Eva's heart was heavy with regret for her stubbornness that had prevented her from seeing her in those final moments.

"Sorry, I should have...", she began.

"There's no need." Margaret took her wrist gently. "That's all behind us. Don't you dare apologize. Your grandmother wouldn't want you dwelling on guilt. I shared the truth with you, not to weigh on you, but so you'd know." Tears brimmed in Eva's eyes, she nodded but struggled to replace the words.

"Regardless of what happens between you and Adrian Blackwood, let's not repeat the past."

"Okay."

A heavy silence lapsed before Eva wiped away a tear and spoke. "Mom, I need to ask a favor." "Anything, dear."

"I need to travel abroad tonight, or tomorrow at the latest."

Margaret raised an eyebrow in a mix of surprise and concern but remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Ruby and Dylan have never been without me. I'm not sure how they'll cope. I'll talk to them, try to ease them into it. But while I'm gone, could you..."

"Say no more. Those kids are my grandchildren. It's my duty to look after them. You handle your business, and I'll manage everything here. Ruby and Dylan are wonderful children. I have no doubt they'll behave."