Eltham was well aware of the strong bond between Brittany and her mom and knew they had things to discuss, so he patiently waited outside. Once Brittany got into the car, Eltham handed her a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap before passing it over: "Here, have some water." Brittany took a sip and nodded, "Thanks."
Eltham signaled the driver to start the car: "To the Lynette estate, please."
"My mom mentioned, she'd like us to undergo a pre-marital health checkup soon."
Eltham had been meaning to bring this up, but his schedule had been swamped, and with Brittany resting at home, he had postponed the conversation until today. "Sure."
Brittany agreed, though her spirits seemed low as she leaned back in her seat, drifting towards sleep.
Eltham watched her face, his hand moving to caress her cheek but stopping just short of touching her.
The idea of a pre-marital checkup unsettled Yuri slightly.
"If it turns out you're pregnant-"
"Dad, it's bound to come out sooner or later."
After everything, Brittany had come to terms with their situation; it was time for her and Eltham to come clean.
Yuri sighed, "Alright then."
...
Upon returning to the royal residence, Eltham bumped into Piper.
"Piper, what brings you here?"
He noticed Piper had been visiting quite often lately.
Piper smiled lightly: "The Welandia delegation is leaving soon, and the Queen asked me to ensure they're well taken care of."
Eltham saw no reason to doubt her: "I met Orson this afternoon."
"How did you end up meeting?"
"He came looking for Bri." Eltham answered truthfully: "Seems he knows Bri's mom."
Piper paused, understanding Brittany's mother was Julie: "That explains it."
"No wonder Brittany wasn't keen on joining the chess club. Turns out her ties with Welandia run deep."
"Don't put it like that." Eltham felt uneasy about the implication: "Bri's just not that into professional chess. Saying it like that could lead to misunderstandings."
"I heard she had a rough time recently, how's she doing?"
"A rough time?"
Eltham was clueless about the incident.
"She went to play chess and encountered some reporters, leading to a dispute."
Piper had heard it from a friend whose husband was the officer handling the case: "Apparently, it caused quite the stir in the Lynette family."
"I hadn't heard."
Only then did Eltham realize why Brittany had been reluctant to leave the house; she had been hurt.
His concern quickly turned to frustration.
They were on the verge of getting engaged, yet Brittany still didn't seem to trust him. How could he not worry?
Seeing his troubled expression, Piper knew what was on his mind: "Don't overthink it. Ms. Lynette is fiercely independent; she probably didn't want to worry you. Just show her you care, and she'll open up in time." Eltham didn't expect Piper to take Brittany's side, "You're right."
After Piper left the royal estate, she received a call from a private investigator.
"Ms. Walker, we've found evidence. Caspian went to the police station a few days ago and took Mabel with him, most likely because of Brittany."
"Also, Brittany was seriously injured, and the Lynette family has been keeping it under wraps. But we have sources near the chess club, and it seems Brittany was bleeding heavily from her lower body-" The reporter figured a pregnant woman, knocked to the ground, would likely miscarry.
"Did the baby survive?"
"We don't have that information yet."
"Caspian's identity is almost confirmed, what's our next move?"
Piper smirked coldly: "Expose them, of course. Once the royal family learns Isaac is still alive, and secretly connected with Brittany-"
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