Chapter 172

Angela POV

Sean carefully laid me on the hospital bed, his movements gentle as he tucked the blanket around me. My head throbbed beneath the bandages, a constant reminder of the evening's chaos.

"You can leave now," I said, my voice strained but determined. "I'm fine."

He glanced toward the twins, still curled together on the sofa across the room. "Even if you don't need care, the children do."

I felt a flare of indignation burn through my exhaustion. "Why are you suddenly trying to take my children? Why this sudden interest in being the perfect father?"

The question that had haunted me for five years suddenly burned on my tongue, demanding release.

"You were the one who didn't want them in the first place!"

His brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his features. "What are you talking about? I never said I didn't want children."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Don't pretend, Mr. Shaw. Just because you didn't say it aloud doesn't mean it wasn't your decision."

Sean's fingers drummed lightly against the edge of my bed. "If I didn't say it, then how exactly was it my decision?"

I couldn't believe his audacity. After everything that had happened, he still couldn't admit the truth. My voice trembled slightly despite my efforts to control it.

"Sean, do you really not have the courage to admit what you did?"

"How can I admit to something I never did?" His shoulders tensed, voice dropping lower. "Whatever you think happened, you're wrong."

Exhaustion washed over me suddenly, stealing whatever fight remained. I turned toward the window, watching the city lights shimmer through the darkness.

"The text," I finally said, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between us.

Sean's eyes narrowed slightly. "What text?"

"The text I sent you," I replied wearily, "telling you I was pregnant."

He went very still, brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment, he asked carefully, "Did I respond to it?"

"No." The word fell between us, simple yet weighted with five years of pain.

Sean's expression shifted, something like realization dawning. "Angela, would you believe me if I told you I never received that message?"

"I figured you'd deny it," I replied with a cold smile. "Since you never replied, it's convenient to claim you never saw it."

"Think about it," he pressed, urgency coloring his tone. "Would I really ignore something that important? We've known each other since childhood. Am I really the type of person who would do that?"

I kept my expression neutral despite the sting of his words. "We did know each other for years. I thought I understood you completely. But people change, don't they? Christina was the one you truly loved. Maybe you changed for her."

His eyebrows shot up, green eyes flashing with sudden heat. "You think I would hurt you for her?"

I met his gaze directly. "Didn't you?"

"When?" The question rumbled from him like distant thunder.

Sean reached for my hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. "About that text-I honestly didn't know. If I didn't respond, it's because I truly never saw it. I never received it."

"How is that possible?" I maintained my composure. "I confirmed the message was sent successfully."

"Maybe the signal was bad," he suggested, his voice low but determined. "Or perhaps my phone wasn't in my possession at that moment."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Your own phone wasn't in your possession? Who would dare touch your phone?"

The question hung between us, neither willing to voice the obvious suspicion. The room fell silent again.

"I'm tired," I said finally, punctuating the statement with a yawn. "Can I rest now?"

Sean nodded. "Of course. Get some sleep. I'll get to the bottom of this, Angela. I'll find evidence to make you believe me."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."

I turned onto my side, facing away from him, and closed my eyes. My breathing slowed deliberately, creating the illusion of sleep, but I watched Sean's reflection in the window with careful attention.

He adjusted my blanket gently before moving to stand by the floor-to-ceiling window, his silhouette dark against the city lights.

After several minutes, he pulled out his phone, studying the screen intently. A flicker of realization crossed his face before quickly fading. Of course, after five years and multiple phone upgrades, those old messages would be long gone.

He dialed a number, speaking in hushed tones that nonetheless carried clearly in the quiet room. Clearly, he thought I was asleep.

"Thomas?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I need you to track down all my text messages from a specific date five years ago, including anything that might have gone to spam folders."

Thomas's sleepy voice was faint but audible. "Mr. Shaw? Is something urgent?"

"This is urgent," Sean insisted. "I need you to find these records. Contact the telecommunications company, search everything. I need to know every message that came to my phone on that date."

"But sir," Thomas protested weakly, "records from that long ago-"

"You're my chief administrative assistant," Sean cut him off. "Figure it out."

After ending the call, Sean returned to my bedside, releasing a quiet sigh. I maintained my pretense of sleep, though my mind raced with new questions. He was truly investigating, searching for evidence. Could it be possible? Had he really never received my message?

With these confusing thoughts, I finally drifted into a restless sleep.