Chapter 100

Sarah's POV

I sat on the sofa, my eyes fixed on Philip as he stood in the hospital hallway making his call. He'd borrowed someone's phone, so I couldn't hear Annie's side of the conversation. A flutter of anxiety mixed with anticipation rose in my chest. I knew Philip would stand up for me. After all, this baby was my trump card-the mere mention of it was enough to make him obey.

I studied his profile, noting how his brow furrowed deeper by the second,his expression growing increasingly troubled. A twinge of unease rippled through me. Had Annie refused him again? Why couldn't that woman just quietly accept my taunts? The thought irritated me, but I knew better than to let it show on my face.

Philip ended the call and walked back into the room in silence. I immediately switched to my concerned expression, eyes widened with practiced vulnerability.

"How did it go? Did Annie agree to back off?" I asked softly, making my voice sound small and hopeful.

"As you wanted, I got chewed out. And no, Annie didn't agree to anything." Philip replied, frustration evident in every syllable.

Hearing his response sent a wave of satisfaction through me. Annie may not have yielded, but Philip had been scolded-exactly what I'd hoped for.Every time he defended me and suffered for it, he became more dependent on me, more in need of my comfort and validation. I felt that delicious sense of control, the corners of my mouth lifting involuntarily.

I suddenly realized I was smiling and quickly tried to compose my

features, but it was too late. Philip had noticed.

Something shifted in his gaze, a flicker of suspicion that made my heart race. I couldn't let him see through me.

"I'm so sorry," I quickly grabbed his hand, adding a deliberáte tremor to my voice. "I only asked for your help because I have no other man to rely on."

I paused, allowing my eyes to moisten slightly as I looked up at him."I had no idea Annie would be so cruel to you just because you tried to help me."

I watched Philip's expression carefully,noting how his anger seemed to subside somewhat, but he pulled his hand away sooner than expected.Inwardly, I felt a flash of annoyance. Why was this man becoming increasingly difficult to manipulate?

"Hmm." Philip's response was curt, his eyes no longer meeting mine.I could sense his eagerness to leave.

This wasn't a good sign. I had expected him to double down on supporting me after Annie's rejection, as he usually did. Instead,he seemed to be distancing himself. My mind began calculating my next move,though I maintained my fragile demeanor outwardly.

Philip stood up. "It's late, and I have work tomorrow. I should get going."

I quickly assessed the situation-trying to make him stay might backfire.Since I'd already accomplished my goal of making him confront Annie,tonight's mission was essentially complete. Besides, I had more important matters to attend to.

"I won't see you out then," I said softly, already planning my next steps for after his departure. I stood at the door, watching Philip's retreating figure, my mind already crafting ways to use this incident to getcloser to Howard. After Philip's car disappeared from view, I quickly closed the door and pulled out my phone.

This was a perfect opportunity to capture Howard's attention,perhaps even plant a seed of doubt about Annie in his mind.

I found Howard's number, took a deep breath to compose myself, and dialed. When I heard his voice, my pulse genuinely quickened-not just from nervousness, but from the effect his deep, magnetic voice had on me.

"Hello?" Howard's voice sounded calm and distant.

"It's me, Sarah Johnson." I deliberately made my voice sound soft and slightly anxious. "Mr. Thompson, did Philip just contact Annie?"

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a simple "Hmm?" This response caught me off guard; typically, men showed more concern when I displayed vulnerability. I quickly adjusted my approach.

"I didn't think he would do that," I continued, injecting a note of hurt into my voice. "I just mentioned feeling upset..."

"Who could have imagined he'd get so angry and call to complain." I added, while internally knowing this was precisely the outcome I had orchestrated. Having Philip attack Annie, then playing innocent with Howard-a win-win situation in my book.

But Howard's reaction completely blindsided me.

"You don't need to explain anything to me. I'm not interested in your affairs." His voice was as cold as ice.

His words stung. I was accustomed to men paying attention to me,defending me, considering my feelings. But Howard seemed completely immune to my tactics. I bit my lip, experiencing a mixture of genuine disappointment and feigned hurt.

"Are you saying that because you're afraid of making Annie angry?" I asked tentatively, wondering if Annie was the obstacle preventing me from getting closer to Howard.

"Not at all," Howard's rebuttal was calm and direct. "Sarah, you started this whole thing."

His subsequent words cut into my pride like a knife: "Then Annie defended herself with evidence... everyone criticized you. Logically,things should have ended there, but you couldn't accept that, so you had to find someone to fight your battles. Now you're playing innocent with me,shifting all responsibility to Philip who was just trying to help you. It's absurd."

I felt a surge of anger and humiliation. How dare he speak to me this way?Even more shocking was his next question.

"How do you think Philip would feel if he knew all his concern for you was repaid with this kind of betrayal?"

Howard's words sent a chill through me. How had he seen through me so easily? The character I'd so carefully constructed seemed completely transparent to him, I couldn't help wondering if I had underestimated this man.

My situation was suddenly precarious. Philip's support was beginning to waver, and Howard was completely unmoved by my charms. I urgently needed a new benefactor, or things would become very difficult after the baby was born.

My tone became stiff as I tried to salvage some dignity:′′Aa CEO of your stature, surely you're not petty enough to gossip about trivial matters like this?"

I was warning him, hoping he wouldn't share our conversation with Philip.If Philip learned how I spoke about him behind his back, I might lose his support entirely.

Howard responded with casual indifference: "I might mention it in passing at work."

His answer made my blood run cold. Was he threatening me? I didn't know how to respond and opted for silence.

The line went dead. Howard had hung up. I stared at my phone screen,a wave of humiliation and anger washing over me.Why wasn't Howard as easily manipulated as other men?

I refused to end things this way. I dialed Howard's number again,planning to restart the conversation with a different approach. But the call indicated he was busy. I tried several more times with the same result.

A terrible thought occurred to me-had Howard blocked my number? I opened my photo gallery, selected my most flattering selfie, and attempted to send him a message. In the photo, I was smiling, my expression a calculated blend of innocence and seduction that worked on most men.

But the message failed to send.

This tíme, anger completely overwhelmed me. I wanted to throw my phone against the wall, to scream, to release this feeling of humiliation.But I ultimately controlled myseIf. I knew I couldn't lose control, at least not now.

I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down, If Howard was immune to my usual tactics, I would need to devise a new plan. I wouldn't give up-I never easily surrendered something I wanted.' I gently caressed my abdomen, a cold smile spreading across my face.I still had Philip in my grasp, this baby, and many other resources I could leverage. Howard Thompson, your luck won't hold forever.