Chapter 5 Victoria could not go to the hospital . The moment she did so , her pregnancy would be exposed . It sounded laughable , but she did not want anyone else to know about the baby . She tried to protect the last remaining shreds of her dignity , She knew her pride was already gone when she agreed to fake a marriage with Alaric . Right now , before hir and the woman he loved , what sort of dignity did she even have ? Even so … Then , she glanced down but did not wish to disclose anything that would cause others to ridicule her . Alaric scowled when he heard that . The car abruptly turned and screeched to a stop by the side of the road , At that moment , Victoria thought he was telling her to exit his car , so she reached out to open the door . Clack ! The doors were immediately locked , He was staring at her with a dark look through the rearview mirror . " Why don't you want to go to the hospital ? " he asked . She had been acting strange since walking through the rain the evening before . " I can visit a doctor myself if I don't feel well , " Victoria calmly replied . He narrowed his eyes dangerously when he heard that . " Al , is it because of me ?" Claudia hurriedly asked . " Why not … Why don't I get off here while you take Victoria to the hospital ? After all , her illness is quite serious . We cannot delay her treatment . " Following that , she leaned toward Alaric as if she wanted to unlock the car doors . Victoria watched as he stopped her , holding her hand . " Don't say that . " Alaric frowned and glanced at Victoria before continuing , " Don't overthink it . It's not because of you . " Then , Claudia glanced down at their hands as an embarrassed glint flashed in her eyes . Meanwhile , Victoria silently watched them . After Claudia turned to look at her , Victoria begrudgingly tore hor oyes away from them . " I'm sorry for the misunderstanding , Victoria , " said Claudia . " I thought you were angry at Al because of me . I'm so sorry . " Victoria calmly glanced back at her . She would have thought Claudia was a manipulator if she did not owe Claudia for helping her once . Nevertheless , Claudia was her savior as well . Then , Victoria forced a smile . " It's fine . " " Are you unwilling to go to the hospital because you're afraid of the hospital ? " Claudia asked with a grin . " My friend opened a clinic of his own after returning from abroad . Why not go to his place ? " Chapter Pachyrathy She then turned to Alaric . " What do you think , AI ? " He did not immediately agree to the idea . Instead , he frowned and asked , " A clinic ? Is it reliable ? " " Of course , " Claudia somewhat awkwardly replied . " If he wasn't reliable , would I introduce him to you ? Don't you trust me ? " After a moment of thought , he nodded . " We'll go there . " Victoria frowned . ' I- " However , the car was already speeding away , and her objection was useless . On the other hand , Claudia was even reassuring her . " Don't worry , Victoria . My friend's a good man . He's very kind and patient . I'll ensure he knows beforehand that your treatment will be negotiated later , alright ?" Compared to the considerate and gentle Claudia , Victoria seemed to be the exact opposite . Despite her sickness , she still refused to go to the hospital ; how very selfish and inconsiderate . What else could Victoria say to that ? Thus , she kept quiet as the car continued on its way . After arriving at the clinic , Claudia helped her out of the car , and she softly asked , " Does your head spin? If you feel sick , you can lean on me . " Her voice was so very soft , and her supporting hands were too . The faint scent of jasmine lingered around her . However , Victoria lowered her eyes in thought . Claudia is not only stunning but also a wonderful person . Moreover , she once rescued Alaric's life . If I'm Alaric , I'll probably fall in love with her too . After Claudia's friend arrived , she talked to him for a while . The man in the white coat glanced at Victoria , nodded at Claudia , and walked over to her. " Hello , you're Claudia's friend , right ? I'm Dominic Fagan . " Victoria nodded in greeting . " Hello . " " You have a fever ? " His voice was gentle as he placed the back of a hand against her forehead . With his unexpected proximity , she jerked to the side . Nonetheless , he found humor in her response . " I'm only testing your temperature , " he said . Dominic then turned around and pulled out a thermometer . " Let's get a reading of your temperature . " Victoria accepted the thermometer . " You know how to use it , right ? " Alaric asked as he stood behind her . His question rendered her speechless . However , she chose to ignore him . What makes you believe I have no idea how to use a thermometer ? Nevertheless , her movement was sluggish because she was so sick that her head spun . Once the thermometer was in place , Dominic told her to leave it there . Seeing that , Claudia seized the chance to introduce her friend to Alaric . 7/11 12:58 Sun , 18 Jun Chapter 5 Protect Her So - Called Dignity " Al , this is Dominic . I mentioned you to him before over the phone . He's an amazing doctor , but he loves his freedom so much that he decided to open a clinic instead when he returned . Dominic , this is Alaric . He's- " She paused before shyly continuing , " My friend . " " Friend ? " Dominic raised his eyebrows when he heard that . He glanced at Victoria before looking back at Alaric . " Hello , I'm Dominic Fagan . It's a pleasure to meet you ." A few long moments passed before Alaric shook Dominic's hand . " Alaric Cadogan . " " I know ." There was a mysterious smirk on Dominic's face as he suggestively said , " Claudia talks about you often . She has a very high opinion of you . " " Dominic ! " Claudia's cheeks immediately blushed red as if that remark struck a chord . " What ? Am I wrong ? You're always singing his praises in front of everyone . " " Enough . Don't mention it . " Alaric glanced at Victoria as the other two spoke . She was sitting there with half - lidded eyes . Her hair hung low over her forehead , blocking her eyes from view and hiding any signs of her emotions . She silently sat there , calm and unbothered , as if she were an outsider . Then , his face instantly darkened upon seeing that . Five minutes later , Dominic took the thermometer from Victoria . He frowned . " You're running a little high . I'll give you a shot . " Victoria's head immediately snapped up . " No shots . " Dominic looked at her and smiled . " Are you afraid it will hurt ? Don't worry . I'll be gentle . " Claudia nodded in agreement . " Your health is vital , Victoria . " Still , Victoria shook her head and insisted , " I don't want any shots or medication ." Her stubborn attitude made Alaric frown once more . " Our only option is to bring your temperature down externally . I'll tell the nurse to gather what you need . For now , put a cool , wet towel on your forehead . We don't want your temperature to go higher . " When Dominic left the room , Claudia said , " I'll help him ." After the two left , Alaric and Victoria were the only ones left in the room. Meanwhile , Victoria's head was still spinning . She wanted to grab the wet towel to place it on her forehead , but she could not muster a single ounce of strength . Then , Alaric , who had been relatively silent the whole time , abruptly spoke up . " Melodramatic ! "