---- Chapter 10 Cassie and Lachlan had a physical fight, which was secretly filmed and made its way to the trending topics. Nicola was in another country and scrolled through the trending news back home. Her hand gently rested on her abdomen, and she was shocked by how heartless Lachlan was. Just as she was about to put down her phone, it rang unexpectedly. She answered it and realized it was Ellen, Ellen Begun, calling. Ellen had always been nice to Nicola. Even after Nicola divorced and took action against the Begum family, Ellen had never called to question Nicola. It was the first time Ellen called her. Nicola hesitated for a short moment and then answered the call. Ellen's voice was cautious. "Nicola, | heard from Lachlan that you're pregnant. Is that true?" After moving abroad, Nicola checked her luggage and found she had missed the pregnancy test report and suspected Lachlan might have found it. ---- Unexpectedly, it turned out to be true. Nicola didn't hide it. "Yes. Nearly three months now." Ellen became excited. "You've been through so much. How are you feeling? Pregnancy isn't easy. A pregnant woman..." She expressed deep concern for Nicola's health. Nicola was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. It was awkward for her to accept Ellen's concern after she divorced Lachlan. After a few seconds of hesitation, Nicola said, "Mrs. Begum, you must already know that Lachlan and | divorced. The baby will carry my family name after it is born and have nothing to do with Lachlan or the Begum family." Before Ellen could respond, Lachlan's voice suddenly came through the phone. "Nicola, the baby is ours. It's fine that it has your family name, but I'm still its father. How could it have nothing to do with me? I've been reflecting on myself lately. | know it's my fault. | was a jerk, and | let myself down completely. | accept that you did these things to punish me. But | absolutely refuse to accept the divorce. | never agreed to it, so the divorce certificate is not true." Nicola paused, and then she said coldly, "Lachlan, it doesn't matter if you think so. You signed the divorce agreement and the custody waiver back then." Lachlan didn't believe it. "That's impossible. | never signed any ---- divorce agreement..." Before he could finish, his voice started trembling. "Was it that day... in the hotel?" Nicola calmly confirmed it. "Yes. If you had looked closely, you would have known it was a divorce agreement with a custody waiver tucked inside. But you didn't. You were too busy comforting your aggrieved mistress. When we left the hotel, | wanted to tell you about my pregnancy in the car. That was the last chance | offered you, but you kicked me out of the car as you were eager to see Cassie. Lachlan, | gave youa chance." On the phone, Lachlan suddenly fell silent. Nicola could hear Lachlan's father, Martin Begum, and Ellen furiously berating him. Lachlan dared not utter a word in defense. Just as Nicola was about to hang up, she heard Ellen's choked voice. "Nicola, could you... give the jerk one last chance?" Nicola gripped her phone tightly. She didn't answer directly, but she said slowly, "Mrs. Begum, before | went abroad, | was kidnapped." Lachlan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her words. He instantly guessed what she was talking about. Nicola continued, "After being kidnapped, | immediately contacted Lachlan and hoped he'd come to rescue me. But he didn't show up. Instead, the kidnappers appeared. They didn't ---- do anything else. They just blindfolded me and gave me over twenty slaps. Not long ago, | slapped Cassie once. What they did seemed like they were avenging her. Isn't that quite a coincidence?" On the other end, there was a sudden silence. The next moment, a loud slap echoed through the phone. Smack! Accompanied by Ellen's enraged voice. "How could you commit such heartless acts?" Nicola didn't listen further. She cut off the call directly. After a brief hesitation, she blocked Ellen's number as well. Footsteps approached her from behind. A man's deep, magnetic voice reached her ears. "The Begum Group is on the brink of bankruptcy. They are likely to declare it within a week." Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. 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