Chapter 397

Ryland managed to catch up just as Nolan's car started to roll out.

Once he settled into the passenger seat, Nolan slammed the accelerator, but they hadn't made it far.

Reporters, who had clearly been waiting for him,swarmed the driveway, blocking the exit.

"Mr. Stewart, any comment on the rumors online?"

"Your company's stock is falling fast. What's your response?"

"Are you really dumping your pregnant fiancée for Ms.Warren?"

"Will you bow to pressure and marry Ms. Guyton?"

The reporters fired off questions one after another,each one sharper and more relentless than the one before.

Nolan,however,didn't so much as flinch. He lowered the window slowly and gave the kind of look that could freeze a man in place. His voice was low but carried like thunder.

"Move."

Just one word, but it landed like a command from someone who couldn't be disobeyed.

The reporters hesitated, then reluctantly stepped aside.

Nolan pressed the pedal, and the car shot forward,leaving the cameras flashing behind them.

Ryland peered into the side mirror, watching the mob shrink. He gave a low whistle and shook his head."Look at that circus. I'd bet half the media in Elepdon's camping at your gate. Ever since Elora showed up, you've been trending nonstop."

Nolan's glare was enough to freeze him mid-sentence.

He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, shutting up."

It was best not to poke a bear already fuming.

...

Thirty minutes later, Nolan's car pulled up outside one of Elepdon's top labs.

Inside,he strode straight into the manager's office and dropped the sealed evidence bag on the desk. "Run a full test," Nolan ordered. "Every chemical, every trace.And I want the results fast." The lab was one of the Stewart Group's investments,so the manager nodded eagerly. "Right away, Mr.Stewart. We'll make this our top priority

Barely ten minutes later, the report landed in Nolan's hands.

Clear traces of a sedative were found along the hem of the swimsuit.

Nolan's jaw tightened as he read through the findings.Without looking up, he issued another order. "I want a detailed report on that sedative. What it does,how it works, everything."

Just proving the drug was there wasn't enough.

Ady probably had photos of Elora and him from that day, and the media would spin whatever story they wanted. So, he needed undeniable proof that the sedative had rendered him impotent that night.

Only then could he prove that he never touched Elora.

The lab manager, experienced in handling evidence and sensitive cases, understood immediately."Understood, Mr. Stewart. I'll get it done."

A few minutes later, Nolan came out of the lab carrying two reports, with Ryland right behind him.

They got into the car, and Ryland took the passenger seat. He glanced at the slim reports, then at Nolan.and asked, "So, where are we going?

This wasn't the way back to Regal Heights, he noticed.

Nolan kept his eyes on the road, his voice calm but firm. "Eleanor's at her store. We're going there."

Ryland's spine stiffened.

Heading to Eleanor's store now? This was madness.

The media would eat this up.

"These reports only show you didn't touch Elora at the pool," Ryland said quickly. "They don't prove the baby isn't yours. If you go now, the media will say you're abandoning the child for Eleanor. The Internet will tear into her again. You'd just make things worse for her."

Nolan didn't answer.

His hands gripped the wheel tighter.

Ryland was right.

The reports alone couldn't stop the rumors, and going to Eleanor now would only drag her into another storm.

She had already been through so much because of him,and he couldn't let her get caught up in another media frenzy. His focus had to be on finding the man who had gotten Elora pregnant first.

Suddenly,the tires screeched as Nolan hit the brakes,bringing the car to a sharp stop in the middle of the road.

He then jerked the wheel and, at the next junction,spun the car around, racing back toward home.