39: Serena's True Colors

That day, Oliver breakfasted with a face so dark it could have eclipsed the morning sun. The servants, unable to see his expression from their angle, mistook the couple’s proximity for intimacy, assuming they had reconciled.

Meanwhile, Lillian, with her annual leave to spare, avoided the company, choosing instead to visit Grandma Qin at the sanatorium daily. The old lady’s spirits had visibly soared, and Lillian herself felt a rare tranquility.

Events seemed to be unfolding exactly as she had anticipated. The half-month interim was quickly dwindling, already three or four days in. Sometimes, in her quiet moments, Lillian found herself gently caressing her belly, her feelings evolving. Initially uncertain about the baby, she now felt a profound connection with the small life within her, a growing affection with each passing day. She even found herself confiding in her unborn child the words she couldn’t share with others.

This secret communion only deepened Lillian's bond with her baby