She'll turn the tables on us when the baby is born. And once Father gives in to her demands, all of Carlson Group's equity might end up going to her child!'Pfft! What an impeccable idea!' Melissa commented inwardly, dripping with sarcasm."Ma'am, I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn," Alfred apologized fearfully.At that moment, Melissa suddenly grabbed his arm. "You haven't done anything wrong. Sophie is the one in the wrong. Alfred, I need you to take care of something for me."A malicious thought crossed Melissa's mind. 'I mustn't let Sophie give birth to that baby, even if it's Cedric's flesh and blood.'"Ma'am? What do you want me to do?" Alfred asked cautiously, raising his head.With that inquiry, a glint of delight flickered in his eyes. 'Yes, another success. I'll soon become a truly wealthy man.'Without hesitation, Melissa named her request. "I want you to..."Melissa's gaze dimmed as she gave the orders. 'Sophie, the baby in your womb could have been allowed to stay. How
"Don't be afraid, I... I'll... I'll drive!" Jeanna tossed her cell phone into her bag, her expression faring worse than Sophie's. She gnashed her teeth and grabbed the car keys from the cabinet, silently praying for divine protection as her heart raced.Assisted into the car, Sophie looked at Jeanna, whose sweat was gushing down her cheeks as she fastened her seat belt.Seeing this, Sophie reached out and held her trembling hand. "Jean, maybe we shouldn't drive. I can wait for a cab.""What's the point in waiting? At this hour, everyone's grabbing cabs. Your unborn child is more important." Jeanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing much of her fear. She pursed her dry lips and forced a mischievous smile. "Baby Soph, trust me for your and our child's sake!"Sophie's lips twitched, and she nodded with a pang of heartache. Since the incident five years ago, Jeanna had never dared to drive. It was really tough for her to get behind the wheel today.The car started slo
If she didn't want the baby, even if he could prevent it once, he couldn't possibly monitor her every second."Understood," Evander replied, his expression growing even more conflicted.'Mr. Carlson obviously cares about Ms. Luxford and her unborn baby, yet he puts on a pretense that he doesn't care. However, on second thought, if Ms. Luxford doesn't want to keep the baby, perhaps it's for the best.'Between Ms. Kerrigan and Tristan and Ms. Luxford and her unborn baby, Mr. Carlson will eventually have to give up one of the two families,' Evander thought.Cedric tightened his grip on the pen, intending to finish signing his name, but his fingers seemed stiff. He then suppressed his emotions and raised his head. "You can go back to work.""Yes," Evander said and left the room.Alone in the office, Cedric threw the pen aside, a trace of annoyance tugging at the corners of his captivating eyes and his chiseled jawline. 'Did Sophie go to the hospital because she felt uncomfortable? Or
The needle pierced her skin, eliciting a frown. Gradually, her lower abdomen lost sensation, yet her consciousness remained clear. She made an effort to take deep breaths as she stared at the overhead shadowless lamp, already yearning for the surgery to conclude.For the first time, time seemed to stretch endlessly. It wasn't until the doctor smiled and announced the surgery's completion that her tense body finally relaxed."Leave the patient here and monitor her for another hour, then transfer her to the ward," instructed Dr. Jacobson to one of the nurses in the theater."Yes, Dr. Jacobson," the nurse affirmed.Only one nurse remained to oversee Sophie's postoperative condition.Before the hour elapsed, the operating theater door swung open again, and a man in a white coat entered.The nurse appeared puzzled. "May I inquire who...""I'm the new resident. Dr. Jacobson requested my presence to observe the patient's condition. You can go and take a break. I'll watch over things he
This man wouldn't die from this stab wound, but it would afford her some time to protect herself. For the sake of her baby, she had to fight back!"You..." The man clutched his chest, his panic evident amidst the pain and fear. What he had done today was merely for the sake of money—he hadn't intended to die for a few extra bucks."No one can harm my baby, not even Cedric!" Sophie pulled out the scalpel and discarded it, then staggered swiftly toward the operating theater door. Glancing back at the man, who was crouching beside the operating table while applying pressure to his chest, she pressed the alarm button.'I wish I could just watch you die, but if you do, I'd become a murderer. I'm not that foolish!'The piercing alarm immediately sounded, prompting doctors and nurses to rush nervously into the theater.Seeing Jeanna among them, Sophie managed a weak smile and reached out toward her, intending to call her name. However, her body felt drained of strength, and she collapsed
After a series of examinations, Dr. Jacobson came to a reassuring conclusion. "Commander Carlson, Ms. Luxford was only injected with a mild dose of anesthesia. It's nothing serious.""What about the baby?" Jeanna was still worried on the side. If Sophie had not reacted quickly and stabbed the doctor in disguise, she could not even imagine what would have happened just now."The baby is doing well. There are no issues," the doctor explained.Austin breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the still-unconscious Sophie. His brows furrowed further, and a hint of wrath that even he was not aware of flickered in his gaze."Austin, Soph is awake!" Jeanna exclaimed, giving Austin a firm tug that snapped him out of his thoughts.Sophie, exhausted, slowly fluttered her eyelids on the bed as though waking from a nap. However, the memories of the events before her loss of consciousness flooded back, and she sat up abruptly, clutching her abdomen. "My baby!""Soph, lie down. The baby i
"Sir, I swear I'm saying the truth. I'm willing to testify against Mrs. Carlson. She's the one who told me to do this."Austin's piercing, frosty gaze seemed to solidify the atmosphere. Austin finally spoke after a prolonged, intense stare that nearly reduced the man to tears. "Then repeat exactly what Mrs. Carlson supposedly instructed you.""Huh?" The man, baffled, looked up at Austin."Claim that Cedric orchestrated everything today, got it?" Austin subtly shifted, his eyes briefly catching the man's stunned expression.Sometimes, a bit of manipulation was necessary to steer things toward one's objective.Sensing the gravity of the situation, the man quickly agreed, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to pin it all on him."-Behind the wheel, Evander glanced in the rearview mirror at Cedric, Vivienne, and Tristan. Expecting to be heading to the hospital, he instead found himself fetching Vivienne and Tristan from the villa.Cedric sat silently in the back seat, his usually charmin
The waiter led the trio to a window-side table. Just as Cedric was about to sit down, he abruptly stopped, his icy gaze piercing toward a familiar figure across the street.There she stood, once the revered entertainment industry star, leaning on Jeanna. Her paleness was stark against the hospital band for surgical patients on her wrist.'She has gone through with the surgery! She aborted their child!'His heart felt as if it had been violently gouged out. Clenching his fists at his side, he yearned to confront Sophie about her decision, but the sight of Austin by her side forced him to contain his anger.'Sophie, are you really that desperate to be with him?' Cedric pondered, his heart sinking.Vivienne noticed the scene and acted surprised. "It's Ms. Luxford. She looks weak. Could she be unwell?"'Unwell?' Cedric's eyes flickered with suppressed fury.'She's eradicated our child from her life,' he thought bitterly.Sensing the tension, Tristan tugged at Cedric's sleeve with a