?<strong>Chapter 1000:</strong>


    Kody said with conviction, “You shouldn’t fret over that. The Morrison n will always be your safety. Feel free to marry if that’s your choice, but remember, if things don’t work out with Daxton, you and your daughter will always have a home with us. Do you doubt our ability to support you both?”


    Reece, always attentive to the nuances, interjected, “Hold on—Dad, she’s just three months pregnant. How do you know it’s going to be a girl? Could be a boy, you know?”


    Kody gave him a stern nce. “We’re not certain, but naturally, I’m hoping for the best.”


    Reece couldn’t find a single word to say. So now, crossing your fingers for “the best” somehow tranted to having a baby girl? What kind of grudge did the world have against boys to deserve that kind of slight?


    Carrie acknowledged the support. “Thanks, Kody. I need to think this through. Marriage is a seriousmitment, not just casual dating. My previous marriage copsed not solely because of Kristopher. We dived in too quickly, not really understanding each other. Now, with my health not being ideal, I worry that hastening the wedding to hide my pregnancy could jeopardize the baby…”


    As she expressed her concerns, her hand subconsciously rested on her stomach, her eyes reflecting her fears.


    The possibility of not carrying the pregnancy to term haunted her. A miscarriage could diminish her chances of conceiving again. She wondered, what would sustain a marriage if not for a child? And beyond that, since the child wasn’t biologically Daxton’s, could he truly embrace and love this child as his own?


    Her heart was heavy with these doubts, yet she knew not all could be shared, even with family. Some worries remained too personal, reserved for solitary contemtion.


    Reece noticed Carrie’s reluctance and quickly interjected, “Let’s drop it for now. If Carrie isn’t ready to marry, we shouldn’t push her.” Yet Kody appeared torn. “Remember you mentioned how a pregnancy might spoil her appearance in a wedding dress? Your aunt always insisted she’d never get married showing a baby bump. She imed it was the most significant day, and she wanted to look wless.”


    Reece looked toward Carrie, trying to diffuse the tension. “Maybe we can consider a wedding post-birth. Or perhaps—these days, many of our people opt for destination weddings. Traditional ceremonies aren’t the only option anymore…”


    Before he had the chance to get the words out, Kody interjected, his voice sharp and cold. “Ridiculous! How can you skip a wedding when it means this much? Do you really think marriage is just some joke? Just shack up and pretend that’s good enough? And what does that say about the Morrison family’s princess—that she’s someone you can hand over without a real ceremony, like it doesn’t matter?”


    Carrie attempted to lighten the mood with a chuckle. “You know, my wedding to Kristopher was quite low-key as well.”


    Thisment only soured Kody’s mood further.


    He said, “The Norris family? Forget about them. Theycked any real ss or respect. How could we ever bepared to them? Back then, you were stuck with the Campbells—pushed around and treated like you were nothing by those heartless people. That’s the only reason the Norris family ever thought they had the right to look down on you.


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