Calvert said it so casually, like he was suggesting they go grocery shopping


    together or nt a tree. That was how nonchnt his tone was. It was like it was no big deal.


    Vespera stared at Calvert, stunned. How could they have a baby together? Did Calvert think having a baby was some team project?


    Dominic nced up from his newspaper. As if he didn''t hear the conversation, he asked, "Together what?"


    Calvert beamed and answered, "Have a baby together, of course."


    Vespera nearly choked on air. She cursed in her heart, "What do you mean, ''of course''?"


    Gerard, who had just taken a bite of his fried egg, gagged and reached for his juice. He barely got it down before coughing again. Was this really an appropriate breakfast conversation?


    Dominic didn''t immediately respond. Instead, he looked as if he was considering the idea seriously. After a moment of silence, he let out a sigh and said, "That isn''t really up to me."


    As Dominic spoke, his eyes slid over to Vespera. She shot him a nk look and replied dryly, "Don''t be so pessimistic. Technology is pretty advanced these days." Dominic asked, "Is it advanced enough for one person to do it solo?"


    Vespera answered right away, "Definitely. Scientists have already discovered ghost particles. Growing a baby Mightyman in your stomach shouldn''t be that hard."


    Dominic stared at her for a second and then chuckled before turning back to his newspaper.


    Vespera huffed silently. That was what Dominic got for humoring Calvert''s


    nonsense.


    The atmosphere at the table shifted after that. The nice atmosphere in the beginning seemed to have tensed up. It was like Londarion''s weather, where it was cloudy one minute, pouring rain the next, then suddenly sunny. It was totally unpredictable.


    Calvert looked between Vespera and Dominic, confused. Didn''t they make upst night?


    Gerard shot Calvert a look that carried the meaning, "You''re in way over your head."


    This wasn''t about whether Vespera and Dominic had made up. It was about direction. It was like two people agreeing to go for a run, except one wanted to climb a mountain, and the other was already nning to turn back halfway. How were they supposed to run in sync?


    ...


    After breakfast, they headed to the branch office. The morning sun still glowed when they left, but halfway through the ride, a fine drizzle began to fall.


    Vespera stared out the window, watching Londarion blur beneath the rain. The mist softened everything, including the bridge in the distance and the silhouette of an old church further off. It turned the whole scene into something that looked like a dreamy painting. It made her dislike rain a little less.


    "Is there a fox out there?"


    The voice startled Vespera, pulling her back to reality. She asked, "Huh?"


    She turned to find Dominic leaningzily against the seat, angled toward her. He was looking out her window. Had he been looking out with her this whole time? She had thought she was having a quiet and romantic moment to herself. When had he joined in?


    "Ms. Gildon, I asked you a question," stated Dominic.


    Vespera asked, "What did you ask?"


    "The fox," answered Dominic.


    "What fox..." Vespera muttered before her words died in her throat as realization mmed into her.


    Before her expression could betray her, she ducked her head and quickly turned on her tablet, pretending to be busy. She then said, "I looked it up. There are foxes in Londarion. They usually appear at night."


    Dominic smiled, amused, and said, "Guess even the foxes have to hustle at night."


    Vespera thought, "Is he ever going to let this go?"


    She forced herself to stayposed, but the pink in her cheeks gave her away.


    Up front, Gerard was driving while Calvert rode shotgun. They were both subtly listening in. They wondered why Vespera and Dominic were talking about foxes. Was that a code for something?


    A whileter, they arrived at the branch office. It was the second day of their visit.


    The moment Vespera stepped through the door, she was met with a wave of stares. There was no doubt that word of her drunken performancest night had made the rounds.


    During breaks, people casually approached Vespera. Some asked how she was feeling, some tried to fish for juicy details about what happenedst night, and the others joked about her alcohol tolerance.


    To all of them, Vespera offered the same reply, "Really? What a shame. I don''t remember a thing."


    Not remembering a thing was the ultimate gossip killer. As long as Vespera said she didn''t remember, it would be enough to shut down every nosy question.


    As for those who didn''t believe her, she decided to let them think what they wanted. It wasn''t like human rtionships were built on mutual trust anyway. She remained unbothered. And so, she powered through the day on sheer mental resilience.


    The rest of the week was just as packed. There were site visits to major projects, asset evaluations, operation briefings, and financial audits. Dominic was constantly in meetings or discussions with the executives. Even his evenings were packed with all kinds of invitations.


    Vespera and Gerard were exhausted as well.<fna40d> Newest update provided by find·novel</fna40d>