?Chapter 425:


    Demi, expecting a different reaction, noticed Erick’s gaze lingering on Ellie. Frustration washed over her face as her smile faded.


    “You better find a way to exin that past incident to grandma!” she snapped at Ellie, then turned to Erick. “Come on, let’s show your parents the baby’s report.”


    “What incident?” Baylee inquired, puzzled.


    Ellie just shook her head, feigning ignorance. “No idea what she’s talking about.”


    Yet, the need to exin things to Cecelia was indeed pressing. Baylee, still confused, wondered aloud, “Is Demi delusional? What the hell was going on in her head?”


    Ellie spected, “She’s likely worried I still have feelings for Erick.” Considering Demi had previously taken him away from Ellie, it was natural for her to harbor feelings of guilt.


    “She’s not the sharpest tool in the shed,” Baylee remarked, rolling her eyes at Demi’s ridiculous concerns.


    She remembered Erick’s gloomy face, adding, “Erick didn’t look thrilled, did he? It was as if he’d received bad news instead of celebrating impending fatherhood.”


    Ellie had insights into Erick’splex family situation, understanding hisck of enthusiasm.


    “Erick probably isn’t keen on having the child, but his family is, particrly as it would be the first great-grandchild for the Thorpe family’s patriarch,” Ellie spected.


    For the Thorpes, this child was not just a new family member, but a powerful leverage in inheritance matters and a way to gain favor with the family’s elder.


    “Erick, now everyone can be at ease, right? I wouldn’t use something as serious as a pregnancy to trick you or your family,” Demi said, holding the medical report with a mix of pretense and charm.


    Initially, her pregnancy im was met with skepticism by the Thorpes.


    “Just take the report to my parents. I’ve got things to do, and the driver will drop you off,” Erick replied with a hint of impatience.


    “Of course! I’ll show the report to your parents and grandfather back at the mansion. Even though it’s early, our baby’s thriving!” Demi spoke, oblivious to Erick’s mood, her hand resting on her still-t belly. She was certain the child was a boy, destined to be the Thorpe family’s future heir.


    It was Litzy’s idea for Demi to get checked at the hospital, where she learned of her pregnancy.


    The revtion came as a lifeline, instantly elevating her status within the Thorpe family, which now shielded her from negative press about her university expulsion.


    The allure of wealth and influence only fueled Demi’s ambition to secure her ce in the Thorpe family and be ady of high society.


    Once Demi departed, Erick rushed back to the hospital, hoping to encounter Ellie, but she had already left.


    He sighed, filled with regret. He wanted to reach out to Ellie, but she had blocked his number.


    News of Ellie’s recent achievements had reached him — stirring the pot at Carole’s party, making waves at Meloria Fashion Week, and bing a favored figure of the luxury brand Light.


    Ellie, once deemed unworthy due to her background, was now outshining her past, emerging more luminous than ever in Erick’s eyes. While some young elites grumbled about Ellie’s bold demeanor, deep down, they were all drawn to her allure — a woman whobined an air of innocence with the wildness of a little wildcat.


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