Noah started keeping regr hours, cutting back on overtime and social


    engagements to be home for dinner with Cynthia every night. Afterward, they would take walks around the neighborhood together.


    Noticing Noah''s cooling attitude, Karina had been quiet for a while. It wasn''t until Nic''s birthday that Noah made time to take his daughter to an amusement park.


    Since Nic was so young, Karina didn''t trust Noah to take her alone and insisted on tagging along.


    That evening, Cynthia received a taunting message from Karina.


    It included a video of Noah riding the carousel with Nic and photos of Noah and Karina looking like a happy couple as they helped Nic blow out her candles and cut her cake.


    In the pictures, the three of them looked like a warm, harmonious family.


    Karina: Nic is Noah''s own flesh and blood, the apple of his eye. If you think you canpete with her for his affection, dream on.


    Cynthia couldn''t be bothered to reply with words. Instead, she simply sent back a copy of her ultrasound report.


    Nic might be Noah''s flesh and blood, but so was the baby in her womb.


    A child is treasured as the ''one and only'' when they are the only one. Once a second, or even a third,es along, they''re not quite as precious.


    Besides, with a dim-witted mother like Karina and the insatiably greedy, parasitic White family as rtives, even the best child would eventually be corrupted.


    Sure enough, after she sent the ultrasound report, Karina wentpletely silent.


    ...


    Yvonne made it through the first trimester of her pregnancy, and her morning sickness finally subsided, bringing her appetite back.


    Helen had been preparing all sorts of delicious meals for her, and Yvonne had finally started to put on some weight.


    In the morning, Helen made a savory porridge and steamed buns; for lunch, a full spread of four dishes and a soup. That evening, she was preparing ribs and sea cucumber when Bet returned.


    Bet had been away on a mission for over half a month.


    He was still in his military uniform, looking weary from his travels, clearly having rushed back the moment his mission ended.


    After he got home, Bet went straight to the bathroom. Only after showering off the dust from his journey and changing into


    He scooped Yvonne up from the sofa and bounced her lightly in his arms. "Hmm,


    you''re heavier. You''ve finally put on some weight."


    "It''s not me getting fat, it''s the baby growing," Yvonne retorted yfully, wrapping her arms around Bet''s neck.


    "Right," Bet agreed with a smile, his warm gaze lingering on her abdomen for a moment.


    Yvonne was still early in her pregnancy, so her belly hadn''t started to show yet. In her loose clothing, you could hardly tell she was pregnant.


    Helen had already set the table, so Bet carried Yvonne straight into the dining


    room.


    "Did anything happen while I was gone?" Bet asked Helen casually as hedled soup for Yvonne.


    "Nothing major Yvonne had a check-upst week, and I went to the hospital with her. The doctor said the baby is perfectly fine. Oh and your mother has visited twice, and Yvonne''s mother came by once," Helen replied.


    Yvonne was young and this was her first pregnancy. With Bet away on a


    mission and only Helen to look after her, Emma, as her mother-inw, was naturally worried.


    Emma came to see Yvonne periodically to check on her health, always bringing nourishing supplements with her.


    No matter how much Emma had disliked Yvonne in the past, now that Yvonne was


    her daughter-inw and carrying her grandchild, she was ying the part of a decent mother-inw.