When Karina saw Noah, it was as if she were grabbing onto a lifeline. She threw herself into his arms, sobbing, “Noah, Noah, what do I do? Nic is so badly hurt, she lost so much blood. If anything happens to her, I don''t want to live anymore.”
Noah frowned and gently pushed Karina away. "Nic was with you and the nanny," he said coldly. "How could she have gotten into a car ident? You can''t even watch over one child!"
"I was packing for our trip abroad, and the nanny took Nic downstairs to y. Nic saw a man from behind who looked a bit like you and ran after him. She was hit by a car when she crossed the road, boohoo..."
Karina''s words were broken and choked with sobs.
“Nic is just a little girl, and you want to send her abroad. She''s been so down these past few days. Noah, Nic is your own daughter. How can you be so heartless as to throw her away in a foreign country?" Mr. White admonished Noah with the air of a concerned elder.
"You used to treat her like a princess, doting on her every moment. Now that your new wife is pregnant, Nic is no longer a treasure but an afterthought. It''s like they say-once a man gets a new wife, he forgets he ever had a child from the first one. Men are all heartless," Mrs. White added, her voice filled with indignation.
Noah couldn''t be bothered to argue with them. He shot them a single cold re, and Mr. and Mrs. White fell silent. Only Karina''s weeping continued unabated.
Nic had been hit by a private car. She had suddenly darted out from the side of the road, and although the driver mmed on the brakes immediately, he still struck the child.
Fortunately, the impact wasn''t life-threatening; she had only suffered a broken bone in her lower left leg. The doctors had already performed surgery to set the bone, but she would need to remain in the hospital for a few days for observation.
It was the first time Nic had ever been so seriously injured. After the surgery, the anesthesia wore off, and the pain in her leg was excruciating.
Nic couldn''t stop crying from the pain, and Noah had no choice but to hold her andfort her endlessly.
Meanwhile, in another part of the hospital.
Cynthia finished her ultrasound and walked out of the examination room holding the report.
The scan already showed the baby in her womb. Though it was just a blurry, human-like shape, it filled Cynthia with the joy of impending motherhood.
She was eager to share this joy with Noah, but when she stepped out of the room, he was nowhere to be seen.
She reached for her phone, eager to hear his voice, only to find a cold, brief text waiting for her.
As she read his words, the warmth of the ultrasound scan evaporated, leaving her expression frozen in a mask of ice.
She crumpled the ultrasound report until the paper bit into her palms, then shoved the mangled remains into a trash can.
If he never experiences loss, he will never know true pain. Well then, she would let him taste that bitterness all over again.
That weekend, Bet had a rare day off and apanied Yvonne to the mall.
As the months passed, Yvonne''s
??
bet
belly had slowly grownrger. With the change of seasons alm
none
of her clothes fit anymore
Previously, staff from the high-end stores would bring the new season''s collections directly to their home for her to choose from.
However, Yvonne had rarely gone out since bing pregnant. This time, on a whim, she wanted to go. shopping, and Bet was naturally there to apany her.
Yvonne disliked traditional maternity wear, opting instead for loose-fitting dresses
that could conceal her baby bump.
Perhaps due to severe morning
sickness. Yvonne hadn''t gained any weight during her pregnancy Her limbs were still slender, with only her belly growingrger.
She wore a loose-fitting, new-season maxi dress that perfectly hid her bump,
making her look as youthful and radiant as ever.
“Do I look good?" Yvonne walked up to Bet and gave a little twirl.