Chapter 1870


    At the sight of Yasmine, Chloe quickly sat up in bed, a piece of apple Damon had just given her still


    between her lips.


    "Mom..."


    Yasmine gave her daughter a cursory nce, her gaze swiftly moving to the swell of Chloe''s belly.


    Chloe pursed her lips and gently rested her hands on her abdomen.b2


    Yasmine approached, shooting a nce at Damon standing beside the bed, "Her belly''s quite big.


    Maybe ease up on the snacks."


    Damon''s lips tightened as he stepped aside to make room for her.


    Stanley followed, casting a disdainful look at Damon, "Seems like you only care about the babies.


    You couldn''t care less about our dear Chloe''s well-being. Jerk!"


    A vein throbbed on Damon''s forehead as he glowered at Stanley, "Get out!"


    Stanley snorted and took Yasmine''s arm, "Take it easy, Yasmine."


    Ignoring Stanley, Yasmine bent down beside the bed and gently touched Chloe''s rounded belly, her


    usually cold face softening. Then, looking up at Chloe, she said, "Don''t worry, I''ve brought two top


    OB/GYNs from B country. They''ll get the scoop and coordinate with the hospital to assist during


    delivery."


    Chloe nced at Damon, "Damon''s got it covered."


    Yasmine paused, "Most women go through childbirth, and with today''s medical advances, there''s


    hardly any risk. Just rx."


    Chloe nodded. She''d heard it all before and knew it well. It seemed everyone was more nervous


    than she was.


    "I get it. And Rose had her baby a few days ago—both are healthy, all went well."


    Yasmine nodded, her eyes fixed on Chloe''s belly, her palms sweating silently. She too had been


    through childbirth, but the sight of Chloe''s twin-carrying belly still made her worry. It looked as if


    Chloe could give birth at any minute.


    Chloe was used to the sight and smiled lightly, "Well, there are two of them."


    When Alyssa and Elizabeth entered the room and saw Yasmine, they were surprised.


    "Yasmine!" Elizabeth''s eyes welled up as she rushed over and hugged her, "I thought I''d never see


    you again."


    Yasmine''s brow twitched, "You make it sound like I''m not in this world anymore."


    Elizabeth shook her head, "Weren''t you kidnapped by a gangster to be his bride?"


    Yasmine was silent.


    The word "gangster" raised Chloe''s eyebrows as she looked puzzledly at Damon. It seemed their


    fates were intertwined. Neither could escape being a gangster''s bride.


    Damon''s gaze met hers, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.


    Elizabeth was genuinely teary-eyed. Yasmine didn''t follow her train of thought, but the sight of tears


    softened her. "There''s no gangster''s bride here."


    "I saw it all at the coronation. You were whisked away by that man, right onto a ne. He’s the


    President of B Country. We felt so powerless. Oh dear..."


    Yasmine let out a chuckle, "Was it that you didn''t dare, or you didn''t want to bring me back?"


    Elizabeth''s crying stopped, and she let go of Yasmine, wiping her eyes, "I was just worried you''d get


    too fond of being a gangster''s bride. I mean, I would have taken care of Chloe."


    Yasmine raised an eyebrow, "You mean you would''ve taken care of Chloe and had your eye on my


    grandchildren too, right?"


    Elizabeth''s smile faltered, "That''s not it."


    Yasmine smirked, knowing that was at least one percent of the truth. The room fell silent for a


    moment until Elizabeth, perhaps feeling awkward, said: "Dear, how''s your leg?"


    Yasmine pushed her away, stood up, and walked confidently in front of her. Dressed in a light green


    business suit with cropped pants and a casual jacket, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, she didn''t


    look like someone who had ever suffered a leg injury. Her presence was formidable, even more so


    than Chloe''s.


    Elizabeth pped with delight, "It''s healed."


    "Yes, so I''m fully capable of looking after my grandchildren," Yasmine replied with a smile.


    Elizabeth pouted, "Fine, we''ll do it together. But will Boyd let you? Are you not going back?"


    "Why should I?"


    Elizabeth leaned in, curiosity written all over her face, "He''s okay with this?"


    "Does it matter what he thinks?"


    Elizabeth moved closer, "What''s this? Have you grown a spine, or has his softened?"


    Stanley, meanwhile, focused on Chloe, "How about it, Chloe? Fancy giving me a shot at raising one


    of them?"


    Chloe looked at him, "Which one do you have in mind?"


    "Which one are you willing to part with?"


    Chloe hesitated, "I don''t want to part with either. Can''t you spare the kids?"


    "Then I''ll take a girl. A girl''s got to be tough to avoid being bullied, right?"


    Damon''s expression darkened, "What are you two talking about?"


    Chloe turned to him, her expression apologetic. She hadn''t had the heart to tell him.


    How could she exin that she caved under Stanley''s relentless persuasion and casually agreed to


    let him teach her children some skills? She had never mentioned this to Damon.


    As Chloe''s due date approached, her mind was clouded with doubt. The thought of her babies


    enduring hardship alongside Stanley was unbearable, and she found herself yearning to back out.


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    "This was a promise I made to Chloe. It''s got nothing to do with you, so butt out," Stanley spat


    dismissively at Damon, rolling his eyes in disgust.


    Damon''s brow furrowed as he shifted his gaze to Chloe. "What promise with him? Since when?"


    Chloe felt a headacheing on. "There wasn''t any," she admitted.


    Stanley snickered. "Trying to back out on me, Chloe? No dice. If you don''t agree, well, you might


    just wake up one morning to find one less kiddo in the crib."


    Chloe''s breath hitched, panic rising as she clutched her belly and looked to Damon for help.


    "Damon..."


    He shot her a frigid nce, and she immediately averted her eyes. She shouldn''t have made such a


    ndestine deal with Stanley. She hadn''t taken it seriously at the time. But now, out of nowhere,


    Stanley was holding her to it. Couldn''t he just forget about it?


    Damon''s frown deepened as he looked back at Stanley. "Did you even ask me?"


    Stanley nonchntly replied, giving him a sideways nce. "Would you have agreed?"


    "Absolutely not."


    "That settles it, then."


    The tension was palpable as the rest of the room watched the drama unfold. Yasmine was the first


    to speak up. "The babies aren''t even born yet. Let''s cross this bridge when wee to it."


    Stanley shrugged. "Sure. I''ll just keep it in mind."


    Chloe exhaled in relief.


    --


    Two dayster, the Queen of Y Country arrived in Chloe''s room, apanied by two doctors.


    Chloe was stunned by the honor. The room was crowded with people: Grandma, Mother-inw,


    Mom, Dad, Damon, Stanley, Nathan, Yulia, Anya, Queen Julia, Lea, and the Queen''s


    apanying physicians.


    Chloe was bewildered. It was like national treasures were being born – such a spectacle.


    And to think of all the other doctors who hadn''t shown up yet: those called by Damon, brought by


    Stanley, and now those brought by Julia, Chloe couldn''t help but picture the scene of her delivery,


    surrounded by a dozen doctors watching her give birth. She touched her forehead, trying to banish


    the thought.


    News that Queen Yulia herself hade to P City to visit her granddaughter spread like wildfire


    across the inte. Chloe''s childbirth became the center of everyone''s attention.


    --


    The night before her due date, Chloe felt a heaviness in her belly.


    Jane calmly directed Chloe to the delivery room, with Damon following closely behind.


    At Chloe''s insistence, the international array of top-notch obstetricians didn''t all crowd into the


    delivery room. Instead, they gathered in an adjacent observation room, ready to step in at a


    moment''s notice.


    The others all anxiously waited outside the delivery room.


    Then, some one approached unsteadily yet swiftly from the end of the hallway, drawing cold


    nces from everyone present.


    Alyssa''s brows knitted tightly. "What are you doing here?"


    Mixed emotions crossed the faces of those who turned to look at that man.


    Elizabeth instinctively nced at Yasmine, who simply gave that man a brief look before turning


    away. No one knew how Yasmine felt.


    The person who showed up at this time was no other than Presley.


    Despite the many who harbored resentment toward him, they all chose to keep their distance. The


    only person who could speak frankly to him here was Alyssa.


    "We don''t want you here. Please leave," she said firmly.


    Presley nced at her. "I''m not in the mood for petty squabbles right now. That''s my great-


    grandchildren in there too."


    Grandma''s face darkened. "My granddaughter-inw is in that room. If you''re looking for your great-


    grandchildren, look elsewhere. Maybe check the cracks in the sidewalk or under a rock to see if one


    might crawl out."


    "You..." Presley was seething yet had prepared himself not to react. He just wanted to see his great-


    grandchildren, the future of the Harper family.


    "Angry? Want to flex your patriarchal muscles? Let me tell you, Presley, no one here cares for your


    antics. Even if the child bears the surname ''Harper'', it''s Damon''s ''Harper'', not yours."


    "Even if they bear Damon''s surname, it''s still Harper," Presley couldn''t hold back, raising his voice


    at Grandma in the hallway.


    Alyssa, however, didn''t have much of a reaction, just sneered and slowly said, "As long as Damon


    doesn''t mind, I can make both kids take Chloe''sst name."


    Presley was taken aback."Alyssia, how long are you going to keep messing with me? What''s the


    use of showing off your verbal prowess against me whenever we meet?"


    Alyssa merely scoffed. "As long as you stay out of my sight, I won''t go out of my way to cause you


    trouble. I have no interest in entangling with someone whose morals are so skewed."


    Presley took a deep breath, "From now on, I won''t say a word. Is that okay, Alyssa? No matter how


    much you rage, Chloe''s children are my Harper heirs—no matter what surnames they take. If you


    want to feel satisfied, be my guest."


    With that, he sat down stubbornly on a bench outside the delivery room.


    Alyssa red at him. "Have you no shame?"


    Presley turned his head away, refusing to engage further.


    Nathan, holding Anya, whispered to Yulia beside him, "Now you see? My granddad was really no


    different from a gangster back in the day."


    Yulia forced a smile, unsure how to react to the family drama unfolding before her.


    Yulia had been on her feet for a while, her chair now empty. Elizabeth caught sight of the two


    whispering to each other and marched over, shooting Nathan a re. "Don''t keep Yulia standing.


    Help her sit down for a bit," she said with a stern motherly concern.


    Nathan didn''t speak but immediately took action, guiding Yulia to another chair nearby. "Are you


    thirsty? Want some water?" he asked, his voice softening.


    Yulia shook her head. "I''m good, not thirsty."


    The chairs weren''t too far apart, and Nathan, typically rough around the edges, was now showing a


    tenderness that even Presley couldn''t help but notice.


    As Nathan sensed the old man''s curiosity, he was about to exin but was quickly interrupted by


    his grandma''s decisive voice. "Nathan, Yulia''s expecting, and she shouldn''t be in this hospital for


    too long. The air''s not great here. Take her home." shemanded.


    Yulia''s cheeks flushed with the tant agenda. Were they trying to surprise Presley on purpose?


    "I’m fine." she protested softly.


    Little Anya, sprawled across herp, furrowed her brow while peering at Yulia’s belly, "Will staying at


    the hospital be bad for the baby in your tummy, Yulipop?"


    Yulia smoothed Anya''s hair. "It''s okay, sweetie. Aunt Chloe will soon have a cute little brother and a


    sister for you."


    Anya''s eyes lit up like Fourth of July sparklers.


    "Yay! Nathan, can we go for ice cream and burgers with the babies?" she eximed, her voice filled


    with innocence.


    Nathan quickly covered Anya''s mouth with his hand, "Kiddo, remember it''s our secret."


    Anya blinked herrge eyes and then covered her mouth with her hands, a look of surprise on her


    face, as she peeked at Yulia.


    Just then, a gentle hand ruffled Anya''s hair, "Anya, when we''re out in public, you can''t call Nathan


    and Yulipop by those names. They''re your mom and dad."


    Alyssa spoke softly, and Anya obediently nodded, "Okay, Mommy, Daddy."


    Nathan was moved to tears. "If I’d known Grandma''s words were so powerful, I wouldn''t have


    stressed over her calling me ''Daddy.''"


    Suddenly, Presley stood up and walked over, his gaze shifting from Anya to Yulia and finally resting


    on Nathan.


    "What''s this? Yulia''s pregnant?" he asked, the implication clear in his voice.


    Fully aware of the grandmother''s influence, Nathan nodded, "Yep!. It''s Mine."


    "And Anya? Isn''t she Yulia''s sister?"


    Nathan shook his head, "No. Anya is my daughter, my own flesh and blood. I sowed some wild oats


    a few years back, and look how they''ve grown."


    The words were cheeky enough to earn a re, but Presley merely pursed his lips, his eyes


    returning to Anya with an unmistakable thrill.


    He reached out to touch Anya, but she, feeling a bit scared, darted into Nathan''s embrace.


    Presley had been arguing fiercely with her great-grandmother earlier, and his harsh demeanor was


    a bit frightening to her. He used to seem so kind, but now, he appeared stern, and everyone else


    seemed to dislike him.


    Presley froze, his gaze fixed on the tiny figure of Anya, his expressionplex. He softened his


    voice, "Anya, I am... I''m your great-grandfather."


    Anya blinked, looking up at Nathan, then at Yulia.


    Yulia gave her a gentle smile and nodded. "Say ''Great-Grandpa.''"


    After all, it was the truth. Even if he had divorced Alyssa, he was still Anya''s great-grandfather. Yulia


    wouldn''t teach Anya to deny her family.


    Anya hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of Nathan''s arms and moved a few paces closer to


    the old man. "Great-Grandpa."


    Presley''s lips quivered with emotion as he slowly, with the aid of his cane, bent down to carefully


    pull Anya into his embrace.


    Alyssa, her expression icy, merely snorted and turned her head away.