jos could never bear to lose him, this was his and Vivian’s first child, he was about to be a father.


    jos gently touched the little one, who was still unaware of the outside world, through Vivian’s belly. His once hardened heart seemed to soften a bit.


    “By having him, you also have ten times more danger than now. Are you still willing?” jos’s words revealed a hint of hesitation.


    Hearing the slight wavering in jos’s words, Vivian nodded eagerly, as if afraid that any dy would make jos change his mind. “I am willing, I am willing! Even if I die, I will protect him.”


    “Please, jos, please, keep him.”


    jos looked at Vivian’s earnest face and couldn’t bear to disappoint her. He gently kissed her forehead, a promise.


    “I will protect you and the child, for sure.”


    With jos’s firm promise, Vivian’s tense nerves finally rxed, and she wept in his arms.


    jos let her hold onto his pajamas tightly, crying and wiping her snot and tears on his clothes.


    The moon outside was beautiful.


    Once Vivian cried herself out, shey in jos’s arms, unwilling to get up. jos amusedly teased her, “Are you feeling shy?”


    “No!” Vivian retorted fiercely, sitting up and covering her face with a hint of tears, “It’s too embarrassing.”


    josughed and went into the bathroom.


    Vivian didn’t know what he was doing, only hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom. She got out of bed, shaking her weak legs, and went to the wardrobe, pulling out a nightgown to change into.


    jos soon came out of the bathroom, holding a hot towel.


    As he wiped Vivian’s face, he said, “I am your husband, Vivian. There’s no shame in crying in front of me.”


    Vivian stared at him nkly. jos seemed different today.


    Vivian’s hand rested on her belly, her blue eyes blinking with a hint of confusion.


    Was it because of their child?


    “Did you hear me, Vivian?” jos asked.


    Actually, Vivian didn’t hear clearly what jos had just said. She mumbled in response, “Hmm…”


    After wiping her face, jos tossed the towel and tucked Vivian into bed. “It’ste, you should sleep now,” he said, running his fingers through her hair. “Anything else can wait until tomorrow.”


    Vivian obediently nodded and closed her eyes, but she was not sleepy at all. She heard jos go into the bathroom, the sound of running water filling the room. After a while, jos came out.


    He must have taken a shower and changed into a new nightgown.


    Vivian could hear jos pacing in the room, opening the mini-fridge, probably getting his favorite whiskey. This time he didn’t sit in his usual armchair but took the whiskey and the ss to the balcony.


    The small balcony connected to the bedroom, separated only by a sliding ss door. The blue curtains, with drifting white clouds, were not drawn. Viviany in bed, quietly opening her eyes.


    She saw the whiskey bottle ced on the small round table, and jos standing in front of the balcony railing, one elbow resting on the railing, the other hand holding the ss, as if about to drink but not drinking.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    He gazed into the distance for a long time, his serene face no longer showing the initial anger and sorrow. But Vivian knew that no Capo would remain calm after such maniption. Beneath jos’s apparently calm demeanor, a storm that would affect two cities was brewing.


    She slowly closed her eyes, letting the darkness engulf her entirely.


    Father, before all this conspiracy begins, before you abandon your only daughter, do you feel guilt and unease in your heart?


    No, you wouldn’t, would you?


    Your daughter, Vivian Jones, is just a pawn in your conquest of Houston. When she falls on the chessboard, she bes a discarded piece.


    She felt a rustling sound by her side. Vivian distinctly felt a weight next to her.


    It was jos.


    In the darkness, she felt his rough fingertips wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. jos looked at her gently quivering long eyshes, his hand moved around her arm, gently patting her back.


    Vivian didn’t open her eyes, and jos didn’t expose her lie. They embraced each other in silence and fell asleep.


    Outside the window, dawn had not yet arrived.


    …


    Vivian unsurprisingly woke upte, and jos was already not in the room.


    Vivian reached out to touch the ce where Aljos had slept, but the bed was cold; he had left a long time ago.


    Vivian knew he was busy with work, and the frequent Bratva attacks had left him exhausted. Now that she was pregnant with their child, she knew that jos would be even busier for a long time.


    Vivian sighed. She hated her own weakness and helplessness. She couldn’t provide any effective help to jos, and she might even distract him.


    Her father must be pleased with her weakness. His conspiracy was working, weakening jos.


    Vivian wearily dragged her feet to the bathroom. She picked up her pink toothbrush, applied toothpaste, and the faint taste of mint filled her mouth. The faucet above the washbasin gushed water. After a simple wash, she changed into clean andfortable clothes.


    Closing the wardrobe, Vivian no longer felt sorry for the gorgeous dresses that no longer suited her. It wasn’t because of an indulgent and dissolute life that she had gained weight, but because she was pregnant.


    Setting aside all the crises and unfavorable factors, the fact that she was going to be a mother filled her with joy. As she walked, her steps were light, and she spun in ce, the elegant steps of a waltz flowing beneath her feet.


    She wanted to announce this good news to everyone.


    The first person she thought of was her mother.


    This halted her good mood.


    Her mother was far away in Europe… no, she didn’t even know if her mother was truly recuperating in Europe. If her father had lied…


    No, no, how could her father lie about her mother?


    But her father had once panicked jos…


    The more Vivian thought, the more anxious she became, and half of her good mood had vanished. When she saw the note jos had deliberately left behind, the other half of her good mood disappeared as well.


    “Vivian, I’ve gone to work. Remember to have breakfast. Regarding your pregnancy, I hope you can keep it a secret for now, including from your brother Vilem. You should be well aware of how many pairs of eyes and ears there are in Los Angeles around you. For your and the child’s safety.”


    The note was signed with jos’s name.


    After spending some time together, jos had some understanding of Vivian, and as for Vivian…


    After realizing that seeking her mother had yielded no results, she had indeed thought of going to find Vilem and sharing this good news with him.


    But jos was right. Her father had sent many elite soldiers from Los Angeles to Houston, supposedly to help Houston through its difficulties. But how could it not be to monitor her and Vilem?


    Her father was a cunning businessman, an excellent plotter.