“Let’s forget these hair-pulling worries,” Luzia waved her hand, nonchntly saying, “We should enjoy this rare free time.”


    Speaking of enjoyment, Luzia crawled out of Vivian’s embrace, the nket slipping off her, revealing her cute bear-print pajamas. “We should find something fun to do.”


    “How about going to the movies?” Luzia eximed with excitement. “There’s a mini theater in the vi, I know where the snacks are, and I’d like a c. What movie do you want to watch?”


    Luzia felt regret once again. “If only we could go dancing, I haven’t been to a bar in ages.”


    “Shelley would be thrilled to hear you want to go dancing,” Vivian sighed, “But I can’t apany you right now.”


    “I know, jos has restricted your movements.”


    “No,” Vivian shook her head, denying Luzia’s usation against jos.


    She lifted the nket, revealing her slightly swollen belly under loose pajamas. “I’m pregnant.”


    Luzia’s eyes widened in shock, eximing, “What did you say?”


    Luzia couldn’t believe her ears; she thought she must have misheard.


    Yes, she was sure she misheard.


    Of course, her certainty in mishearing was not because she hoped Vivian was infertile, but because she had overheard jos telling Auntie that he didn’t want Vivian to get pregnant.


    The situation in Houston was too dire; jos could not ept his own weakness at this time, a fragile child was enough to drag jos down.


    But no matter how much Luzia refused to believe it, Vivian’s swollen belly was telling her the absolute truth-she was pregnant, and jos was going to be a father.


    “Oh my goodness!” Unimaginable shock was followed by unimaginable delight. Tears welled in Luzia’s eyes; she was happier than if she had been the one pregnant. “I’m going to be an aunt!”


    Vivian was infected with joy by Luzia, watching her happily waving her arms in the room,ughing gently. “Yes, you’re going to be an aunt, no doubt about it.”


    “But you need to keep it quiet, don’t let anyone find out; this is our secret,” Vivian said. “Not many people know.”


    Luzia calmed down a bit, but only in that she lowered her voice. “Does jos know?”


    As soon as this question came out, Luzia knew she had asked a foolish question; how could jos not know?


    Sure enough, Vivian nodded. “He knows.”


    “Simpson, Mare, Emmert, Doctor Yoshiye who did my check-up, Nirupama who helped me with measurements for clothes,” Vivian counted the people who knew she was pregnant. “And now, you.”


    “Oh, and Nirupama wants to invite you for honey pancakes. If you’re free, we can go have coffee with her,” Vivian didn’t forget to extend an invitation from Nirupama.


    “As long as Joseph is busy with his work, he can’t control my time,” Luzia epted Nirupama’s invitation. But now she was more interested in the fact that Vivian was pregnant.


    Luzia cautiously ced her hands on both sides of Vivian’s swollen belly, feeling a bit excited and a bit scared, her hands trembling.


    “You can feel him,” Vivian said. “He moves asionally. But he prefers jos; he moves more when jos is around.”


    Gently touching the belly, the warm sensation conveyed nerves. Luzia didn’t feel the baby’s movements, but she still felt a sense of wonder. “How far along is he?”


    “25 weeks,” Vivian touched her belly.


    Luzia did the math herself. “So, he still needs about 25 more weeks toe out, right? That’s a long time. How long can you keep it a secret?”


    “We’re trying to dy the time as much as possible,” Vivian felt uneasy too, but they had their reasons for doing so. “You have to keep this secret for us, Luzia, absolutely do not let Joseph know.”


    “Why?” Luzia asked. “I know Joseph is aplete devil, but this is his nephew; he’s going to be an uncle.”This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Vivian shook her head. “You don’t understand him enough, Luzia. He doesn’t understand family ties, to him, anyone who obstructs him is an enemy.”


    “Do you know how this child came about?”


    The answer to this question was embarrassing, and Luzia didn’t know how to respond.


    But Vivian wasn’t embarrassed. She said, “My father told jos that I was on birth control.”


    Luzia was puzzled for a moment, not understanding Vivian’s meaning.


    Vivian was on birth control? Thenwhy did she get pregnant? Did she take fake birth control pills? No, perhaps Vivian never took birth control pills at all. Luzia felt like she had glimpsed a secret.


    “He was lying?” Luzia saw Vivian nod, unable to believe it. “Why?”


    “That’s what jos and I want to figure out,” Vivian shook her head, “You know, jos actually didn’t want a child, right?”


    Luzia wasn’t surprised that Vivian knew; since they knew Bryson was talking, they must havemunicated.


    “Of course, jos wouldn’t allow anything to make him vulnerable. That’s also why he’s afraid to love you. Love is a weakness, whether it’s love for a wife or love for a child; it can easily kill a person.”


    Luzia sighed, burying herself back in the covers. “Bratva is trying everything to get close to jos. If they can’t kill him in the turmoil, they send spies, send assassins, targeting people around jos. A child is the best choice.”


    “I can’t see through my father,” Vivian said disheartened, “I can guess that he gave up on me, but I can’t determine the real reason for his actions. Kill jos, and then what, rece him?”


    “Houston may be weak, but its army still maintains strongbat capability. If jos dies, there’s still Simpson, there’s their cousins, the Hargrave family will always have someone to take the Capo’s position.”


    Luzia couldn’t figure it out either; she was naturally optimistic and couldn’t engage in too muchplicated thinking.


    “All of this is what jos should consider. You shouldn’t think about it,” Luzia said.


    “I’m happy to have a child,” Vivian slid down andy shoulder to shoulder with Luzia under the covers, they looked up at the canopy together.


    “I’m also afraid of having a child,” Vivian quietly expressed her worries. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect him, that he’ll be kidnapped, dismembered, and his fingers and toes will be ced in front of jos and me. I’ll copse.”


    “No, jos will protect his child,” Luzia leaned her head against Vivian’s,forting her softly. “You have to believe in him.”


    “I hope jos is trustworthy,” Vivian turned off the bedsidemp, and the bedroom fell into darkness. She could feel Luzia’s hand on her arm. “Let’s go to sleep, Auntie will take us apple picking tomorrow.”


    “I’d rather have cherries,” Luzia sighed, “But Auntie doesn’t grow cherries well, and she doesn’t like having a gardener take care of the fruit trees for her.”


    “Mrs. Yazmin is a stubborn woman,” Vivian’s voice gradually softened.


    “You should call her Auntie, Vivian,” Luzia corrected Vivian’s address.


    Vivian’s answer was the gradually calming and lengthening breaths.


    Vivian fell asleep.


    Luzia closed her eyes for a moment and curiously touched her belly.


    It seemed that this child still favored jos; she didn’t have the luck to feel the baby’s movements.


    “Goodnight,” Luzia said.