Chapter 212 I Have Been Planning for You for a Long Time
Emma's pupils contracted sharply when she saw Nicholas.
Her instinctive reaction was to slam the door shut.
But the door was stopped just before it could close, blocked by a large hand pressed firmly against it.
That hand was strong and defined, with prominent veins, carrying an irresistible force.
After a few seconds of stalemate, Emma's strength drained away, as if all her energy had been sapped.
She gave up, turning and walking away without even bothering to glance at him.
She walked to the window, her back to the door, standing like a cold statue.
Behind her came the soft sound of the door closing.
Footsteps approached, and then a warm chest pressed against her back, strong arms gently encircling her from behind.
His chin rested against her shoulder, his breath carrying the scent of alcohol as it brushed against her neck.
"Emma, I was wrong."
His voice was low, carrying a hint of hoarse pleading.
"I shouldn't have said those things to you today. Don't be angry, okay?"
Emma placed her hands over his, prying his fingers away one by one with deliberate force.
She turned to face him, looking directly into his deep eyes, speaking with absolute seriousness.
"Nicholas, that wasn't a joke."
"I can't treat it as a joke."
Her eyes immediately filled with tears, her voice beginning to tremble.
"With my first baby, I couldn't protect him. That's a regret I'll carry forever."
"I don't want to go through that again..."
Her words broke off, her voice choking with emotion.
Nicholas watched her eyes redden, feeling something twist painfully in his chest, his heart melting into a puddle.
He remembered what Charlie had told him that evening.
Finding out if this child was his would be simple enough - a blood test for non-invasive paternity testing would do it.
But what if he was wrong?
What if he was falsely accusing her, and causing her such emotional distress could affect the baby's development, even cause birth defects.
Nicholas's heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped by an invisible hand.
He had immediately put down his drink, caring about nothing else but coming back to comfort her.
He'd made his decision. When they returned to Emerald City, he'd secretly get a paternity test done.
Right now, nothing was more important than her and the child in her womb.
"Don't cry." His voice was full of heartache. "You can't have such emotional stress right now."
He pulled her to sit on the bed, drawing her completely into his arms, holding her tightly.
"I'm the bastard here. Those were just drunk words - don't take them to heart."
Emma buried her face in his chest, shaking her head silently.
She didn't believe it.
Those definitely weren't just drunk words.
She lifted her head, her red-rimmed eyes full of stubborn determination.
"Nicholas, tell me the real reason."
"Why don't you want this baby?"
His lips pressed into a thin line. The real reason, cruel in its honesty, was something he simply couldn't voice.
Silence. The air grew oppressive.
After a long time, he finally found a reason he almost believed himself.
"I was still poisoned at that time." His voice was strained. "I'm afraid this child won't be healthy. I'm afraid..."
Emma believed this reason.
Or rather, she had been afraid of the same thing.
She had certainly considered this possibility, wondering whether that virus might affect the fetus.
Moreover, she herself had genetic defects - what if she passed them on?
Thinking about this, her heart felt desolate.
Tears fell like broken pearls, beyond her control.
She spoke slowly, her voice fragmented.
"Nicholas, give him a chance, please?"
"Let him stay in my belly a little longer."
"If the anomaly scan at 22 weeks shows there really is a problem..."
She took a deep breath, using all her strength to say the final words.
"I'll let him go."
"Okay." Nicholas immediately agreed.
"Whatever you want. When we get back to Emerald City, I'll come with you for prenatal checkups. I'll closely monitor his health."
He reached out, using his fingertips to wipe the tears from her face.
But the tears seemed impossible to stop.
"Stop crying, hmm?"
Watching her continuous tears, his heart ached in sync with each drop.
He lowered his head, his lips gently kissing away the tears at the corners of her eyes, his movements tender enough to melt water.
Eventually, Emma was soothed by his comfort.
He went downstairs to get her water, helped her drink it, then began coaxing her to sleep.
He held her as they lay down, and she curled up in his arms like a frightened kitten.
Her long lashes were damp, still bearing crystalline traces of tears.
His large hand patted her back rhythmically, using the most primitive way to comfort her.
The person in his arms gradually breathed evenly, but he himself remained wide awake.
The next day, the group returned to Emerald City as originally planned.
Luna stood at the doorway with red-rimmed eyes, gripping Emma's small hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"This outfit won't work - it's too thin."
"The food there is too greasy, and you have stomach problems, so don't eat carelessly."
"During pregnancy, you need to be especially careful..."
She fussed on and on, talking for nearly ten minutes without letting anyone get in the car.
Emma didn't lose patience, her voice gentle.
"I'll take good care of myself, and the baby. There's only a month and a half until New Year's. I'll come back to see you then."
"Yes, yes." Luna nodded frantically, but still didn't release her hand.
She had just found her daughter again after eighteen years, and they'd only had three days together.
Luna pulled her into a hug. "Olivia, don't blame me. I know I'm not a qualified mother."
"Maybe I haven't done as well as Mrs. Jackson. I'm still learning..."
Emma quickly responded, "You're wonderful. Take care of yourself."
She whispered softly in her ear, "Mom."
Luna's body trembled violently, tears instantly streaming down her face.
She had called her Mom.
This word she had waited eighteen years to hear.
Finally, Luna removed the cashmere scarf from around her own neck, personally and gently wrapping it around Emma's neck, one loop, then another, carefully tying it properly.
Only after completing this ritual did she finally let go.
Luke appeared at the last moment, carrying a suitcase as he jumped into the car.
Luna was stunned. "Where are you going?"
Luke answered straightforwardly. "To Emerald City in your place, to take care of my sister."
He pulled his sunglasses down and added, "I'll bring her back safe and sound for New Year's."
Luna stood frozen, unable to find a single word of objection.
Three luxury cars slowly drove out of the estate, and eventually they boarded Nicholas's private jet direct to Emerald City.
They arrived at dusk.
The group first returned to the Jackson family mansion, planning to have dinner before everyone went to their respective homes.
Ruby, hearing about Evelyn's close call and how Luke personally rescued her, wasn't so resistant to him anymore.
After all, he was Emma's brother, which made him Evelyn's brother too - family.
At the dinner table, Ruby busily attended to her two pregnant daughters.
Thinking that in six or seven months there would be three little babies in the house, she was in an especially good mood.
Daryl, meanwhile, kept his sharp gaze fixed on Luke.
Every time he saw Luke serve Evelyn food, his eye twitched.
It seemed Luke hadn't given up his designs on his daughter.
Tonight, the Jackson family dinner table had one additional face: Ethan.
After just a few days without seeing Nina, he felt like he'd endured an entire century.
So he'd decided to crash their dinner.
And he insisted on sitting right next to Nina.
The atmosphere at the table was somewhat tense.
Ethan attentively served Nina food several times.
"Eat more of this - you love it."
Nina remained expressionless, using her fork to slowly push the food he'd given her to the side plate, piling it into a small mountain without touching a bite.
She wouldn't even look at him.
Just sitting beside him created an indescribable awkwardness and irritation that made even breathing uncomfortable.
After dinner, Ethan cornered her on the garden path.
The night was deep, the garden lights casting a dim yellow glow.
His tall figure enveloped her as he spoke with deliberate gentleness.
"Nina, want some candy?"
He magically produced a piece of milk candy, waving it in front of her.
Nina looked at him and slowly raised her hands to sign.
'Thank you, I don't want your candy anymore!'
'You should go home.'
She emphasized "your" candy, not candy in general.
Ethan's chest clenched sharply.
He instinctively reached out to grab her, wanting to pull this thorny person firmly into his arms.
But Nina seemed to predict his movement, sidestepping to avoid him.
"Nina, don't avoid me."
His voice instantly became hoarse, carrying a hint of pleading he didn't even notice.
"Nina, I truly care about you."
"I won't push you away anymore. Whether you can speak or not, I'll keep caring about you."
Nina froze for a moment.
Then she suddenly smiled, a shallow, cold smile.
She raised her hands, signing clearly and unmistakably.
'Whether I can speak or not, I'll never care about you again!'
Feelings like this come without reason and leave just as quickly.
After signing, she turned and walked away without a trace of lingering attachment.
Ethan stood frozen in place, watching her figure disappear around the corner.
In that moment, he felt worse than if he'd botched a billion-dollar project.
...
The next day, Nicholas personally accompanied Emma to Crestview Medical Clinic for her checkup.
When the cold probe touched her small belly, a strong, steady heartbeat echoed from the machine.
That sound hit Nicholas's heart heavily through the cold equipment.
His tall frame leaned forward slightly, his gaze locked onto the screen.
In that moment, he was deeply moved, feeling a surge of new life force.
He kept convincing himself to believe that what was inside was his child.
Emma looked at the blurry dark spot on the screen, her eyes immediately welling up, tears falling uncontrolled.
Later, she had several vials of blood drawn by the nurse for testing.
Only then did Nicholas carefully take her back to Imperial Garden.
As soon as they returned to Imperial Garden, three nutritionists, a doctor, and a childcare specialist were lined up waiting.
When the household staff heard that Mrs. Harrison was pregnant, they were all beaming with joy, working with extra care and not daring to be careless in the slightest.
Emma experienced a queen-like day.
Six nutritious meals a day, each one different from the last.
She looked at the blood-enriching soup in front of her with some dismay.
"Don't want to eat?"
Nicholas sat beside her with the bowl, scooping up a spoonful and bringing it to her lips.
Emma shook her head. "I'm not hungry."
His deep voice carried gentle but irrefutable authority.
"Be good, just two more sips."
"You're eating too little. The doctor said the fetus is a bit small, and your anemia needs to be treated quickly."
He paused, deliberately teasing her.
"You wouldn't want to give birth to a scrawny little monkey, would you? I wouldn't want that."
"You're the one having a monkey." Emma was amused by him, a lovely blush spreading across her cheeks as she obediently opened her mouth.
The soup wasn't bad to drink, with a subtle sweetness, but her heart felt even sweeter.
When had President Harrison become such a devoted husband?
After lunch, Nicholas took her hand for a walk in the garden to aid digestion.
The warm winter sun felt comfortable on their bodies, dispelling all the cold - much more pleasant than Empire City's bitter air.
"Nicholas."
She looked up at the man beside her, his tall, straight figure outlined perfectly by the sunlight.
"Do you hope for a son or daughter?"
He squeezed her hand tighter, his palm warm.
His voice was low and mellow, tinged with laughter. "I'd love either a son or daughter, as long as they're not ugly."
Emma couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She stood on her tiptoes, leaning close to his ear. "I think it's a girl, since we stayed in the princess suite that night."
Nicholas's smile deepened at her words.
"A daughter would be wonderful too."
He raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing away a few strands of hair the wind had tousled.
His movements were so natural, so intimate. Emma's heartbeat skipped.
She suddenly remembered something, her eyes bright as she looked at him.
"Nicholas, you had them remove the other bed from the room, didn't you?"
She'd only noticed this later, seeing the hotel's display of family rooms that weren't actually princess suites.
He made no attempt to hide it, his lips curving with possessive satisfaction.
"That's right."
"I had this planned all along."
As soon as he finished speaking, his large hand encircled her slender waist, pulling her completely into his arms.
"Emma."
"Mmm."
"From now on, don't call me Mr. Harrison - it's too formal."
Emma paused. "Okay, Mr. Harrison."
He reached over to tickle her. "What did you call me? Say it again."
"Mr. Harrison." She dodged his attack.
He pulled her into his arms. "If you keep being difficult, I'll have to punish you."
"Nicholas?"
"Nicholas!" Her voice was soft and sweet, very pleasant to hear.
"Mmm, I'll give you one more chance to try something else." He gently nibbled her ear, his warm breath caressing her earlobe.
"Honey." She called out generously, not coy at all - she wanted to say it.
Nicholas's heart trembled as his burning lips found hers precisely.
Emma's small hands actively circled his strong neck, standing on tiptoe to respond enthusiastically to his kiss.
In the fragrant air, love flowed freely, sweet enough to melt.
The kiss grew deeper and more intense.
Soon, Nicholas's breathing became completely irregular.
The emotion in his eyes was so thick it couldn't dissolve, as if he wanted to devour her completely.
The next second, Emma felt herself become weightless as she was swept up in his arms.
Nicholas carried her, striding toward the main house with long steps.
"The doctor... the doctor said we can't."
She reminded him softly, her voice sweet and trembling almost imperceptibly.
After speaking, her cheeks instantly flushed red enough to drip blood.
Nicholas didn't stop walking, but a low chuckle rumbled from his chest.
He looked down, his burning breath brushing her ear as his voice became husky and seductive, carrying fatal temptation.
"There are other ways."
"Let your husband show you."