Chapter 354 Pregnant, Winning the Championship
Chapter 354 Pregnant, Winning the Championship
Throughout the the examination, Brandon stayed by Rachel’s side the entire time, holding her hand tightly, his palm damp with sweat.
The doctor smiled and confirmed to them: "Congratulations Mr. Saunders, Mrs. Saunders. You are indeed pregnant. Based on the indicators, it's about 6 weeks along, and the fetal heartbeat is strong."
In that moment, overwhelming joy swept over Brandon and Rachel like a tsunami.
Brandon pulled Rachel tightly into his arms, holding her until it almost hurt. but his trembling shoulders and reddening eyes revealed his inner excitement.
Rachel's eyes also instantly filled with tears as she hugged him back tightly.
This unexpected little life felt like fate’s greatest gift to them, a gentle reward for everything they had been through.
However, after the initial joy came Brandon's doubled caution, almost to the point of being on high alert.
He immediately cleared Rachel’s schedule, cutting down her outings and social engagements. A nutritionist and pregnancy care team were hired at once. and every sharp corner in the house was padded for safety. Even her slightest quick step would set off his nervous reminders.
Rachel was both touched and amused. She protested a few times, but seeing Brandon looking like he wanted to hold her in his palm and keep her in his mouth, her heart melted into a puddle, and she just let him have his way.
They also shared this news with Arthur right away.
Six-year-old Arthur, after hearing it, opened his round eyes wide, stared blankly for a while, then suddenly jumped up, his little face flushed with excitement: "I'm going to have a brother or sister? That's great!" He circled around Rachel, carefully pressed his ear against her belly to listen, then looked up and said seriously to Brandon: "Dad, I'll protect Mom and the baby!"
Even more surprising, the triennial Global Innovation and Technology Challenge (GITC) soon came around again.
With Brandon's support and Rachel's encouragement, Arthur signed up to compete again.
And this time, his project was inspired by the new needs brought by Rachel's pregnancy.
Arthur designed and built an intelligent pregnancy assistant robot called "Guardian."
This robot not only had regular smart home control, environmental monitoring, and emergency calling functions, but was also specially optimized for pregnant women's specific situations.
Arthur designed the robot's appearance to be round and cute, with a gentle screen expression, and the voice system used Rachel's favorite soothing female voice.
From concept to programming, from hardware assembly to appearance design, Arthur poured in tremendous passion and energy. Brandon provided him with the best laboratory and technical advisor support, while Rachel was his most loyal tester and source of inspiration.
On the day of the competition finals, Arthur calmly demonstrated Guardian's various functions to the judges and audience, and emotionally explained his design motivation: "I wanted to do something for my mom, to make her more relaxed and comfortable while welcoming the new baby. Technology should be used to warm people and protect love."
Despite his young age, Arthur was clear in his logic, moving in his expression, and his work perfectly combined technical practicality with humanistic care.
Without surprise, Arthur won the children's division championship of this year's GITC with "Guardian."
When the presenter announced his name, Rachel, watching from the audience, instantly burst into tears, gripping Brandon's hand tightly.
Brandon's eyes were also full of pride as he took in both Rachel and Arthur glowing on the distant podium with his loving gaze.
Double happiness, nothing more than this.
The joy from Rachel's pregnancy and the glory of Arthur's championship kept The Saunders Mansion wrapped in a warm atmosphere.
To better care for Rachel during her pregnancy, the family hired a new live-in housekeeper named Julie, She was in her early forties, with a solid reputation, and appeared neat, efficient, and professional.
At first, everything was normal.
Julie was respectful enough to Rachel and prepared meals carefully.
However, as time went on, perhaps seeing that Rachel looked somewhat haggard and drowsy from morning sickness, while Brandon was powerful, mature, handsome, and extremely caring and gentle toward Rachel, Julie gradually developed inappropriate thoughts.
She began deliberately showing off in front of Brandon, wearing increasingly form-fitting clothes, softening her voice when speaking, and adding a hook to her gaze.
Brandon was busy with work and rarely home, and with all his attention on Rachel, he didn’t notice Julie’s unusual behavior,assuming she was simply trying harder to keep her job.
Until that afternoon.
Rachel was napping in the bedroom, and Brandon came home early for once, handling documents in his study.
Julie knocked and entered with carefully stewed soup. After setting down the bowl, she didn't leave immediately but instead approached the desk, her voice sweet: "Mr. Saunders, you've been working so hard. Mrs. Saunders hasn't been feeling well lately, so she probably can't take care of you. You must be exhausted. Do you need my special services?" As she spoke, Julie's hand seemed to casually reach for Brandon's arm.
Brandon frowned, avoiding her touch, his voice cold: "Put it down and leave."
But Julie acted as if encouraged. Not only did she not leave, she lowered her voice, her tone carrying a hint of provocation and self-promotion: "Mr. Saunders, Mrs. Saunders looks so worn out now, it's really unfair to someone like you. I may be a bit older, but I know how to care for people, how to look after people. I'm no worse than those delicate young girls. As long as you're willing, I guarantee I'll take good care of you, and I absolutely won't let Mrs. Saunders know."
These words were like lighting the fuse of a powder keg.
Brandon slowly raised his head. In that instant, Julie was so frightened by the look in his eyes that she stepped back.
It was no longer the gentleness he showed Rachel each day, nor the calm he displayed when handling business, but a bone-chilling ferocity, like a sleeping beast whose most sensitive point had been struck.
He said nothing, just pressed the internal communicator on his desk, his voice cold without a trace of warmth: "Lonnie, bring two people upstairs."
In less than two minutes, Lonnie appeared silently with two security guards.
Brandon only dropped one sentence: "Check her background thoroughly and handle it cleanly. Make sure she and her family remember forever the consequences of reaching where they shouldn't and saying what they shouldn't."
His handling was definitely not a simple dismissal.
What awaited Julie would be complete ruin, permanent blacklisting in the industry, and even her family would be implicated because of her, unable to establish themselves in City A.
Brandon wanted to use the harshest methods to deter anyone who might disrespect Rachel or harbor delusions about him and this family.
The matter was quickly handled, and The Saunders Mansion returned to calm, as if this episode had never happened.
From Brandon's attitude, Rachel vaguely guessed what had happened.