Chapter 169
Nola remained calm as ever.
"What can he do? Just throw a fit."
This remark instantly set Steven off.
"What does an unreasonable, ignorant woman like you know? What gives you the right to criticize me?"
Nola just smiled without saying a word. She had already seen through this old bastard—if she made him angry, he could divorce her and marry someone younger in a heartbeat, and then she'd end up with nothing.
After she died, who knows how Nancy would mock her?
For a woman her age, whether her husband came home didn't matter—her children and her reputation were what mattered most. Otherwise, what was the point of living all these years?
As long as she was Mrs. Brown, she had status in public. No matter how many secretaries Steven had, they still had to bow and greet her respectfully.
Facing Steven's mockery, Nola responded with a smile.
Steven's rising temper deflated—arguing with her was like talking to a wall.
These pointless arguments were useless. They needed to quickly come up with a plan, since the one-hour visiting time William had given them was almost up.
Steven was a nervous wreck, completely anxious.
Sarah felt that no matter what, she couldn't stay in this hospital anymore. If she stayed any longer, she'd go crazy.
"Dad, just help me check out. Let's go home and talk. It's not convenient to talk here."
Steven glanced outside the door. The caregiver wasn't there. Sarah had a point—the family had to avoid the caregiver when talking, afraid she'd report back to William. It made communication difficult.
Checking out could at least buy them some time.
He thought it over and said, "Alright, I'll handle the discharge. Text William and tell him your body has recovered, and the doctor said you can rest at home."
Sarah happily jumped up from the bed, ready to change clothes.
Steven came back with a pile of billing documents and asked Sarah, "Did William say anything?"
Sarah stood in front of the mirror putting on makeup.
"Couldn't reach him, he's probably busy."
Whatever, they'd deal with the consequences later.
The family left the hospital room. As they were leaving, Steven remembered that Howard was also hospitalized in this building, and suddenly had an idea.
"Sarah, I have an idea. Want to hear it?"
"Dad, tell me!"
Steven stopped walking.
"William's grandfather, Howard, is also hospitalized in this building. Let's go up and tell him about you carrying William's son. At his age, Howard must be hoping for his great-grandchildren. His younger son, Michael, won't even get married, and his grandson, William, is this old without having kids. If he finds out he's going to have a great-grandson, he'll probably be thrilled. If he's happy, your future will be much easier."
Sarah was startled by Steven's bold proposal.
"Dad, that won't work."
It's not like she hadn't tested the waters before. Last time, also in a hospital room here, she just pretended to visit and walked around, and William gave her the cold shoulder for days afterward.
And Howard hadn't been friendly to her either, even though she had been as humble as possible. Howard didn't like her—she had that much self-awareness.
"Dad, his grandfather doesn't like me."
Steven looked frustrated with her.
"Girl, what's in that thick head of yours? Whether he likes you doesn't matter—as long as he likes the child in your belly, that's enough. You can play this trump card over and over."
Sarah paused and asked suspiciously, "Really?"
Steven licked his lips, as if making a big decision.
"Let's take a gamble. If we win, you'll soon officially become Mrs. Morgan. If we lose, it can't be worse than now anyway. William is pressuring you to get tested—what other options do you have?"
Sarah really couldn't think of a better solution.
Thinking about how things were different now—she was carrying the Morgan family heir—no matter what, the old man wouldn't be too harsh with her.
"Dad, let's try it."
It was decided.
Steven led Sarah and Nola toward Howard's room. He had asked around earlier—Howard was in a VIP room on the top floor.
Soon they reached the top floor. Sarah took a breath. She was still somewhat nervous. But this time, she had Steven and Nola backing her up, plus the trump card in her belly, so she felt much more confident.
Howard had just called Ava to make sure her fever had gone down before feeling relieved.
Someone knocked on the door. Jeremy went to answer it.
His expression showed slight tension when he saw the Browns at the door. He knew something about William's messy situation with the Brown family's younger daughter. These three uninvited guests were definitely not appropriate visitors for Howard's room right now.
Jeremy politely declined, "Mr. Morgan needs to rest. Please leave."
Before Steven could speak, he was being turned away by a butler. How could he accept that?
"Mr. Wright, I just need to say a few words to Mr. Morgan. I won't disturb his rest. Do me this favor, and I'll treat you to dinner later."
Jeremy's expression didn't change.
"Mr. Morgan isn't feeling well and isn't seeing strangers lately. He won't even see company executives. Please don't make this difficult for me."
Steven felt his pride wounded. He was practically family to the Morgan family, and here a butler was calling him a stranger. What right did this old man have to turn away guests for his master?
"Mr. Morgan, I've brought your precious one to see you!"
Steven spoke while pushing forward, forcing Jeremy to step back. He was about to lose control of the situation.
The door was still slightly open, and Howard, inside, could hear everything he was saying.
Jeremy had worked for the Morgan family for decades and had never seen anyone so shameless and unreasonable. Told not to enter but insisting on entering—despite all his blocking, Steven had already gotten halfway into the room.
He couldn't stop them anymore.
Steven pushed past Jeremy and brought Sarah and Nola inside.
"Mr. Morgan, how have you been feeling lately? I've brought you good news that will definitely make you feel refreshed and instantly better."
With that, he pulled Sarah forward a step.
"Sarah is pregnant with William's child. We've had it tested—it's a boy. The Morgan family has an heir."
Steven rushed through the announcement in one breath, looking expectantly at Howard, waiting for his reaction. In his mind, with Sarah pregnant with the Morgan family heir, she had basically secured the position of Mrs. Morgan.
He hadn't considered any other possibility.
"Sarah, say something."
He nudged Sarah beside him, signaling her to say something nice.
Sarah was initially a bit timid, but after Steven gave her an encouraging look, she spoke boldly.
"Grandpa, the baby in my belly is seven weeks old, William's child. A few days ago we sent blood samples to Imperial City for testing—it's a boy. William is very happy about this child, too. We're both looking forward to his birth."
Sarah placed a hand on her belly.
"I'm here on his behalf to greet you, his great-grandfather, first."
After she finished, the room fell silent.
Just when they all thought Howard would joyfully get out of bed, Howard suddenly had a violent coughing fit and coughed up blood.
Jeremy immediately panicked and pressed the emergency call button.