Chapter 209 Last Night Together, Pregnant Today?
Nicholas observed Emma's panicked expression, realizing they'd been intimate for so long that her fear was understandable.
He blamed himself for being too rough every time before, always pushing her until she cried.
Nicholas began coaxing gently, his voice low and soft, carrying an almost hypnotic power.
"Relax, I'll be gentle. I won't hurt you."
"If you're uncomfortable, we'll stop immediately."
"Trust me."
His tone was tender and indulgent.
Emma felt psychologically burdened yet couldn't resist his persuasive charm.
His kisses carried some kind of spell, and when they fell again, everything became unstoppable.
Finally, he completely merged her into his life once more.
Though it was only once, he was deeply satisfied, holding her and kissing her repeatedly.
Before sleep, he finally coaxed her to call him "honey."
That voice was soft and sweet, carrying her shy embarrassment.
He pulled her tightly into his embrace, his heart nearly bursting from excitement.
...
The night was beautiful. In the garden, the air drifted with the aroma of food.
Luke held a beer, watching Evelyn and Nina chatting and gesturing, laughing together, a smile tugging at his lips.
Suddenly, Jasper approached carrying a plate of grilled meat, naturally sitting down beside Nina.
Facing Nina, his fingers moved skillfully in sign language.
Nina's eyes instantly widened, her face full of disbelief.
She quickly signed back, asking, 'How do you know sign language?'
Jasper smiled, replying, 'I volunteered for a while and learned it.'
That wasn't true.
His first girlfriend had been a kind deaf girl.
Unfortunately, an accident took her away.
From that day on, he became a different person, no longer the well-behaved Jasper of before.
Those three earrings in his ear were put there in the third year of missing her.
He wore them for her memory.
She had said they looked good.
Jasper suddenly pulled out a black cloth from behind, gently waving it before the two girls.
The next second, the black cloth transformed into a vibrant red rose.
He handed the flower to Nina.
Nina excitedly clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling brightly.
Evelyn also looked amazed, not expecting Jasper to have such skills.
Soon after, Jasper flipped his palm, producing a white dove that flapped its wings before he set it free.
Nina was stunned, signing, 'You're incredible!'
Jasper smiled and with another flourish, an exquisite bracelet appeared in his palm.
He placed it directly in her hand, and Nina was overjoyed.
Excitedly, she started searching his pockets for his secret props, but found nothing.
Unwilling to give up, she gestured frantically.
'Can you make a baked potato appear?'
Jasper paused, then shook his head.
Her eyes brightened even more as she asked, 'What about candied fruit or cotton candy?'
Jasper's face instantly darkened.
After all this, the girl was just a foodie.
He silently pulled out a hundred dollars from his wallet and pressed it into her hand.
"Buy some yourself tomorrow."
Evelyn burst out laughing at his reaction.
Jasper looked at this innocent, lively girl, his gaze unconsciously softening.
Charlie, always eager to capture moments, filmed this scene and sent it to their group chat.
[Warning: Single people stay away, or face the consequences.]
At that moment, Ethan was networking at a charity gala when his phone buzzed.
He picked it up and clicked open the message. On screen, Nina sat beside a man, both of them signing back and forth, Nina laughing heartily with pure joy.
His mood instantly plummeted.
His handsome face turned dark as storm clouds.
The barbecue feast continued until nearly eleven before everyone dispersed.
Emma and Nicholas remained conspicuously absent throughout.
Nina ate like a satisfied little pig, walking with one hand supporting her full belly.
Evelyn helped her back to their room—they were sharing tonight.
Soon after, Nina's steady snoring filled the room.
But Evelyn lay awake, staring at the ceiling with no hint of sleepiness.
Luke's words from earlier kept replaying in her mind.
"Evelyn, the darkest times are over. There's light ahead—can you step out of the darkness?"
Damn Luke. Once again, he'd stirred her heart into complete chaos.
The next morning, Emma woke up in a warm embrace, opening her eyes to meet Nicholas's deep, smiling gaze.
His dark eyes held the morning light and her reflection.
Men's voices were always particularly deep and husky upon waking, carrying fatal appeal.
He leaned close to her ear, his breath warm.
"Emma, once more?"
"No." She immediately pushed him away.
But he wouldn't be deterred, kissing her like a wolf...
In the end, he got his way again, though he was incredibly gentle, attending to her every feeling without causing discomfort or anxiety.
After nearly an hour, he carried her to the bathroom, completely satisfied.
This was his first time bathing her, and Emma's face burned crimson with nowhere to hide.
When they finally came downstairs after washing and dressing, the living room was packed with people.
The couple descended hand in hand, Emma's face glowing and Nicholas radiating joy, his eyes sparkling with undisguised happiness.
Evelyn, Nina, Luke, Daryl, and Ruby—everyone's gazes turned toward them simultaneously, their expressions meaningful and slightly teasing.
Emma's face flushed bright red like a ripe apple.
Ruby walked over with a smile, pulling her aside and lowering her voice.
"Did someone misbehave last night?"
"This is a critical time—the baby comes first. You can't let him get carried away."
Emma's face reddened even more, nodding enthusiastically.
Ruby continued, "Planning to tell him?"
Emma nodded, her gaze determined.
Yes, she was ready to tell him.
Otherwise, if he continued like this, something would definitely go wrong.
After breakfast, Robert, Daryl, and Ruby boarded their private jet back to Emerald City.
Evelyn and Nina decided to stay two more days to explore Empire City before returning with Emma.
Nina linked arms with Evelyn, excitedly signing, 'I want to try every delicious food in Empire City—not missing a single one!'
Luke volunteered as their tour guide, ready to accompany them to the downtown food district.
Meanwhile, Emma, Nicholas, and Luna went directly to the Johnson Estate to visit Milan.
The Johnson Estate was a classic Western-style manor situated in the center of expansive lawns, with walls of pale stone and a dark wooden shingled roof. The front entrance featured heavy walnut doors, with majestic stone hunting dogs flanking the steps, silently guarding this traditional and dignified residence.
As soon as their car stopped, a spry elderly gentleman emerged from the house.
He wore a tailored suit, his hair silver-white but his posture perfectly straight, his features bearing some resemblance to Luna.
"Grandfather."
Emma jumped out of the car, calling sweetly.
Milan's face immediately lit up with a loving smile. He stepped forward, affectionately putting his arm around her shoulder. "Ah, my precious girl."
His gaze then shifted to Nicholas, studying him appraisingly.
"You must be Nicholas."
Nicholas quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"Grandfather."
"Good, come inside." Milan nodded, leading them in.
The Johnson family had only one daughter, Luna, whom Milan had treasured like a precious jewel since childhood. Naturally, Luna's daughter Emma had become the apple of his eye as well.
Inside, the butler served coffee.
Milan lifted his cup, blowing gently at the steam while his gaze settled on Nicholas.
"Do you play chess?"
"A little," Nicholas answered modestly.
"Come, play a game with me." Milan indicated a chess table nearby.
"Of course, Grandfather. Please go easy on me." Nicholas humbly took a seat across the board.
Meanwhile, Luna took Emma's hand and led her to the small garden outside.
The courtyard fountain had frozen over.
"When you were little, you loved playing here. At four years old, you fell into that fountain."
"When Grandfather rushed to pull you out, you were still clutching a goldfish..."
Luna smiled at the memory, and Emma giggled—these were her precious childhood moments.
Later, Luna led her to the study, which carried the scent of oil paints.
Emma's gaze immediately fell on the large oak desk.
Deep in her memory, tiny chubby feet had once left small prints across its surface.
Her eyes instantly welled up.
On the east side of the study stood a grand piano.
Luna's slender fingers gently brushed the keys, producing a series of clear, trembling notes.
She looked at Emma with eyes full of regret.
"Do you remember? When you were small, I'd play here while you curled up in my lap, constantly patting these keys with your little hands."
"If only you'd grown up by my side—I could have given you such wonderful training."
As she spoke, Luna's eyes also reddened.
Emma certainly remembered.
The first time she'd heard Luna play at the club, that scene had vividly surfaced in her mind.
She sniffled softly, whispering, "Could you... play something for me now?"
"Of course," Luna said, moving to sit at the piano bench.
Soon, melodious and graceful music drifted through the ancient manor.
In the main hall, Nicholas and Milan were locked in intense chess battle.
"Check!"
Another piece hit the board.
Milan stared at his king, trapped by Nicholas's rook, his weathered face flushing red as he bellowed, "Another game!"
The old gentleman had already lost three rounds.
Nicholas's eyes held deep satisfaction, his lips curved in amusement.
Nicholas needed to win today, then charm Milan into good spirits—that was true skill.
As expected, Milan lost again.
Nicholas frowned at the board deliberately.
"Grandfather, with this chess set, you might not be able to beat me."
Milan grew agitated, huffing indignantly. "Boy, don't push your luck! Again!"
Nicholas smiled. "This chess set isn't working well for you. How about we try a different one?"
As he spoke, Charlie entered carrying an elegant wooden box.
When the box was opened, Milan's eyes immediately lit up.
Inside was a chess set carved from precious jade, the pieces translucent and lustrous. Rumored to have belonged to a world chess champion, it was priceless—ordinary people never even got to see such a treasure.
Nicholas gestured politely.
"Grandfather, shall we play another round?"
Milan's expression finally improved, nodding repeatedly. "Yes, yes!"
This time, Milan finally won.
Nicholas looked genuinely puzzled, muttering, "That's strange—how did I lose? Maybe the board chooses its master? Truly, a worthy set for a master player."
Milan could clearly see through Nicholas's thoughtful gesture—the chess game was pretense, gifting the set was the real purpose.
Feeling pleased, he pointed at Nicholas. "Boy, playing tricks with me is fine, but don't you dare hurt my precious Olivia, or I won't forgive you!"
He then led Nicholas to his art studio.
"Look around. Pick whichever painting you like."
Nicholas raised his eyes to see over twenty oil paintings hanging on the walls, each one breathing with artistic life, worth a fortune.
Charlie followed behind, unable to help but marvel.
Milan's wealth was truly staggering—befitting a master of fine arts.
Finally, Nicholas chose a painting titled "Lakeside."
The artwork showed crystal-clear lake water with green water lilies floating on the surface, two elegant white swans nestled together in graceful poses.
He loved the imagery of "paired swans at play"—it seemed to represent him and Emma, always understanding each other, inseparable as shadows.
At lunchtime, sumptuous dishes filled the rosewood dining table.
Every course was authentic Empire City cuisine, beautifully presented and aromatic, immediately stimulating the appetite.
Milan was in excellent spirits, specifically inviting Charlie to join them at the table.
Charlie thanked him and took a seat at the far end with composure.
Just then, a servant brought out a large bowl of steaming seafood chowder.
Milan smiled at Emma. "Olivia, you must try this seafood chowder—it's incredibly fresh. Only Empire City seafood can create this flavor. Your mother loved it as a child."
Emma had barely leaned in to smell it when her stomach suddenly churned violently.
She quickly covered her mouth, face pale, and rushed toward the bathroom, dry heaving.
Everyone was alarmed.
When she emerged, leaning against the wall, her face was ashen.
Nicholas immediately moved to support her, worry written across his features. "Are you feeling sick? I'll take you to see a doctor."
But Milan suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Silly boy, you're going to be a father!"
Nicholas froze, his entire body turning rigid.
Charlie's heart also skipped a beat.
Luna was the first to react, gripping Emma's other hand with delight.
"Olivia, are you pregnant?"
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Emma blushed and gently nodded.
She confirmed it.
"How far along?" Luna asked excitedly.
"Eight weeks."
Emma smiled. Her baby was two weeks behind Evelyn's—both conceived in Luminous City.
In that instant, Nicholas's expression turned completely stony.
Like a bolt from the blue exploding above his head.
She was pregnant?
Whose child was she carrying?
No—how could she possibly be pregnant!
Like a madman, he violently released Emma's hand and stormed out.
"Mr. Harrison!"
Charlie was horrified, immediately chasing after him.
Outside, Nicholas stood under the portico, his silhouette rigid, his face dark like a storm-bound sky, his eyes filled with towering, nearly murderous rage.
Seeing him like this, Charlie felt his blood run cold.
Something was completely wrong.
He spoke cautiously, "Mr. Harrison, Mrs. Harrison is pregnant. Aren't you happy? You're going to be a father. Mr. Robert Harrison would be thrilled to hear this news."
Nicholas slowly turned his head, his gaze like an ice-cold blade, chilling to the bone.
He squeezed words through gritted teeth.
"We only slept together last night, and she's pregnant today?"
"The child in her belly—it's not mine."
Charlie felt struck by lightning, his entire body trembling.