Chapter 111

Actually, after finding out that Veronica is pregnant, Darwin wants his wife to take complete rest at home. If possible, she doesn't need to work anymore and should focus on activities at home. He wants to be the one to earn money and provide for the entire family.

However, since last night until this morning's breakfast, they have been discussing this matter seriously. Veronica doesn't seem entirely agreeable. She asks Darwin for permission to continue working. Darwin finally makes a decision that Veronica must follow.

"Okay, you can still work. However, during this pregnancy, I ask you to rest at home."

At that moment, Veronica looked up, trying to negotiate what her husband had already decided.

"But, Win, after giving birth, can I go back to work as usual?"

Darwin appears to weigh the decision carefully, thinking about whether or not his wife should return to work in the future. Of course, there are many considerations to take into account, especially since they will have a child who will need full attention.

In contrast to Veronica herself, who is used to being a career woman, independent, and meeting new people or clients every day, she seems reluctant to suddenly be asked to stay at home 24 hours a day.

"Don't worry; I won't neglect my duties as a mother and wife. If necessary, you can limit my working hours later."

Darwin nods, seeing how his wife's pleading expression melts his resolve. However, he realizes that people enjoy life and happiness in different ways. Some are happy to be told to rest completely and focus on taking care of the home. But others find happiness in being active and working outside the home.

"Alright. After giving birth and when our child is old enough, you can return to work as usual. But there will be limits on your working hours that you must adhere to without exception. We can discuss this further in the future."

Veronica smiles happily, satisfied with Darwin's decision. Now, there's one more request she wants to make, hoping Darwin will grant it.

"So, before taking total leave, can I request to finish up some remaining work first? There are many responsibilities I need to complete, Win."

Darwin takes a sip of his milk and then looks at Veronica, nodding slightly.

"Sure. How long do you think it will take to finish the remaining work?"

"Maybe just two to three weeks. But if I can finish it sooner, I'll take leave right away."

"Okay," Darwin agrees. "Take your time. You can finish the remaining deadlines at the office. But..."

"But what?" Veronica asked curiously.

"No coming home late, no overtime, and certainly no staying up late. When it's five o'clock in the evening, whether you've finished or not, you must come home immediately."

Veronica nodded in agreement right away. Rather than having Darwin change his mind and not allow her to work at all, it's better to comply. After all, she's grateful for the permission and the opportunity to complete her work.

"Deal. I'll follow your request. So, can I go to work today? I also want to see Dad because he's coming back from Malaysia today," Veronica asked eagerly.

"Sure, dear. After breakfast, I'll take you to the office."

Veronica exclaimed happily. Rising from her seat, she approached Darwin and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before heading to her room. Meanwhile, Darwin finished his breakfast, and Veronica changed into work attire, getting ready to go to the office.

At precisely eight in the morning, they both got into the car. As Darwin had mentioned earlier, he dropped Veronica off at the Vortex Group building.

Previously, when they were separated, Veronica chose to spend time and help her father at Vortex Group rather than return to the Caribbean, her own company. And now, because there were still some responsibilities, Veronica had no choice but to complete these deadlines before taking leave to focus on her pregnancy.

Upon reaching Vortex Group, Darwin didn't immediately leave. Instead, he escorted and accompanied Veronica to her office. As they passed through the lobby, Damian arrived. They were asked to stop by his office.

"Oh my God, Veronica. How are you, sweetheart? I only found out last night from Darwin that a few days ago, you had an accident with Deasy," Damian said as he hugged his daughter for a moment. Then, he led Veronica to sit on the sofa with him. There was no denying the deep concern on his face.

"Fortunately, I'm fine, Dad. But Deasy experienced serious bleeding, and her condition is gradually improving."

"Thank goodness for that. I can't fathom how the two of you ended up in such an accident."

"It's just an unfortunate incident, Dad," Darwin chimed in, sitting across from Damian. "The car Deasy was driving had a tire blowout, and of course, this is something we couldn't predict at all. I'm also at fault here for letting Veronica go without supervision."

Damian nodded in understanding. What had happened had happened.

"Well, the most important thing is that all of you are okay. I can't imagine what would have happened if something serious had occurred to Veronica."

"Don't worry, Dad," Veronica reassured. "I'm perfectly fine. In fact, today, Darwin and I have some happy news for you."

As the serious expression on Damian's face disappeared after hearing about the accident, it now transformed into one of curiosity. He was eager to hear what good news his daughter had to share.

"Well..." Veronica began while turning her body to face her father, gently grasping his wrist and holding it. "I want to tell you that soon, Dad, you're going to have a grandchild."

Damian's eyes widened in surprise. He was both shocked and delighted by the joyful news Veronica had just shared.

"W-what? You're pregnant?"

Veronica nodded with a wide smile.

"Yes, Dad. Turns out, I've been pregnant all this time, and now my pregnancy is at around eight weeks or about two months."

"Oh my God...."

Damian continued to be stunned, lost for words in expressing the joy of the wonderful news Veronica had just shared.

"I'm really happy, dear. This is truly big news," Damian expressed. His eyes even welled up with tears. A moment later, Damian turned his gaze towards Darwin and invited his son-in-law to have a serious conversation.

"Anyway, you must take good care of Veronica, Win. Watch out if you ever dare to misbehave or make Veronica cry. I won't forgive you if that happens."

Darwin grinned. Seeing how serious Damian was made him slightly uneasy. However, he understood that his father-in-law's concern was completely justified. After all, Veronica was his only daughter, and he loved her dearly.

"Darwin won't do anything wrong, Pa. Darwin promises to take care of Veronica to the best of his abilities. Making sure she's healthy, protected, and all her needs are met. You don't need to worry about that."

Damian nodded with trust. Seeing Darwin's efforts in making himself worthy over time had given Damian peace of mind, knowing that he could entrust his beloved daughter to him.

Now, it was all about praying. Hoping that Veronica would remain in good health. And, of course, that the baby in her womb would grow strong until it was time to be born and see the beauty of the world.

***

Veronica appeared to be fully focused on completing her work deadlines one by one. She was so absorbed that she didn't even notice when Sean came and knocked on her door, then entered her office.

For a moment, Sean stood still, continuing to watch how Veronica worked. Whatever was on his mind, he seemed to intentionally savor Veronica's presence, which he might not have the opportunity to enjoy again in the coming days. After all, next week, Sean had to leave for China. Even when his work was finished, he would go straight to Nevada to lead the company there. There would be no more time to meet or even chat with his former girlfriend.

"Sean," Veronica greeted when she realized Sean was standing right in front of her desk.

Sean, who had been lost in thought, snapped out of it. He smiled and then took a step forward, handing Veronica a box of red velvet cake to enjoy. For some reason, Sean was always pleased to bring Veronica treats.

"What's this now?" Veronica asked, puzzled.

"Just a little something. It's red velvet cake for you to eat. Actually, during the farewell event the other day, there were many different types of cakes and your favorite foods that I intentionally ordered. But it turns out you couldn't make it."

Veronica sighed. She felt bad about not attending Sean's farewell event. What could she do? She and Deasy unexpectedly had an accident on their way to the venue.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't make it the other day. Deasy and I were on our way to the event, but then the accident happened."

Sean nodded. He was well aware of the misfortune that had befallen Veronica and Deasy. That's why he understood why his ex-girlfriend didn't attend the event he had organized.

"No problem. I understand. I was even worried about you and Deasy. Thankfully, you're both okay."

"Fortunately, that's right. But have you visited her yourself?"

Sean nodded again.

"Yes, I have. Last night after work, I went to see Deasy at the hospital. Maybe the day after tomorrow or over the weekend, I'll visit her again before leaving for China."

"You'll probably be abroad for a long time, right?" Veronica asked.

"It seems so. And I'll definitely miss you a lot."

Veronica just smiled, not thinking too much about what Sean had just said.

"I hope that when you're in your new place, you'll meet someone better and everything more than me. Here, I genuinely wish the best for you."

This time, Sean smiled. There was actually some reluctance in having to part ways. But no matter what, he realized that staying in Indonesia would be futile. After all, Veronica was no longer within his reach, let alone his possession. The only wise thing he could do was to let Veronica be happy with her chosen man.

"Hopefully, I can find someone better than you. But it seems it will be difficult, Ve. Whether I like it or not, I'll have to set high standards because you're already close to perfect."

Veronica laughed. She was flattered by what Sean had just said. From the beginning, he had been the one who praised her the most, and it hadn't changed until now.

"Don't exaggerate. You can easily find someone better than me. It's just that you're lazy."

"Well, what can I say," Sean sighed heavily. "Starting a relationship from scratch is not easy."

"In that case, just get married right away. Once you find a woman who can understand you in any situation, propose and get married. I'm sure with your friendly and easy-going personality, it won't be difficult to find a partner."

"I'll try."

"You have to, Sean. Anyway, if one day you come back to Indonesia and want to meet me, the condition is that you have to bring your partner."

Sean laughed at the condition Veronica set. But because he wanted to see his ex-girlfriend smile, he agreed.

"Okay, I'll follow your request."

Veronica smiled again, gazing at Sean intensely, and then spoke softly.

"Thank you for being an incredibly understanding person all this time. However, I can't deny that you have a special place in my heart. That's why I'm here, always praying for the best for you in the future."

Sean looked touched. His eyes almost welled up with tears. What Veronica said truly touched his heart. It was because of her kind nature that he found it hard to forget his former girlfriend.

Although, if he wanted to and had malicious intentions, from the moment he found out that Veronica had married out of necessity, Sean could have easily taken her away from Darwin. But out of respect and deep love for Veronica, he never acted rashly. He always watched and provided just enough attention to make Veronica comfortable with his presence.

After a lengthy conversation with Sean, Veronica returned to her work. At exactly five in the evening, Darwin kept his promise to pick her up and took her home. Apparently, her husband didn't want to see Veronica come home late, let alone work overtime to finish her remaining tasks.

"I thought you might forget to pick me up," Veronica said as she and Darwin were in the car on their way home.

"How could I forget, dear? You're my priority. Besides, I don't want you to be busy alone at the office."

"So, are we going straight home?"

Darwin nodded, then glanced briefly at Veronica.

"Yes. Why? Do you want to make a stop somewhere? Or do you want to eat out?"

"No," Veronica shook her head. "Actually, I want to get home quickly so I can go straight to the kitchen."

Darwin's brow furrowed. He couldn't help but wonder why his wife was in such a hurry to get to the kitchen.

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know why, but I really want to cook chicken soup."

"Why not just buy it? It's easier," Darwin suggested. In his opinion, rather than his wife going through the trouble, it would be better to buy food from their favorite restaurant. It was simpler and more practical.

"No, I don't want to!" Veronica shook her head repeatedly. "I actually want to make it from scratch. I want to add various vegetables to it. I just want to make it myself."

Darwin nodded in understanding. He thought that perhaps Veronica's desire was a result of pregnancy cravings. Rather than risk ruining his wife's mood, it was better to go along with it.

"All right, later I'll ask Renata to help you prepare it so you don't get too tired. Don't forget to make a lot so I can taste it too."

Veronica agreed, becoming even more impatient to get home.

As soon as Darwin's car entered their driveway and they both stepped out of the vehicle, one of the security guards approached them to deliver some information that Darwin and Veronica might need to know.

"Excuse me, Sir, Ma'am. There was a visitor looking for you."

"A visitor?" Darwin asked.

"Yes, Sir. They said they wanted to meet you and Mrs. because they have something important to discuss."

"Where is the visitor?" Veronica asked, curious about what she had just heard.

"They're inside, Ma'am. Waiting in the living room."

Darwin and Veronica hurried into the house to check who the person was who had been looking for them and was now waiting. Upon entering the house, it was Darwin who looked the most surprised. He recognized the person who was waiting in the living room very well.

"Vivian...."