Early the next morning, the family of four had breakfast and then went to the hospital.
Today, Deanna had to report to the research institute, so they planned to leave the two little ones with their grandmother.
After settling the children, Lance drove Deanna to the institute.
As she was about to get out of the car, he held her hand and reminded her with concern, "If you get tired, take a rest. Take care of yourself, or I'll be worried."
"I know. You take care too."
Deanna smiled warmly and gave Lance a light kiss on the cheek before getting out of the car.
"Ms. Jones is here."
"It's been a while since we saw Ms. Jones. How have you been?"
"Good morning, Ms. Jones!"
Many people greeted Deanna with smiles as she walked into the institute.
Deanna nodded in response to each one, "Thank you for your concern. I'm doing well. By the way, has Mr. Martinez arrived?"
"Mr. Martinez is here, in his office on the top floor."
Someone replied, and Deanna nodded before heading to the elevator.
In less than three minutes, she reached the top floor and went to Mr. Martinez's office.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Gunner's deep voice came from inside.
Deanna pushed the door open and entered with a bright smile. "Master, I'm here to report."
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Lionel sitting nearby and greeted him as well, "Professor Grant is here too."
Hearing her indifferent tone, Lionel knew Deanna was upset with him.
He nodded helplessly.
Gunner noticed the strange atmosphere between them and couldn't help but ask, "What's going on with you two? Did you have a fight?"
"I'd love to have a fight, maybe even a brawl, but unfortunately, I'm a lady."
Deanna snorted, expressing her dissatisfaction with Lionel clearly.
Lionel rubbed his nose awkwardly and quickly apologized, "I've already explained everything to my parents. What happened that day will never happen again. I've also apologized to Julia."
Hearing this, Gunner guessed what had happened.
He didn't say more but shifted the conversation to business.
"Since you're both here today, I need to tell you something. Do you remember the Abla experiment I mentioned before?"
"Yes."
Deanna and Lionel nodded in unison.
Gunner continued, "I've received news that there seems to be some issue at the lab. Someone mentioned us, and Abla might take action soon. I'll arrange for protection for you both in the coming days. Try not to be alone."
Hearing this, both Deanna and Lionel frowned.
Especially Deanna, feeling like everything was piling up at once.
Even so, she didn't say anything to avoid worrying her master.
The following days were unusually calm, almost like the old times.
But Deanna knew that this calmness was just the calm before the storm.
And indeed, it was.
Eula had been hiding at the docks for half a month and was finally ready to act.
She had waited so long because she had no money and needed funds. Also, the docks were crowded and chaotic; even if Lance investigated her, he would never think she was working as a laborer there.
Of course, during this half month, she wasn't just doing manual labor. She also used the internet to monitor Deanna's situation in real-time.
But the results frustrated her.
Deanna was surrounded by an impenetrable wall of protection, giving Eula no chance to strike.
And it wasn't just Deanna; her two children were equally well-guarded.
Damn it! But fortunately, she still had a target.
Deanna cared about her grandmother; Eula decided to start with her.
Making someone she cared about a scapegoat would be enough to make Deanna suffer for a lifetime.
After all, Deanna had never gotten over her mother's tragic death years ago.
Thinking of this, Eula adjusted her backpack and disappeared at the end of the dock with a sinister smile that could send chills down anyone's spine.
Two more days passed like this.
Deanna had no idea that Eula was about to make her move.
That day, she had an appointment with Julia for a prenatal check-up at the hospital.
In the ultrasound room, Deanna lay on the bed while the doctor examined her abdomen with an instrument.
"The baby is developing well. You can already hear the heartbeat. Would you like to listen?"
The doctor diligently checked and spoke about the baby's condition.
Deanna and Lance exchanged a glance and immediately agreed.
Although this wasn't her first pregnancy, Deanna still found hearing the heartbeat miraculous each time.
Lance didn't want to miss any part of their child's development either.
Listening to the heartbeat from the instrument, both Deanna and Lance felt deeply moved.
Especially Lance; he was completely captivated.
He didn't know whether to look at the screen in front of the doctor or at Deanna's belly; he just found the sound incredibly magical.
Such a tiny being already had a heartbeat and would eventually grow a head, hands, and feet.
So this is how a child grows inside their mother.