Chapter 114

Eloise didn’t answer, so Ardiel went on. “What do you think? People will start believing the rumors, that Cosmo is infertile,” Ardiel said gently.

Eloise hadn’t even considered that possibility. When she heard Ardiel’s words, her silence wasn’t out of refusal to answer, but because she truly didn’t know what to say.

“You never even thought of that, did you?” Ardiel whispered, as though she had guessed Eloise’s thoughts.

Eloise neither denied nor confirmed it. She simply said softly, “We don’t live just to please what others think. What matters more is living the life you want.”

“You’re right about that, but it’s still frightening,” Ardiel replied, her tone calm but advising. “In the real world, society is harder on women. If there’s no child, even if it’s the man’s fault, people will still point fingers at the woman. You’ll be the one blamed.”

Eloise glanced at Sasha, who was busy eating casserole porridge. Sasha gave her a smile and a thumbs-up. Eloise said quietly, “I understand.”

“Just don’t brush it off, keep it in mind. Talk it over with Cosmo. And don’t let the two of you stay apart for too long, it can affect your relationship,” Ardiel added, sounding like a real mother in that moment.

Eloise’s heart softened a little. Maybe it was because, in the past eighteen years, even though Ardiel wasn’t her biological mother, she had shown her genuine care and love as if she were her own daughter. Unlike the Arellano family, who only offered words and money, Ardiel gave her time and effort.

Eloise let out a quiet sigh. Maybe she had been too suspicious, which was why her relationship with her adoptive mother had turned so cold.

“Why? Who were you talking to? And why did you sigh like that after?” Sasha asked curiously, noticing her reaction.

“Mom,” Eloise answered briefly.

“What did she say? You look serious… almost sad.”

“She said the news about me and Cosmo being married has already spread. And you know how it is, once marriage is involved, you know what people will talk about next,” Eloise replied.

“Well, if you’re married, of course people will wonder if you’re happy, when you’ll have kids. That’s normal,” Sasha said automatically, almost out of instinct.

Then she stopped mid-thought, realizing Eloise’s point. “Wait… so your mom already asked you about having kids? She’s really concerned?”

Eloise nodded. “When she brought it up, that’s when I realized I’ve never really thought about having a child.”

Tania had been bringing it up for a long time, but Eloise never took it seriously. She always brushed it off with jokes or avoided the conversation.

But now, things are different. It wasn’t just Tania keeping an eye on her womb, it was also the people who had interests, real or not, in Cosmo.

Sasha quickly caught on. “You’re right. You’ll be proof that Cosmo’s body isn’t the problem. They’ll be watching you.”

She paused before asking, “But do you really not want to have kids?”

Eloise quickly answered, “It’s not that I don’t want to.”

Sasha smiled. “Well, if you’re not ready yet, and they can support you, then why worry? It’s not like you’re struggling financially.”

Eloise thought for a moment before giving a faint smile. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because, for me, having a child isn’t something you force. If it’s meant for us, it will happen.”

The same words she once used to deflect Tania’s questions were the ones she now repeated to Sasha.

“Oh please,” Sasha laughed. “Sometimes, if you just take it a little more seriously, you might even get what you want faster.”

After the Bay Project was handed over to Lopez and a partnership was formed with Ohena Real Estate, Gabriel’s own company, Zedrix in Tagaytay quickly heard about it. Wasting no time, he instructed Elaine to meet with Arellano and invite him to join the project.

Elaine, being Zedrix’s wife, naturally lent her support. She went straight to Arellano’s office to personally speak with him.

“Zedrix wants to join the Bay Project?” Arellano asked with a smile.

He had always held himself in high regard, even more so now that many people were eager to associate with him, including those who once ignored him. He was in a good mood and seemed confident.

“Dad, we’re family. Wouldn’t it be better if the project went to relatives rather than outsiders?” Elaine said. “Zedrix is capable. He can definitely handle this.”

“If he joins, will he be representing only himself, or the entire Montes family?” Arellano asked seriously.

“I don’t want the Montes family to benefit from this. This is just Zedrix, not his whole family,” Elaine answered quickly.

“Then will Zedrix be investing his own money?” Arellano pressed, speaking like a seasoned businessman.

Elaine hesitated. She had an idea of Zedrix’s wealth, but she wasn’t sure how much he could actually put in. So she returned the question. “If he wants to invest, how much would he need to put out?”

“It’s not about how much I want,” Arellano replied. “The real question is, how much is he willing to risk?”

Elaine frowned. “Dad, can’t you make an exception, even just a little? Just credit it to me.”

Arellano smiled. “If he can’t stand on his own and it takes you begging on his behalf just to let him in, doesn’t that mean all your claims about how capable he is are just words?”

Arellano had never been impressed with Zedrix. And since Elaine was stubbornly defending her husband, he let the matter drop.

It had been more than half a year since Elaine and Zedrix got married, but Arellano had yet to see any real ability in him. Instead, Zedrix often ended up on the losing side, unable to fight back.

Elaine could feel that her father wasn’t in favor of her husband, and it annoyed her. “Dad, you were so generous to Eloise, you gave her 200 million right away. But when it comes to me, for Zedrix, you don’t even want to give him a chance?”

Arellano smiled. “Those are two different things. You can’t compare them. I had my own reasons for giving to Eloise, and I have different reasons for hesitating with Zedrix.”

Elaine shook her head. “What’s the difference? Zedrix is my husband. Everything you give me automatically belongs to both of us.”

“Is that so? Then are you willing to give him the Lopez shares that are under your name?” Arellano asked.

Elaine froze. Slowly, she said, “You gave me those shares, Dad. If I wanted to, I could give them to him. But do you want me to?”

She was steering the conversation away, not wanting to admit she didn’t really want to hand over her shares to Zedrix. But Arellano could clearly see through her. “Would you really give up your shares to him if I agreed?” he pressed again.

Elaine couldn’t understand why her father had to make things so difficult, and in frustration she said, “If you don’t want to, then fine! These questions don’t make any sense.”

She stormed out of the office, obviously upset.

The truth was, she always thought of Zedrix’s assets as theirs, but when it came to hers, she thought of them as solely her own. Now, it felt like her father had exposed her real way of thinking, and it was embarrassing.

Later, when Caroline invited her to go shopping, she went along for the whole afternoon. They even had dinner together. That’s when they accidentally ran into Cosmo.

She rarely saw Cosmo, even back when she was married to Eloise. Even at the Lopez residence, their paths hardly crossed. Everything she knew about him came from other people’s stories.

But seeing him in person now, he seemed completely different from how she remembered.

He was no longer the mysterious man shrouded in secrets. Now, he was handsome, calm, and carried an approachable warmth. His smile was like a cool breeze, something that naturally drew your eyes toward him.