Chapter 101 Simon Is Not My Biological Child

Leaving the hospital, Henry took Diana to this little joint way out in the suburbs. Sure, it was kinda out there, but the food was fresh and tasted amazing.

"Why'd we come all the way out here to eat?" Diana asked, settling into the private room and glancing around.

"My mom heard you haven't been eating well since you got pregnant, so she recommended this place," Henry replied.

Diana was surprised. Ever since her pregnancy news broke, the Spencer family had been super chill about it.

"Actually, my grandma and my folks really wanna meet you, but they're scared they'll freak you out," Henry said, flipping through the menu. "Even if you don't wanna live with me, at least come over for a meal sometime."

Diana nodded.

Henry ordered a ton of dishes, each one unique. Even the meat dishes weren't greasy. When the waiter brought out a plate of crabs, Henry suggested Diana dig in.

With the autumn breeze blowing and the crabs plump, it was prime crab season.

Diana chuckled, "Mr. Spencer, you know pregnant women shouldn't eat crabs, right? They can be high in mercury and might not be safe for the baby."

Henry was momentarily stunned.

"What? You didn't know?" Diana was a bit surprised. "Weren't you around when Simon's mom was pregnant?"

She'd been curious about Simon's mom for a while.

Henry put down his utensils and dropped a bombshell.

"Simon isn't my biological son."

"What did you say?" Diana was floored.

"He's not my kid," Henry said calmly, without a hint of emotion.

"How is that possible?" Diana couldn't believe it. "Does your family know?"

"They know."

"But Juniper treats him like her own grandson."

"Do you think blood ties are that important?" Henry shot back.

Diana was taken aback. Sometimes, people without blood ties could do more for you than those with them. While someone related to you by blood would still sell you out for money. Blood relations could be overrated.

"Then whose kid is he?" Diana pressed. "What about his real parents?"

"His dad's dead, and his mom..." Henry paused, then said, "She's dead too."

Diana wasn't dumb; she could tell Simon's mom wasn't really dead. As for why she left Simon, Henry didn't elaborate, so she didn't push.

"I owed his dad. I promised to take care of his kid," Henry said calmly, but Diana sensed the deep emotions behind his words.

Everyone thought Simon was Henry's son, but he wasn't. No wonder they didn't look alike.

"I owe his dad my life."

Henry's voice was low, hinting at a past he didn't want to revisit.

A life? Diana's breath caught.

"So you'd rather not have your own kid and give all your love to him?"

Henry nodded. He'd once said he didn't plan to have kids right now, not that he never would. He also considered that Simon, having lacked a mom's love since he was little, was very sensitive.

Henry thought that when Simon grew up and became more independent, he'd consider his own personal issues. But Diana had thrown a wrench in his plans.

Henry's previous words had been like a thorn in Diana's heart, but now she could understand his thoughts.

She used to think Henry was super selfish. But she hadn't expected that Simon wasn't his biological kid.

The Spencer family had kept this whole thing on the down-low, treating Simon like one of their own. Henry sacrificing his own happiness to take care of his buddy's kid? That was something Diana couldn't help but admire.

Having known Henry for a while, Diana knew he wasn't as cold and heartless as he seemed.

And those truly cold-hearted folks? They usually wore a mask of fake niceness, like Celeste.

"Did you tell Simon about my pregnancy?" Diana asked.

"Not yet."

Henry wasn't sure how to break the news.

Diana now got that Henry's reluctance to have kids was totally different from what she had thought. Her attitude towards him shifted.

Talking about Henry's past made things a bit heavy, so Diana tried to lighten the mood with a joke, "Aren't you worried I'll spill the beans after you tell me such a private thing?"

"Would you?" Henry shot back.

"No," Diana shook her head. "I didn't expect you to tell me this on your own."

"Since I'm planning to marry you and become a family, I shouldn't hide anything from you."

Diana smiled faintly and lowered her head to eat. She had a good appetite today and ate more than usual.

"If you like it, I'll bring you here again," Henry said, sounding softer than usual.

Being with him, Diana had always felt emotionally insecure. Henry's words today made her feel at ease, and she agreed to go to the Spencer family for dinner over the weekend.

"Are you really going to the Spencer family for dinner?" Elodie, though not fully understanding what had happened, could sense that the barrier between Diana and Henry had lessened.

"Yep, this weekend," Diana said with a smile.

"It's your first visit to the Spencer family. You should dress nicely. Should we prepare something? How many people are in his family? I heard Henry's grandma is very old; we should buy some supplements for her," Elodie rambled on.

When the Spencer family heard that Diana was coming for dinner, Juniper was over the moon, patting Henry on the shoulder, saying:

"Henry, after all these years, you've finally done something right."

Henry just shrugged.

"Dad, is Diana really coming to our house?" Simon was the most excited. After getting a positive answer, he was so happy he danced around.

"Henry, what does Diana like to eat?" Seraphina asked. "We should prepare in advance. Should we get some supplements to make soup for her?"

On the weekend, Henry showed up at the apartment to pick her up as promised. Seeing that she had prepared a lot of gifts, he chuckled, "Why'd you bring so much stuff?"

"It's my first visit. I can't go empty-handed. I didn't know what your family likes, so I just bought a little bit of everything."

"Your coming is already the best gift for them."

Henry wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek.

Elodie looked exasperated,as if saying: "Hey! There's a living person here! Can you be a little more mindful?"

The Spencer Mansion was out in the suburbs, with tall iron gates that looked super fancy and kinda intimidating.

There was a fountain in the yard, sparkling with water. There were also swings and slides, all set up for Simon. Various landscape trees were pruned beautifully.

As soon as the car stopped, Juniper came out of the house with a big smile. Seeing that Diana had brought a bunch of stuff, she thought Diana was being too polite.

Juniper took Diana's hand and led her inside, reminding Henry, "Bring the stuff in."

On the other side, Clara got wind that Diana had gone to the Spencer Mansion, and her face instantly darkened.