Chapter 677
Elodie’s mind drifted back to the doctor’s words.
A healthy pregnancy with a high-quality embryo was an entirely different experience-factors from the father’s side, both genetic and physical, were absolutely crucial.
No wonder, she thought. Even with her illness, she hadn’t suffered any of the usual discomfort. The little one was so quiet and well-behaved inside her that, if not for a few subtle hints, she might never have realized she was pregnant at all.
Her irregular periods—just another consequence of her condition—had masked everything, leaving her blind to what was happening inside her own body until
now.
Jarrod noticed her lost in thought, eyes lowered, and gently ruffled her hair. “If you’re craving anything, just tell me. I’ll come by every day and cook for you. Trust me, it’s far less awkward than having someone else fuss over you.”
He could see Elodie was truly thinking about the baby.
He didn’t believe for a second that she disliked this child.
He was certain of it.
Not wanting to disturb her appetite, Jarrod set down his apron and quietly stepped out.
Left alone, Elodie was startled from her reverie by the faintest movement in her belly-a sensation so delicate, she almost thought she’d imagined it.
But the pull was real; it snagged at some deep, maternal chord within her, setting off a flood of emotion she couldn’t contain-whether it was hormones or something else, she didn’t know.
Her face remained calm, but her eyes grew red and damp without a sound.
The only life in the world truly connected to her had come into being, and yet…it would fade away just as quietly.
She knew she couldn’t afford any rash decisions. She wouldn’t sacrifice her own life for this child. Even if she wanted the baby to enter the world, it could only happen if she herself could survive it. Otherwise, a child left motherless would only know hardship.
She’d lived that kind of pain herself.
No matter how much Jarrod loved this child, it would never be enough to fill that void.
Motherhood was a powerful thing-she could admit that. But in her position, she had no other choice.
The next two days passed in a blur.
Every morning, by the time Elodie opened her eyes, Jarrod was already bustling around outside.
The all-powerful, untouchable Mr. Silverstein was now hunched over the stove in her modest apartment, making breakfast, tending to every detail of her daily life.
He thought of everything he even squeezed the toothpaste onto her brush. Elodie kept her thoughts to herself.
Even when she tried to tell him he didn’t have to do all this, Jarrod would just look at her and say, “You can pretend I’m not here. If I were you, l’@take advantage-order me around, wake me up in the middle of the night for cravings, whatever you want. Free labor, after all Might as well make the most of it.”
He even seemed to delight in offering her suggestions.
Elodie refused to be moved, and tried not to engage.
She went about her routine as usual-heading to the research facility.
Jarrod never said a word about it.
He made no effort to interfere with her work or her normal life.
But “not interfering” didn’t mean letting go completely.
He still insisted on personally driving her to the base every morning.
Elodie could tell that Jarrod cared deeply about the baby.
She was considering things too.
Should she tell him the truth-that her illness made it impossible to keep the child?
She needed to think it through, to consider every possible consequence.
As she watched Jarrod linger at the entrance, waiting as she passed through security, she saw the.
In
tension in his eyes-a storm of
emotion hidden beneath the calm.
Just as he turned away, Jarrod pulled out his phone and placed a call. His voice
was low and urgent: “Are you absolutely certain nothing can go wrong?”
1.n
Elodie spent the day in the aircraft design wing, sorting through schematics: Designing a fighter jet was nothing like building a commercial plane-it would take countless rounds of testing, zero room for error.
Soon, she’d have to incorporate the specialty materials from Jarrod’s team; for
now, she still needed to run regular checks on their data.
As she prepared to head to the next lab, she noticed someone waiting quietly by the door-Watts Aldridge.
She had no idea how long he’d been standing there. The look in his eyes was complicated—something she couldn’t quite read.