Mo Fan leisurely sipped his red wine, his gaze locked on her, silently urging her to go on.

"The Mo family wanted to cooperate with the Snow family before, mainly because of the Xue's influence in An City. If you want to break into the An City market, you need to partner with an established local business, and Wanrui is your best option."

"Ha, the best option?" Mo Fan eyed her with amusement. "That doesn't apply to Wanrui anymore. Everyone knows it's a mess waiting to be fixed. I'm not an idiot."

Mandy Snow said nothing. Mo Fan gave her a suggestive glance and went on, "If you want my help with Wanrui, that depends on how much you're willing to give."

Mo Fan leaned in closer, his tone intimate, his hand settling on her shoulder—his intentions unmistakable.

Mandy Snow clenched her fists by her sides. She desperately wanted to walk out, but she knew if she did, the Snow family would be ruined for good.

The disgust in her eyes didn’t lessen, but, as if making a huge decision, she said, "If you give your word, will you keep it?"

"Of course. If you hold up your end, I won’t let you down."

…

In the following days, Lauren Shaw was busy with preparations for Fashion Week. After work, Yancy Shaw would head straight to her studio, waiting until she finished before they went out for dinner together.

Life seemed peaceful and ordinary, but beneath the surface, it wasn’t so simple.

Lauren Shaw enjoyed this rhythm—a life where both partners shone in their own fields, then shared quiet dinners and lighthearted gossip in the evenings, smiling at each other across the table.

This way of being together wasn’t tiring at all. No fights, just easy companionship—truly a comfortable existence.

—

The day before Fashion Week, Nina Shaw returned to An City, bringing Xavier Quinn with her.

Mrs. Li had called earlier, urging her to come home for dinner that night.

After wrapping up her work, Lauren Shaw headed back to the Li household.

In the living room, Nina Shaw was chatting with Grandma. When she saw Lauren Shaw come in, she smiled and called out, "Shengsheng, you’re back!"

"Sis, Grandma." Lauren Shaw traded her shoes and came over to sit down.

The sisters hadn’t seen each other in a while and had a lot to catch up on.

"Where’s brother-in-law? I don’t see him around."

"He’s off negotiating a contract and will be home later. I heard Fashion Week starts tomorrow, so I wanted to come home for a bit."

Nina Shaw and Xavier Quinn seemed to be getting along much better than before—a relaxed smile often appeared on Nina Shaw’s face, and she seemed to be in great spirits.

Lauren Shaw teased, "Sis, you look like you’ve put on some weight lately."

Not just that—she was smiling more too. She used to seem weighed down by worries, making Mrs. Li and Grandma uneasy. Now, seeing her so much better, they both felt relieved.

Nina Shaw peered at her in confusion. "Really?" She didn’t feel any different.

"Go wash your hands, dinner’s ready. Mrs. Sun made all your favorites tonight." Mrs. Li’s gentle, doting smile never faded. No matter how grown her girls got, to her, they’d always be her beloved little daughters.

The sisters were chatting cheerfully as they walked to the dining room, but as Nina Shaw looked at the food on the table, she suddenly felt her stomach turn violently. Clutching her mouth, she rushed to the bathroom.

"Huh? What’s wrong with her?" Grandma stared after her in confusion.

Mrs. Li put down her chopsticks and hurried over. Nina Shaw was hunched over the sink, heaving desperately, but unable to bring anything up.

She rinsed her mouth with some water and managed to suppress that sour wave in her stomach. As she emerged from the bathroom, Mrs. Li stood at the door, her face full of concern. "Ningning, are you alright?"

Nina Shaw shook her head, trying to brush it off. "Probably just something I ate."

But Mrs. Li was not convinced—she had plenty of experience.

Nina Shaw tried to act normal as she returned to the table.

But Grandma’s eyes focused on her belly, and after a while, she asked with surprising seriousness, "Ningning, are you pregnant?"

Nina Shaw froze, her chopsticks clattering to the floor.

If Grandma hadn’t mentioned it, she might not have realized—her period had been late for some time. She’d been so busy lately, she’d forgotten all about it.

Mrs. Li and Grandma exchanged a knowing glance. Judging by Nina Shaw’s reaction, they were pretty sure of the answer.

Mrs. Sun came over with a new pair of chopsticks. Lauren Shaw patted her sister, finally snapping Nina Shaw out of her daze.

"Sis, is what Grandma said true?"

Nina Shaw wasn’t sure how to reply, but right at that moment, the doorbell rang.

Mrs. Sun went to answer—it was Xavier Quinn.

"Sorry, I got held up with something, so I'm late." He glanced instinctively at Nina Shaw. But she didn’t look back, burying herself in her food, looking absent-minded.

This trip to An City was primarily for work, but Xavier Quinn had brought Nina Shaw along since he knew she loved visiting her family and thought she’d be happier that way.

But today, for some reason, she seemed sulky.

Mr. Li invited him to the table, so Xavier Quinn sat next to Nina Shaw, who seemed frustrated and ignored him.

There was a distinct awkward air between them.

Xavier Quinn thought she was upset with him and tried to coax her quietly, "Sorry, I really didn’t mean to be so late."

Nina Shaw shot him a glare and gave a soft huff.

She'd been moody with him a lot lately. Rather than getting annoyed, Xavier Quinn was unexpectedly patient, coaxing her as much as she liked—which Nina Shaw secretly enjoyed.

Under the table, he reached for her hand. She quickly withdrew, not in the mood for comfort. The idea of an unplanned pregnancy was far from good news for her.

Watching all this, Mrs. Li couldn’t hold it in any longer: "You young people are too careless—how could you not even notice you’re pregnant? And Xavi Quinn, you’re just as thoughtless…"

Xavier Quinn was still processing everything, looking completely baffled.

Grandma let out a hearty laugh. "Congratulations, you’re going to be a father!"

Xavier Quinn looked at Nina Shaw in disbelief, silently questioning if it could be true.

Nina Shaw lowered her voice, barely above a whisper, "My period’s been late for days."

Once he heard that, Xavier Quinn’s whole face lit up.

After dinner, Xavier Quinn took Nina Shaw back to the hotel. In the car, Nina Shaw glanced down and touched her still-flat stomach. A large, warm hand covered hers, wrapping her firmly in his grasp—a sense of deep security.

"Our child is here," Xavier Quinn’s voice was soft and low, filled with reassurance.

Nina Shaw gathered herself, hesitating, "Do you… like children?"

It was the first time they’d ever discussed it. Nina Shaw had never really thought about having kids, so finding herself pregnant now was hard to accept.

She worried she wouldn’t make a good mother, wondered if Xavier Quinn even wanted this baby.

She had so many worries. That’s why, back at the Li house, she looked so anxious.

Xavier Quinn looked at her with gentle eyes and answered firmly, "I do."