"Hahahaha!"
Cecilia continued to laugh. She had to take a long time to catch her breath again, before she finally told Ace in a mocking tone, "It's you, Ace! I think you're really funny!"
"I had assumed," she added, "that the love between you and Joanna Pierce was as strong and unbendable as steel! But surprisingly, you couldn't even stand this minor test! Compared to your feelings for me back then, your feelings for her are simply different… Are you sure that you love her more than you love me?"
Ace's cold and chiseled face displayed even more displeasure.
"I never said I loved her," he denied.
"I see!" Cecilia raised her brows and chirped, suddenly feeling a lot better. With a faint smile, she continued, "If you really did love her, you'd never even think about asking this question. But since you did ask, it proves that you don't really love her that much at all, or perhaps… you just don't understand her yet."
"The truth is," she added, "it doesn't matter whether she pushed me or not. What's important is whether you believe she would do such a thing."
Ace fell silent. Cecilia's words made him think and reflect on himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that he unconsciously clenched his long fingers.
"I thought I'd really lost," said Cecilia meaningfully, "but it seems that I still have a chance of turning the tide in my favor."
After making such a suggestive statement, she quickly lay down in her bed and closed her eyes.
"I'm exhausted now. I need some rest. I won't give you the answer that you want. You'll have to figure that out yourself."
Seeing Cecilia's resolution and determination, Ace said nothing more and left the room. He did not get the answer that he had come to seek, though Cecilia had managed to bring some clarity into his mind.
Perhaps he did not really love Joanna after all. Perhaps this feeling was just a momentary possessiveness.
If it was true love, then he would trust her unconditionally, right? How could he even doubt her?
'Ace Moran,' he thought to himself, 'you really need to sort yourself out and control your emotions!'
The next day, Joanna woke up after a fairly good sleep. Her emotions were completely unscathed by the fight with Ace last night.
The man who once dictated her mood, who could make her gloomy or happy at the drop of a hat, who could make her lose a whole night's sleep, now had no influence on her at all. Joanna had to admit that this newfound freedom from her once-inescapable emotional vulnerability felt exhilarating!
"So you're up, Miss Joanna!"
Nancy came in and brought her a sumptuous breakfast. She then gently asked her, "How was your sleep last night?"
"I slept soundly!" Joanna replied. "I even dreamt!"
She then went on to recount her dream with childlike enthusiasm, saying," Last night, I dreamt that my two little babies turned into butterflies, one black and one white. They fluttered happily around me and even talked to me! I think they're really excited to come out and see the world!"
That dream last night was so sweet that it left a distinct impression on her mind. She could not wait to finally meet them and welcome them into this world.
But Nancy suddenly turned downcast.
"Did you say you dreamt that they were butterflies?"
"Yeah. What's wrong? Is it a bad sign?"
"Well, butterflies represent the souls of dead people, so if the babies were…"
Nancy paused and sighed, "But let's not overthink it. Pah! It's fine. We'll just knock on wood, and the bad luck will go away!"
But Joanna could not help but get a little concerned after hearing what Nancy said. She thought of how she had eaten the toadstool soup and even swam in the sea. Would those things affect the health of her babies?
"No, no. I can't just brush this off. I won't rest easy till I get a proper checkup at the hospital."
And so, Joanna and Nancy came to the private maternity hospital where Joanna often got her prenatal checkups.
As they were waiting for Joanna's turn, Nancy kept holding Joanna's arm and carefully checked her pulse.
"Your pulse is normal, Miss Joanna. Your babies should be fine. You shouldn't allow a dream to scare you sick. Let's just knock on wood, and everything will be fine."
Joanna nodded but was still full of concern.
'I know my precious little cubs are fine since I've been strong and fit all the while. But I just can't stop myself from worrying. I can't shake off the feeling that something might happen."
"Shush! Don't speak of such inauspicious things, Miss Joanna! You might not believe anyone, but you must believe the traditional medical knowledge that I learned from my family. You know that I can treat any illness under the sun by prescribing a few herbs! I'm telling you, there's nothing to worry about."
"You're right. With a medical genius like you by my side, I've simply got nothing to worry about!"
Joanna finally felt slightly more at ease as she walked into the doctor's office. Her report came out in no time, and it was found that both of her babies were healthy and were developing well. They appeared to have been completely unaffected by her activities. It also seemed that her unborn children had become quite resilient.
"Ms. Pierce," said the doctor, "in one week, the fetuses will be four months old, which means that you'll be entering the second trimester, the most comfortable stage of the pregnancy. Your morning sickness will gradually disappear, your appetite and your energy will improve, and your babies will be stronger and more resilient. You'll also start to have a visible belly, so you should change into more comfortable clothes. Do remember to take your calcium supplements, and make sure you get a good sleep every night."
After speaking, the doctor simply prescribed some calcium tablets and vitamin supplements and called for the next patient.
With the checkup report in her hand, Joanna cheerfully waved at Nancy, who had been waiting for her outside the doctor's office, and told her, "It's just as you said! They're perfectly fine! I've been worried sick for nothing!"
"I'm glad to hear it, Miss Joanna! I'm glad to hear it!"
Nancy was smiling from ear to ear. She was glad to see that the Pierce family, after having fallen from grace, was starting to slowly return to its former glory, not to mention they were about to welcome the sprouting of two new branches! She was happy for the late Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, who had died with regrets, and even happier for the late General Pierce!
The two then left the hospital and waited for a cab beside the road.
Joanna, however, ever perceptive, could sense that something didn't seem right. She kept feeling the urge to turn around her.
"What's wrong, Miss Joanna?"
"I think we're being followed!"
Joanna maintained a calm and cheerful demeanor as she chatted with Nancy, but she lowered her voice as a warning of vigilance.
"What?" Nancy instantly got nervous. She stretched her neck and looked around her, asking, "We… We're being followed?!'
"Don't turn around!" Joanna reminded Nancy. "Let's just pretend that it's all fine and just walk ahead."
Nancy swallowed her saliva, fearing the worst. She wrapped her arms around Joanna and told her, "Could it be your enemy trying to take revenge on you? I'll protect you, Miss Joanna, but you must find an escape route immediately!"
"Don't panic," Joanna calmly told Nancy. "I don't think it's my enemy, because they wouldn't follow us this far without doing anything."
"Then who could it be?" Nancy wondered aloud.
As they were about to turn a corner, Joanna suddenly stopped, and with her back towards that shadowy figure who had been hiding from her, she yelled, "Stop hiding! I know you've been following me, so just show yourself!"
As expected, a tall well-built man clad in black clothes and with a peaked cap on his head slowly walked out from behind a standing sign.
Never would Joanna have expected that her stalker turned out to be Ace Moran's best friend, Cecilia's loyal defender, and the eldest son of the Stuart family-Ethan Stuart.