The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 114

"This lawyer of yours has such a distinguished air. Are you married?" one of the bolder women asked Joseph directly.

Joseph's already cool expression turned even more severe at the question.

Vivica, despite her low spirits, couldn't help but chuckle. "Ma'am, he's single, but don't get any ideas about matchmaking. It's not for a lack of girls throwing themselves at him, he's just not interested."

She stepped in to save him the trouble of having to be awkwardly polite or bluntly dismissive. Joseph shot her a quick glance but said nothing, clearly disdainful of the entire conversation. He turned and walked away.

The women immediately swarmed Vivica. "Why isn't he interested? Does he not like women?"

"Or is he already in love with someone?"

"Is his family well-off too?"

Vivica was exasperated. "I've only known him for a little over a week. I don't know anything about him."

With that, she made her escape before they could ask any more questions, using the excuse that she needed to get back to her child.

When she returned to the hospital room, she was surprised to see that Joseph hadn't gone to Melanie's room but had come to see Chaim instead. She closed the door and walked over.

Seeing his mother, Chaim immediately lifted his little head. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Vivica smiled. "Mommy's fine. It's all thanks to Uncle Joseph arriving just in time."

Chaim turned to the man by his bedside. "Uncle Joseph, thank you! You're like a guardian angel for me and Mommy!"

A rare smile touched Joseph's lips. "You certainly know how to flatter someone."

Vivica had questions for Joseph, so she gently told her son it was time to sleep. Joseph stood up and left the room, and she followed him out. Once in the hallway, she asked in a low voice, "Was Fletcher detained for fifteen days?"

"Yes. Fifteen days of administrative detention and a two-thousand-dollar fine. It's the maximum penalty," Joseph explained calmly.

Vivica nodded. "For a CEO to suddenly disappear for fifteen days... his company must be in chaos. No wonder Loretta was so frantic."

"What, are you feeling sorry for him?"

"No..." Vivica shook her head and looked at him earnestly. "I wanted to tell you that I don't want the house we own anymore. I'd prefer to get its value in cash."

Joseph's expression was calm; her decision didn't surprise him.

After her last words, she gave him a deep bow. It was a heartfelt gesture; Joseph had helped her immeasurably, and with no way to truly repay him, a bow was the only way she could express the depth of her gratitude.

But Joseph just frowned. "That bow makes it seem like you're sending me off to my funeral."

Vivica looked up, stunned into silence by his remark. Joseph, however, had already walked away.

Watching his retreating back, Vivica wondered to herself, “So, did he agree to rent it to me or not?”

That night, Vivica couldn't sleep. The thought of firing Ruby weighed heavily on her mind. Although she had parents, and in this situation, having family help with the child would be the most logical solution, hers didn't care about her or their grandson.

But if she hired a professional caregiver, she couldn't be sure if they would be reliable, or if Chaim would even accept them. He was so young and would naturally be wary of strangers.

...

The next morning, Vivica woke up and checked her reflection. The ointment the doctor had given her had reduced some of the swelling, but the bruising was even darker than the day before. She thought about using makeup to cover it, but even the light touch of a powder puff was painful, so she gave up.

Before she could even leave the bathroom, she heard Ruby's voice outside. Vivica's expression hardened. She took a breath and opened the bathroom door.

"Ms. Lynn, I'm here. You can head off to work," Ruby said casually, still unaware of what had transpired.