The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 222

Vivica picked up her fork and knife. But then her phone buzzed again with a WhatsApp notification.

Seeing his profile picture, she felt a fresh wave of curiosity. What else could Joseph possibly want?

She opened the message. It was a single word.

[Address?]

Vivica’s stomach dropped. What did that mean? Was he coming to drag her back himself? Or was he sending someone to pick her up?

Either way, she wanted no part of it. She read the message, left it unanswered, and went back to her dinner.

Chatting with a best friend was the best remedy for stress and negativity. Vivica recounted the events of the past few weeks. Looking back, she was amazed at her own resilience. She had somehow survived it all.

"You know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The best is yet to come!" Quintina said, analyzing the situation for her. "Think about it. Because Chaim got sick, you connected with a powerful family like the Bairds. Because your marriage ended, you came into a fortune of your own. And because you found out about your parents, you're finally free from their toxic grip."

Quintina's words were a balm, and Vivica's mood instantly brightened. "When you put it like that, every disaster seems to have a silver lining, doesn't it?"

The two friends happily clinked their juice glasses. But before Quintina could take a sip, her phone rang. She put down her glass and saw it was an unknown local number.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Christie, this is Joseph Baird. Where are you having dinner?"

At the sound of his voice, Quintina's eyes widened, and she shot a look at Vivica, who was thankfully engrossed in her own phone, checking to see if Joseph had sent any more messages. He hadn't. After that one word, there had been only silence.

Quintina turned away slightly, lowering her voice. "Why don't you... ask her directly?"

"She's not responding," Joseph said simply.

Suddenly, it clicked. With her heart pounding, Quintina whispered, "We're at the fondue place on the fourth floor of Ivory Plaza."

"Thank you."

After hanging up, Quintina put her phone down.

"Who was that? Did you tell someone where we are?" Vivica asked.

Quintina, a natural liar, didn't miss a beat. "That was my dad. I just told him I was out for fondue and would talk to him when I got home."

Vivica didn't give it a second thought and continued eating.

Soon, Quintina's phone buzzed again. This time it was a message from her uncle. She tapped the voice-to-text function.

Vivica frowned, frozen in place. What was Joseph thinking, pulling a stunt like this? Was he trying to make their ambiguous push-and-pull public knowledge?

"Ms. Lynn, shall we go?" the driver prompted.

With no other choice, Vivica, her mind a whirlwind of confusion, anxiety, and frustration, got into the car Joseph had sent for her.

She arrived back at the hospital at eight-forty, ten minutes past Joseph's deadline.

Standing outside Chaim's room, Vivica was wondering if her son was still with his grandparents when she heard the sound of Joseph's voice from inside, reading a story.

She paused, remembering Chaim's call the previous night, asking his uncle to read to him. He had promised he would tonight. And he had actually kept his promise.

Vivica stood there in the hallway, thinking about the man inside—a man who earned fortunes and was worth an immeasurable amount—currently reading a bedtime story to her son. The feeling it gave her was… indescribable. She felt both deeply flattered and utterly terrified.

As she stood there, lost in thought, unsure how to face him, the door suddenly swung open.

Joseph's tall, imposing figure filled the doorway.

"What are you doing standing there in a daze? You were ten minutes late. I didn't tell you to stand there as punishment, but you seem to be taking the initiative."