The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 309

Joseph was still coughing, turning away as he held out a hand. Vivica understood immediately and passed him a folded napkin.

After a moment, once his breathing had calmed, he turned back, his handsome face flushed. He shot her a look. “You… you’re really something else. Quiet as a mouse one minute, then you drop a bombshell like that the next.”

Usually, she blushed at the slightest thing, as shy as an innocent schoolgirl. But now she was coming out with lines so bold they could make a grown man blush.

Vivica felt a little embarrassed herself, but the words had just popped into her head during their banter. She hadn’t expected to leave Joseph so flustered.

“It’s just the truth. I had to correct you when you were wrong,” she said, her eyes sparkling with a hint of victorious pride.

Joseph set down the napkin and picked up his utensils again. “You’ve managed to take something beautiful and make it sound completely transactional.”

Something beautiful… Vivica mulled over his choice of words, giving him a knowing look. “So, you were looking forward to it?”

Joseph froze again, his intense gaze fixed on her. Her cheeks burned. Realizing she’d been a bit too forward today, she quickly backpedaled. “Never mind, forget I asked. Let’s just eat.”

She ducked her head to avoid his gaze and focused on her food.

As for Joseph, after a long pause, he couldn't quite bring himself to admit that he had, in fact, been looking forward to it very much. The silent torment of an older, single man was something only he could understand. Before his heart had been stirred, he hadn’t cared. But once it was, and he’d found someone he truly liked, it was like an old house catching fire—unstoppable.

After lunch, as they were leaving, Vivica insisted on paying the bill.

Sherman looked hesitantly at Joseph.

Joseph gave a slight nod. “Go ahead and take it,” he said casually. “Ms. Lynn is a woman of means. She can afford it.”

“You got it,” Sherman said with a suppressed smile, happily processing the payment.

As they walked out of the courtyard restaurant, Vivica shot Joseph a sidelong glance. “Every time you call me a ‘woman of means,’ it feels like you’re mocking me.”

They got in the car and headed straight for Joseph’s luxury penthouse in the city center. As he drove into the building’s underground garage, Vivica was once again struck by the sheer opulence of the wealthy, noting that the parking structure looked like it belonged to a five-star hotel.

Her own apartment was in what was considered an upscale community, but compared to Joseph’s building, it felt like the slums. The elevator lobby was as grand as a hotel’s, complete with a lounge area, massage chairs, and a coffee and water station.

While waiting for the elevator, Vivica took in her surroundings.

“What are you looking at?” Joseph asked curiously.

Vivica smiled sheepishly. “I feel like a country mouse visiting the city.”

Joseph’s lips curved into a faint smile. “If you like it here, you and Chaim could move in. It’s quite convenient.”

The penthouse was a duplex, nearly 5,000 square feet in total, every bit as impressive as the Greenbelt Villa.