Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie and William) novel Chapter 921

After the surgery, Greta stayed in the ICU for a week. The doctors kept a close watch to make sure there were no complications, like vasoplegia syndrome. Once they confirmed she was in the clear, they moved her to a regular room.

She stayed in the general ward for another two weeks. It wasn't until her health had improved significantly that the doctors allowed her to go home.

Emelie finally felt the weight lift off her chest seeing her mother able to take care of herself again.

With only a week left before her due date, she could now shift her focus back to herself. She almost forgot that she had come back to Cedonia to give birth.

It was October in Capebatt City, which was the perfect time of year. It was cool and comfortable but not freezing cold.

Emelie sat on the mat by the window, the fresh autumn breeze stirring the trees in the courtyard outside. The soft rustling sound was soothing, almost like a lullaby.

As she snacked on some fruit, she watched William pack up the things she'd need for the hospital. Something crossed her mind.

"William, have we forgotten to talk about something important?" Emelie asked.

"What's that?" William replied.

"The baby's name!" Emelie exclaimed.

William chuckled. "Didn't we agree to wait and see if it's a boy or a girl first?"

They'd probably only have one child, so they wanted to keep the surprise until birth. Even though they could have asked the doctor about the baby's gender during the checkups abroad, neither of them had, so they still had no idea.

Emelie tilted her head. "Well, we can at least settle on the surname and a nickname."

William folded her nightgown neatly and placed it in the suitcase. "I think that is something you need to think about."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you need to figure out whether the baby's surname should be Hoven or Pierce," William said.

Emelie smiled. "You're not going to fight for your family's last name?"

"The Middleton family? What right do they have to claim the last name?" William loathed that last name.

"Why is it a tradition for wives to take their husbands' last names? Why isn't there a tradition of a husband taking his wife's name? I'd happily take yours," he added.

Emelie struggled to form a response as she stared at him. "Keep your distance from Elias. Your antics are starting to resemble him a bit too much."

It was sometimes overwhelming for her. What was she supposed to do about her husband who turned into a lovesick fool in his middle age?

However, she was still facing a dilemma. Should the baby take her last name, Hoven? Or her biological father's, Pierce?

The Hoven family had three daughters. Her eldest sister had two kids, both taking their father's surname. Her younger sister didn't have kids yet, but her husband was a foreigner, so if they gave their child a Cedonian name, they would definitely have the surname Hoven.

As for the Pierce family, Wesley hadn't changed his name back to Kingston Pierce for various reasons. If he had children, their Cedonian names would likely carry the Pierce surname.

In the end, both families would have descendants. Hence, whether the child's last name was Hoven or Pierce, it really was up to her. However, having that freedom just made her indecision worse.

The Hoven family had raised her, but the Pierce family gave her life. After all these years, she had worked tirelessly to clear the Pierce family's name. It seemed fitting for a new life to memorialize or witness that legacy.

Should it be Hoven or Pierce?

Emelie was in a dilemma, so she asked Greta and Yennifer for advice. Both mothers were gracious and recommended the other family's surname, so it was still a tie at 1:1.

Emelie expanded her circle of advisors, asking her two best friends, Mona and Ashley.

Mona's answer was firm and confident. "Pierce, of course!"

"Why?" Emelie asked.

Mona explained, "Have you never heard that joke? The four most common surnames for domineering CEOs in fiction are Pierce, Johnson, Williams, and Brown!

"Your kid is definitely going to inherit your and William's wealth. I mean, William's broke now, so he'll inherit your wealth and become the next powerful CEO. They have to have a powerful surname like Pierce!"

Emelie was speechless. How did it sound so absurd yet make sense?

Ashley, on the other hand, approached it like the professional lawyer she was. "First of all, all your legal documents like your identity card and bank letters still list you as 'Emelie Hoven'. The name 'Mandy Pierce' isn't recognized legally.

"If your child inherits your wealth and properties, it'll be easier if they share your surname, Hoven, avoiding complications. It's not like Wesley, who got pushback from the Cronus family for his last name.

"Sure, no one from your family seems likely to contest the inheritance right now, but better safe than sorry. Hence, I'm voting for Hoven to avoid this ticking time bomb of an issue. And besides, Hoven is a pretty uncommon surname. Whether it's for a boy or a girl, it's got a certain elegance to it.

"Your name "Emelie Hoven" is beautiful. It sounds very poetic and sophisticated."

Emelie thought long and hard about it. Ashley's argument made so much sense. Hence, each last name received a vote, and the score was currently 2:2.

Emelie expanded the voting circle once again, asking Elias, Jayden, Yelena, Lyle, and even Wesley. They contributed votes evenly, leaving Jayden to cast the deciding one.

After some thought, Jayden suggested, "Since you're keeping the baby's gender a surprise, why not leave the last name up to fate too? If it's a girl, go with Hoven. If it's a boy, Pierce."