Karen drank the milk brought by the servant, caressing her still-flat abdomen, her face filled with satisfaction and anticipation.
Soon, as long as the child in her belly was confirmed to be from the Fletcher family, she could rightfully marry Justin. That would be wonderful!
This child came at just the right time.
She could finally completely rid herself of poverty and successfully marry into a wealthy family as the young mistress.
Just then, Mrs. Fletcher walked in.
Seeing her about to get up to greet her, Mrs. Fletcher immediately walked over and pressed her back onto the bed.
"Rest well. The first three months are the most crucial. Be careful to avoid harming the child," Mrs. Fletcher said gently.
It was the first time that Karen felt the care from her future mother-in-law, and she felt very pleased.
Indeed.
Being pregnant was different.
The child would be valued by the family.
Mrs. Fletcher sat by the bedside and said softly, "I've already made arrangements with the hospital. Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, I'll take you and Justin to the hospital. We only need to draw 10 milliliters of venous blood, which won't have any impact on you or the child."
Upon hearing this, Karen's eyes lit up.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Mrs. Fletcher nodded in satisfaction and couldn't help but look at Karen's belly with joy. She said, "If this child is really from our family, I will make sure Justin takes responsibility for you. The child of the Fletcher family must be safely born."
The first time she saw Charlotte, she found her oddly endearing.
At that time, she thought, how nice it would be if Charlotte were her granddaughter by blood.
She didn't expect this wish to be fulfilled so quickly with Karen.
This would be their first grandson.
Even if their son didn't like it, they couldn't let him have his way.
Even if they didn't particularly like Karen and they felt her status didn't match that of the Fletcher family, but now that she was pregnant, nothing else mattered.
The child was the most important.
Karen smiled and said, "Thank you, Aunt. With a grandmother like you, he's blessed."
Mrs. Fletcher patted her hand and said, "Rest well. If you need anything, just come to me. I'll be at home all day."
Karen nodded obediently.
Mrs. Fletcher cast a reluctant glance at her belly before leaving.
With the door closed, Karen no longer suppressed her inner satisfaction, showing it all on her face.
Suddenly.
A slight pain came from her lower abdomen.
Very light.
Not particularly painful.
Intermittent.
It disappeared after a while.
Then a moment later, another pang.
Just when she was anxious to call 120, the pain subsided again.
She touched her belly, waited a while longer, and the pain was completely gone.
She didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a normal discomfort during pregnancy.
...
In the café.
Samantha handed the design sketches to Ellena.
Ellena flipped through them, becoming more and more satisfied, nodding continuously.
"Looks great, really great!" exclaimed Ellena.
Samantha calmly sipped her coffee, quietly awaiting Ellena's decision.
After reviewing all the design drawings, Ellena exclaimed excitedly, "Samantha, I'm very satisfied with these designs! Go prepare the contract. I'll sign it directly with you."
Samantha raised an eyebrow teasingly. "No more second thoughts?"
Blushing at being teased, Ellena said sheepishly, "I was misled by Suzy. I didn't understand you before, but now that I see her true colors, I trust you. I won't change my mind again."
Samantha took the contract out of her bag directly. "I've already prepared the contract. If you've made up your mind, just sign it!"
Impressed by her efficiency, Ellena gave her a thumbs up. "Samantha, you're really efficient."
After reviewing the contract and finding no issues, Ellena signed her name on it without hesitation and handed it back to Samantha. She smiled and said, "I really love your designs. If there's a chance, I'll definitely recommend you to my fiancé. He's just entered the jewelry industry and is looking for talent. I'm sure he'll also love your designs."
That was exactly what Samantha was waiting to hear.
"Remember what you said. I'll be waiting for your good news."
Ellena nodded earnestly. "Don't worry, I'll make it happen for you. Actually, our family was also involved in the jewelry industry, but with the current situation between you and my brother, I'm afraid he won't listen to me..."
Samantha waved it off. "It's okay! Being able to collaborate with the Davis family is already satisfying for me."
Hearing this, Ellena finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Ellena rushed to the Emperor Group after leaving Samantha's company.
Though she said that, she still tried to facilitate the cooperation between Samantha and the Emperor Group as much as possible. So, when she found Ethan, she directly slapped Samantha's design sketches onto his desk.
"What do you think of these design sketches?" she asked.
Ethan glanced at them and immediately noticed Samantha's logo in the corner. He remained expressionless as he replied, "Just so-so."
Sitting beside him, Ellena pouted unhappily, "Just so-so? I think they're excellent and exactly to my taste. I've already signed a contract with the designer, and all my jewelry will be designed by her."
Ignoring her, Ethan continued to focus on his documents.
Annoyed, Ellena closed his folder forcefully and said coquettishly, "Ethan, our company's jewelry subsidiary is planning to launch a new product! I think we can entrust them with it."
Ethan asked calmly, "Which company?"
Thinking she had a chance, Ellena hurriedly replied, "Sky Group! Although they've only recently entered the capital, they have a good reputation, and all their partners have spoken highly of them."
Expressionless, Ethan stated, "Our company has dedicated jewelry designers."
Ellena wrinkled her nose in disdain, "What kind of designers are they? Their designs are nothing compared to mine. If you don't change your perspective, our company will be finished sooner or later."
Ethan furrowed his brows, looking displeased.
Seeing his reaction, Ellena hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "Hehe, I know the truth hurts, but what I said is factual, and it's for the future development of our company."
Ethan glanced at her and threw a document from his drawer at her.
"Give this document to the designer you mentioned. If she wants to collaborate, tell her to complete the requirements outlined in it within the specified time frame."
Ellena didn't expect him to agree so readily.
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly grabbed the document and ran to the door without looking back, fearing he might change his mind.
"Don't worry, my brother, I'll make sure she completes the requirements on time," she said as she disappeared.
Ethan narrowed his eyes, a hint of darkness flashing in them.
***