Chapter 2

Three hours later, Rosalie returned home while clutching her belly. After a day's rest, she looked at herself in the mirror and shakily picked up a lipstick when she saw how ashen she looked. She applied some light makeup to make herself appear normal, but sweat continued to bead on her forehead from the pain. She wrapped a throw around herself as she curled up on the couch and summoned the butler. "Box up all the jewelry and bags in my wardrobe and sell them to an auction house. All the proceeds are to be donated to the impoverished." Lucas happened to enter the room at that point. He was taken aback when he heard her words. "Rosie, why are you suddenly selling those things?" Rosalie lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze. "I'm donating them because I don't like them anymore. It'll be a huge favor to those impoverished children." Fortunately, Lucas didn't think too deeply of this. He approached her and held her, saying, "Well, it's a good deed. I'll take you to an auction house in a couple of days, and you can pick a few things that you like. We'll slowly fill the emptied shelves again, okay?" Rosalie didn't answer his question when she heard him talk to her like he was coaxing a child. Instead, she switched the subject. "You're done with work?" "Yeah. I know things have been hard for you lately, so I'll spend the next week at home with you and the baby, okay?" He reached out to touch her belly, but she stopped him. He looked down and noticed that she seemed skinnier than before. He frowned slightly and was about to ask her about it when her phone rang. Rosalie answered the call when she saw that it was from her uncle, Eugene Granger. "Rosie, your Aunt Isabelle returned to the country yesterday. We were talking about gathering at the Granger residence for a meal. Do you want to join us?" "I'm not feeling well, so I'll—" Lucas snatched the phone from her before she could finish. He said, "Rosie and I will be there." Rosalie's chest clenched when she saw how excited he was for the gathering. She couldn't help being reminded of the 99 unanswered calls she'd made before Vincent's death. It turned out Lucas was the type who would jump at every opportunity to see the person he truly loved. He couldn't care less about what she wanted or that she was still hurting from losing her father. All he wanted to do was follow his heart and run to his beloved. Lucas only realized he'd acted out of line after hanging up and seeing the look on her face. He held her cold hand and explained, "I know you're not in the best of moods, Rosie. But you're pregnant and can't wallow in your misery for too long. I'll take you home to see your family. That'll help lift your spirits." Rosalie curled her lips without responding. … Lucas and Rosalie arrived at the Granger residence at 7:00 pm. Before they entered the house, Lucas gave Rosalie a gift. "I heard from Eugene that you and your aunt haven't seen each other in years. That's not an excuse to forget your manners, though." In the past, Rosalie would've found his actions considerate. Now, however, she knew he merely wanted to use her as an excuse to give his beloved a gift. She didn't expose him and instead headed into the house, where the atmosphere in the living room was lively. Isabelle was chatting with someone, but she turned when she heard the noise at the door. That was when she saw Rosalie and Lucas, who was holding her hand. She was taken aback. Then, she asked hesitantly, "Rosie, who is this?" Rosalie didn't answer. She didn't know what to say, anyway. Lucas didn't say anything, either. One of the relatives enthusiastically introduced everyone. "You were abroad for three years and didn't attend the wedding, so you have no idea, Isabelle. This is Rosie's husband, Lucas Stone. He's the CEO of Stone Corporation." Isabelle swayed on her feet as a trace of astonishment flickered in her eyes. However, she'd weathered storms in the past and soon regained her composure. She stepped forward and held out a hand. She and Lucas shook hands, speaking to each other as politely as if this were truly their first meeting. Rosalie was the only one who sensed the subtle ambiguity between them. She handed Lucas' gift to Isabelle and said, "Welcome back, Aunt Isabelle." "Oh, I'm not really back for good. I'll be returning to Irope after a month," Isabelle said. Lucas' expression turned ugly as he listened to her words. She acted like she didn't notice and opened the gift with a smile. Her gaze turned admiring when she saw the glimmering necklace within. "You have impeccable taste, Rosie. I've wanted this necklace for ages." Rosalie took in all of their reactions. She said calmly, "Luke picked it out. He's always had good taste." … Lucas barely ate anything during dinner. He piled Rosalie's plate high with food in between having drinks. Everyone smiled knowingly when they saw that and started teasing them. "You're lucky to have married such a wonderful man, Rosie! Look at how loving you two are!" Rosalie forced a smile. She didn't touch the mutton and beef on her plate. Her morning sickness had been quite bad since conceiving, and she hadn't been able to stomach any meat. Lucas knew that and had switched to a vegetarian diet with her for the past month. That night, however, that seemed to have slipped his mind. He was too busy switching the dishes around so that all the seafood could be placed before Isabelle. After all, she'd always loved seafood.