?<strong>Chapter 102:</strong>


    Lacey agreed more readily than Joelle had anticipated. “I understand. You and your baby deserve justice.”


    “You believe me?” Joelle asked in surprise.


    “Of course,” Lacey replied with a carefree smile. “You not only helped my sister, but you’re also very kind to me. Plus, helping you doesn’t put Adrian at any disadvantage. I promise to do my best to help you in the investigation.”


    Having returned from the hospital, Joelle hadn’t felt such warmth in a long time and was unexpectedly moved to tears.


    “There, there. You’ve just lost your baby, and you need to take care of your health.”


    “I will.”


    After her meeting with Lacey that afternoon, Joelle’s spirits lifted. Later, she received a call from Katherine.


    “Katherine, I have some news to tell you!” she eximed, eager to share her joy about her pregnancy with her closest friend.


    “Joelle, listen to me first. Have you seen Reba’s Twitter?” Katherine asked without beating around the bush.


    The mere mention of the name made Joelle brace for trouble. Before responding, she found a ce to sit down. “No, I haven’t. I uninstalled Twitter a long time ago and haven’t paid any attention to her,” Joelle said, determined to leave the past behind and ignore Reba’s antics. She hadn’t followed any updates on Reba’s recent interactions with Adrian either.


    “You need to see it,” Katherine insisted with a hint of urgency in her voice. “That bastard Adrian… How could he do this to you? I’m buying a ne ticket right now toe and support you!”


    The anger in Katherine’s voice gave Joelle a sinking feeling. Whatever Reba had posted must have been explosive. Joelle paused for a few seconds and then dropped the bombshell. “Katherine, I’m pregnant.”


    Katherine was in the middle of packing when she heard what Joelle had said. She froze at the news and abruptly straightened up. “Adrian’s baby?”


    “Yes.”


    Katherine gathered her hair and paced restlessly around the room. “Does Adrian know about this?”


    “He does, but he’s convinced the baby isn’t his. He pressured me to have an abortion earlier, but I conspired with Rafael to keep the baby.”


    Katherine sat on the edge of the bed. “Joelle, do you realize what this means? A child is a lifelongmitment. If you go through with this, you’ll be tied to this child forever. Everything else in life can be returned, thrown away, or released, but not a child. Are you prepared for that?”


    With aposed smile, Joelle replied confidently, “I am. Since Adrian doesn’t know about the baby’s existence, I can raise the child myself after we divorce.”


    “That’s Adrian’s child. Why take on the burden alone?” Katherine sighed.


    Joelle rested her hand protectively on her belly and answered with conviction, “No, it’s mine. Marriages may fail, and spouses may leave. But this child is mine, and no one can change that.”


    Katherine lit a cigarette and advised, “Still, I think you should see Reba’stest tweet before you decide anything.”


    “Alright. I’ll check it outter. When are youing back? Have you sorted everything out? Did you meet Frankie Calloway?”


    Joelle was referring to the business magnate Katherine had been dying to meet.


    Katherine took a long drag on her cigarette and grumbled, “Don’t even get me started. That jerk has been leading me on.”


    “Huh? What happened?”


    “I finally got his assistant’s number and set up a meeting for tonight. But then he called and said he couldn’t make it. I’ve traveled halfway around the world, and all I get is his assistant’s contact. The next time I see him, I swear I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”


    Joelle sympathized with her friend but couldn’t suppress augh at Katherine’s words. “Why don’t youe back first? And please, don’t tell anyone about my pregnancy yet, especially my brother.”


    If Shawn learned that Adrian had coerced her into an abortion, he would seek retribution from Irene, potentially jeopardizing Watson Group. They had just seeded in ousting Spencer in front of Irene. They couldn’t afford to let Shawn ruin everything. Besides, Joelle didn’t want Shawn to be burdened with worries about her while he was dedicating himself to his work abroad.


    “Let’s wait until everything is stable. It’s best not to announce a pregnancy until after the first three months,” Joelle mentioned.


    “Okay then. I’ll do as you say. I’ll head back as soon as I can. Since you’re pregnant, don’t bother looking at Reba’s Twitter. It might upset you.”


    “The more you say that, the more I want to see it.”


    “Just promise me you won’t look, at least until I get back.”


    “Okay.”


    Once the call ended, Katherine resumed her packing. Just then, her phone rang. It was Frankie’s assistant. Katherine answered the call with a heated outburst.


    “Tell your boss I’ve never met anyone so unreliable! I’ve been coordinating with him for almost a month, and he just bails on me. Wasting someone’s time is like stealing their life, you know?”


    “Miss Nash, please calm down. My boss had an emergency and couldn’t make it,” the assistant replied.


    “So he’s ying games with me? I’ve told you, I’m not tolerating this anymore! He’d better stay out of my sight, or I swear I’ll let him have it if I ever meet him!”


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