?<strong>Chapter 267:</strong>


    Belle intended for Rafael to hide Joelle’s pregnancy from her and then have Liza give birth to it. How could Rafael agree to that?


    “Mom, are you asking me to deceive Joelle?”


    Belle’s eyes filled with tears of frustration. “So, are you willing to see your mother suffer?”


    “That’s not what I meant.”


    Suddenly, Belle straightened up and knelt before Rafael.


    Liza and Rafael eximed simultaneously, “Mom!” Belle refused Rafael’s help to stand, yet she clutched his wrist tightly.


    “Rafael, the child in your sister’s womb is yours and belongs to our Romero family! If you force this, your sister might never be able to have children again. Besides, your father has just passed away, and now you want to end another Romero life. Is this how you honor our family?”


    Rafael frowned. “So, you’re saying my sister must keep the baby? Mom, you’ve always said not to keep secrets from those we love. Joelle and I are a couple now. How can I lie to her?”


    Belle, holding back tears, said firmly, “Then I’ll keep kneeling here.”


    “Mom!”


    How could Rafael stand to see his mother kneeling before him? Torn and conflicted, Rafael eventually gave in.


    Belle finally agreed she would arrange for Liza to marry someone else and ensure that no one discovered the child’s connection to Rafael.


    But Rafael was still uneasy. He now harbored a secret from Joelle—a secret that he could never disclose. When Rafael returned home, Joelle approached him and asked, “Is it all settled?”


    “Yes.” Rafael managed a strained smile. “The pregnancy has been terminated.”


    Joelle sighed in relief, yet she felt an underlying guilt for the termination of the pregnancy.


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    “Rafael, is Liza unwell? I should visit her.”


    Rafael held her back and said, “No, you don’t need to go.” Joelle sensed his exhaustion.


    He smiled weakly at Joelle. “From now on, nothing will evere between us.”


    Joelle was slightly taken aback but found herself enveloped in his embrace.


    “Joelle, we’ll always be together. We’re happy together. I never want to be apart from you. I like you so much. I really do.”


    His behavior was unusually intense. Joelle felt a twinge of fear.


    In the days that followed, she increasingly sensed that something was off. Her intuition told her something significant had happened on the day of Liza’s supposed abortion.


    From that day, Rafael seemed constantly distracted. Joelle sought advice from Shawn, who bluntly suggested, “If you can’t stay with him, then consider divorce.” Joelle didn’t think things were that severe.


    She then consulted with Katherine.


    Katherine spected and said, “Rafael probably feels guilty seeing how Liza was after the abortion.”


    Having almost undergone an abortion herself, Joelle was familiar with the potential health repercussions.


    Katherine mentioned that as a doctor, Rafael would naturally feel responsible, even though he rejected the child.


    Learning that Liza was still in the hospital, Joelle bought some nutritional supplements and visited her. As she approached the hospital room, she overheard a conversation between Belle and Liza.


    “Mom, I can’t believe Rafael agreed to let me have this baby!”


    “As I’ve always said, Rafael isn’t heartless. The baby is his, while Joelle’s two children aren’t. No matter how much he cares for them, isn’t he essentially raising someone else’s kids? He’s not foolish. He knows what is truly important.”


    “Yes!”


    Belle then gave Liza some medicine, after which Liza became sullen again.


    “I just don’t know when Rafael will divorce Joelle. I can wait, but the baby can’t.”


    “Be patient. Now that Shawn has lent us ten billion, Rafael is bound to take their perspective seriously.”


    Liza asked curiously, “Mom, it makes sense for Shawn to lend us money, but why did Adrian lend us money too? We don’t have any connection with him.”


    Belle paused thoughtfully before responding decisively, “It has to be because of Joelle! She must be involved with him somehow!”


    Just as she finished, Joelle pushed the door open. Startled, Belle and Liza turned pale, unsure what to say or where to look.


    “Joelle, when did you get here?”


    “Just a moment ago,” Joelle replied, smiling. She observed Liza andmented, “Liza seems well. I brought some supplements, but it looks like you don’t need them now.”


    Instinctively, Liza ced her hands over her stomach. “Joelle, don’t worry too much. My mother and I were adamant about keeping the baby. The doctor said that this might be my only chance to have a child in my life.”


    Joelle turned to Belle and said, “I haven’t been in touch with Adrian for a long time. He contributed the funds simply because my brother couldn’t cover the other ten billion. Who else but Adrian could afford it? Moreover, I didn’t reach out to him. He reached out to my brother.”


    Awkward, Belle replied, “Yes, of course. We know you’re not that type of person.”


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