Joanne had never slept well when she was in the hospital because she was either too weak to fall asleep or caught in nightmares.

Maybe as a result of Brian's company, however, tonight she fell asleep quickly and peacefully.

Brian tucked her in the covers on the bed and kissed her forehead, then went downstairs.

Iris was knitting a sweater in the living room. Brian looked at the clock and said, "Mom, it's late. Why don't you go to bed?"

"How could I fall asleep while having Joanne's issues in mind?" Iris drew the shawl on her shoulders. "Have you spoken with Joanne?"

"Yes, I have." Brian sat down and told Iris about his and Joanne's talk.

"A month" Iris continued knitting while saying, "I'd rather that Joanne get better in a month. After all, she's pregnant now."

She felt as unwillingly and helplessly as him to persuade Joanne to give up her baby.

"Mom, you must be aware of this-" Brian said, "Rowdy has returned to Arlington."

Peter and Rowdy was a lifelong nightmare to Iris. They had not only ruined her marriage and family, but had also killed her husband.

But she could face it calmly after all those years. She nodded in peace and said, "I know. Joanne told me about it. What's your plan?"

In order to dispel her worries, Brian tried to speak at ease. "I'll take action. Don't worry, I can handle it by myself."

"I just want to remind you of one thing," Iris said, stressing each word. "Take care."

She didn't ask Brian not to take a risk, nor did she ask him to give up on reopening his father's case. She knew that Brian had been preparing for it for over 10 years.

Brian had to go all-out to fight.

"I'll be fine." Brian promised his mother. "Mom, it's been 15 years. We needn't be afraid of them anymore."

Iris smiled. "With you, I'm afraid of nothing."

Brian's lips also turned into a smile. "By the way, I want to take Joanne to one of our hospitals."

Iris thought for a while and said, "You'd better discuss it with Joanne, for she hates hospitals now to the extreme. You may call in a doctor but never push her if she doesn't agree with you."

Brian nodded and said, "I know that."

He returned to the bedroom before dawn. Joanne huddled herself up under the quilt, sleeping soundly. Dim lights shone on her bright and flawless face, making her look like a butterfly closing its eyes, settling on the branch of a tree, easy to seize his heart at first sight.

Brian lay down gently and held Joanne softly in his arms.

Joanne turned around and circled her arm around Brian's waist, stretching and breathing in a relaxed way.

Those were all unconscious movements, and she was still sleeping soundly.

Deep within her heart, she never lost her trust in Brian, regardless of what happened.

Brian's heart seemed to be soaked in warm water and became soft at once.

At that moment, he hoped to hug Joanne that way until his old age.

Maybe you will feel like that when you really love someone.

Joanne woke up early the next day.

She was full of energy after sleeping soundly for more than 10 hours. Her lips turned into a smile when she saw Brian's familiar face.

No wonder she slept so well, for it was in the embrace she was familiar with.

She lay still and fondled Brian's face with her fingers. With a real touch, she could make sure that she really came back to Brian.

Brian was born alert and he easily woke up. He felt it the moment Joanne's fingers touched his face. After a while, he held her hand and opened his eyes.

Joanne blinked in a daze and asked confusedly, "Are you awake?"

Brian turned his lips into a meaningful smile. "Why don't I wake up since you're so hard?"

"" Joanne felt embarrassed because she thought Brian meant more than he said.

Before she could get his point, she felt a warm kiss from Brian, who was already on her while avoiding her belly.

The good-morning kiss lasted for a long time until Joanne was out of breath. Brian released her and stared at her with deep love. "Joanne."

The intimate atmosphere and his gentle voice made Joanne expect that Brian would say a moving lover's prattle, so she said with an expectant look on her face, "Huh?"

"I'll take you back to the hospital after breakfast, I've arranged everything there, OK?"

Joanne's expectation was shattered. She tried to push Brian away as she said, "Why do I have to be hospitalized and waste medical resources when I'm healthy?"

"Your medical records were sent to a private hospital." Brian thought it was time, so he said, "It's not a waste of public resources if we stay in our own hospital."

Joanne turned away and said, "I won't go to a private hospital either!"

"Joanne"

"Stop saying that, otherwise I'll go back to my apartment!" Joanne interrupted Brian and said, "I won't go to a hospital unless I'm about to give birth!"

Brian helplessly said with a gentle voice, "But it will be very dangerous if you throw up again."

"If I do, the doctor and you will push me to give up my baby." Joanne unconsciously covered her belly with her hands. "I nearly lost them. Now I won't let anyone, including you, take them from me!"

Brian said with a frown on his face, "Nearly? What do you mean?"

Joanne pursed her lips and told him about how she went to the hospital from the Jiangyuan Hotel and nearly miscarried.

She could not have been more frightened on the way to the hospital. She was too concerned about not, absolutely not, losing her baby to care about the heavy cramps.

It was her first time to be a mother. So, when she found out she was pregnant, she just felt happy without knowing what a baby meant to her.

It was on the way to the hospital that she suddenly realized that the baby, who would be born and grow up, was part of her body. She could not bear the pain of losing her baby, which was like cutting off some part of her body.

Brian didn't know that Joanne experienced that after he left. He apologized in a low voice. "Joanne, I'm sorry." He nearly killed his baby himself.

"It's not your fault, and I'm not blaming you," Joanne said, "but I won't forgive you if you send me back to the hospital for an abortion following the doctor's advice."

It was within Brian's expectation that he could not persuade Joanne to stay in a hospital. He said, "In that case, let's go home."

"Go home?" Joanne said in uncertainty, "May I?"

She decided not to go home when she left. Even though the misunderstanding between Brian and her was cleared up, what about Rowdy, who was watching them with hostility? Would Rowdy do something crazy if he knew that she did not divorce Brian at all?

Rosalyn, an elegant and natural international superstar and a focused person who would easily lead the direction of public opinion, could not be ignored either.

Brian realized what Joanne was worrying about, so he kissed her forehead and said, "The only thing you need to do is be Mrs. Lambert at home. I'll take care of everything else."

Joanne pursed her lips, her eyes turning red, and was about to cry.

Maybe pregnancy made her a lady who could hardly regulate her mood.

After breakfast, Brian took Joanne back home.

It was not a long way from Orchid Gardens to Prime Villas, which Joanne had traveled many times. But this time, she felt a little excited and enjoyed the beautiful scenery alongside the road.

Brian's car stopped in front of the villa after 30 minutes. Simon came over, opened the door for Joanne, smiling like he saw her for the first time, and said, "Young Madam, welcome home."

Joanne got out of the car and found all the domestics there outside the house with sunny smiles on their faces. Martha, especially, smiled and said with a sigh a relief, "Finally, my broken heart becomes whole."

After Joanne left, Brian seemed to be another person who was colder and more reticent than before he was married, making everyone afraid of his coldness and try to stay away from him.

Silence and depression covered the whole villa. The domestics, who used to joke and chat freely, had to be cautious all day so as not to anger Brian with any noises.

Now, they would not live in fear because Joanne was back.

Brian took Joanne's arm and said, "Take care."

Joanne said with embarrassment, "Too much care" She was not a national treasure, just pregnant.

Brian did not care if he cared too much, what he cared about was that Joanne was safe and sound.

Simon followed them into the house and said, "You've got a visitor named Marcus. Young Madam, he's here for you."

"Uncle Wilson?" Joanne never saw Marcus again after helping him because of her suddenly worsened vomiting during pregnancy. She thought he had taken his wife, who Wendy said had a good recovery, out of the hospital back to his native place. How did he find them?

She briefed Brian on how she had helped Marcus and guessed, "He may be here to say thanks."

In Brian's eyes, Marcus was not here just to thank her, because he had found Joanne and visited their house on his own initiative. So he said calmly, "Let's go in and see."

It was the first time Joanne saw Marcus dressed like that, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room with a restless, tired look due to taking care of his wife.

He sat there properly and naturally without any uneasiness or without curiously sizing up the big house.

Joanne suddenly remembered that he said he had been in Arlington when he was young, but went back to his native place after some accidents.

So, he did have some experiences in Arlington. He would not behave calmly and serenely like that if he lived and farmed all the year round in his hometown.