Chapter 274 Todd Knew It Was a Bet
After Aurora's wound was stitched up, she was sent back to her ward. It wasn't long before she woke up, the pain from her abdominal wound making her feel like she was in hell, unable to even speak loudly.
"Where's the baby?" Aurora asked weakly, her voice trembling with pain.
John quickly went over and held Aurora's hand. "You've been through a lot. The kids were taken for a bath and will be brought back soon," he reassured her gently.
Aurora needed to rest quietly. Lloyd and others were also outside and hadn't come in.
Aurora lay there for a long time, not daring to speak. The wound hurt so much, she couldn't even think about getting out of bed.
Before long, the two babies were brought in, clean and fresh. Aurora's heart melted as she looked at the tiny children.
"Why do they both look like you? They don't look like me at all," Aurora grumbled, a bit displeased that both kids had features resembling John.
"They haven't fully developed yet. Once they do, they might look like you," John said, touching their tiny hands, which were small and smooth. He was a bit cautious, afraid of hurting the babies.
Aurora smiled at her two children, feeling that the pain was worth it.
"Have you decided on the names?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Yes, they're Trey and Jax," John replied.
Aurora couldn't help but raise her hand to slap John lightly. "How can you be so casual about it?" she scolded, though her tone was playful. John had been quite enthusiastic when he thought it was going to be daughters before.
Aurora's effort caused her to pull at the wound on her stomach, making her gasp in pain.
"Aurora, are you okay?" John quickly tried to soothe her. "Don't get angry. Grandpa picked the names. Trey and Jax are just nicknames for convenience."
Aurora rolled her eyes at John, not wanting to talk to him.
Lori and Ava, hearing that Aurora had woken up, knocked on the door from outside. "Aurora, I'm coming in," Lori called.
The door opened, and Lori and Ava came in.
Aurora hadn't known Lori was coming. She hadn't seen Lori and Ava for months and was overjoyed to see them suddenly.
"Lori, Ava," Aurora greeted them softly, not daring to move too much.
"Aurora, does giving birth hurt a lot?" Lori asked, noticing Aurora's pale face. She sighed and continued, "They made such a long incision on your belly and took out 11 pounds. It must hurt. By the way, will there be a scar? If there is, it will look bad. I heard the stomach will be loose afterward. Aurora, you've already had the baby, why is your stomach still so big..."
What was supposed to be a joyful event now seemed a bit scary to Aurora after Lori's comments.
John's face darkened. He stepped forward and interrupted, "Lori, are you here to see Aurora or to upset her?"
Lori smiled innocently. "I'm here to see Aurora," she said. "I'm just curious, asking."
John shot back with a stern face. "If you're curious, have a baby yourself and experience it."
Lori pouted, "John, why are you being so petty? Aurora hasn't even said anything."
Aurora winced as she held her wound and spoke softly, "I want to talk, but the wound hurts."
Aurora's stomach was indeed still large, like it was bloated, and the skin was loose. It would take a while to recover, and she was worried it might not, leaving her with a big belly.
Ava took a closer look at the babies and remarked, "They're so adorable, Aurora. I brought a little something for the kids. Please accept these." She handed Aurora two delicate little boxes.
"Ava, that's so thoughtful of you. Thank you from the kids," Aurora said, accepting the gifts with a smile. She and John then glanced at Lori, as if to say, "Where's your gift?"
Lori shot a glare at Ava and muttered, "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing gifts? I didn't get anything."
Ava replied, "I assumed you had something prepared."
John spoke softly, "Lori, where's your gesture?"
Lori hesitated, "I didn't prepare anything today, maybe next time..."
Aurora smiled. "We accept bank transfers."
"You're all a bunch of vampires," Lori grumbled, pulling out her phone. She turned to Ava, "How much did your gifts cost?"
Ava began, "I cost..."
Before Ava could finish, Aurora interrupted, "Lori, that's Ava's gesture. You're the kids' aunt. How can you be stingy, right?"
Lori felt a bit hurt and muttered, "I can already see my future during holidays, working hard all year just to be drained by your four sons."
Lori transferred $200,000 to Aurora on the spot. This amount wasn't much for Lori.
Aurora accepted it with a smile and teased, "Then you should hurry up and get married and have kids. I'll be sure to spoil them with gifts."
Lori laughed, "I'd have to have quadruplets to catch up with you. On second thought, forget it. Raising kids is too expensive. John nearly went bankrupt with just the twins. I'll save my money for my retirement," she said, shivering at the thought of four kids and imagining her belly bursting.
Aurora turned to John. "Did you declare bankruptcy?"
John replied, "When the sons were born, I had someone declare it."
Aurora frowned, "How much do you owe now? Can we sell the gifts to pay it off?"
Lori's eyes widened. This couple really knew how to do business.
John thought for a moment and shook his head, "Not even close. You just rest. I'll figure out the money."
Aurora glanced at her two sons sleeping in the crib. Bankruptcy didn't matter; families were the most important.
John's reminder made Lori remember something. She raised an eyebrow. "Aurora, when is John going to do that striptease?"
Lori had been tricked before and honored her bet by confessing to Todd. Now Aurora had to keep her promise too.
"He has to do it, for sure." Aurora smiled at John, even more eager than Lori to see John strip. "How about doing a striptease in a suit? That would be classy."
John felt a bit helpless, knowing he couldn't escape this.
Lori snapped her fingers and pressed. "I agree with you. When's it happening? I can't wait."
Aurora was about to respond when John quickly interjected, "Honey, we just went bankrupt. If I do a striptease, people will think I've lost my mind. Let's put this off for now."
Lori rolled her eyes and groaned, "John, you're such a cheat. I honored my bet and confessed to Todd on the spot, making him think I really liked him..."
Before she could finish her rant, the door creaked open. Everyone's heads snapped toward it. Todd, fresh back from Aetheria, stood in the doorway.
He had heard every word Lori said. The room fell into an awkward silence.
Lori and Todd locked eyes. Todd's face darkened, anger etched into his features as if a storm was brewing.
Lori felt a pang of guilt, her eyes nervously darting around the room.
Aurora and John exchanged a quick glance, and Aurora quickly found an excuse to change the subject. "Honey, don't you think the boys need to be fed? How about making some formula?"
"On it," John replied, grateful for the excuse to escape the charged atmosphere.
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