Chapter 423 My Darling
Aurora had been pregnant before, so she knew Lori's symptoms of drowsiness and nausea were classic signs of pregnancy.
But Lori didn't have a boyfriend, so who could she be pregnant with?
It had been months since Lori had that fling with Todd, and the timing didn't add up.
Aurora hadn't seen any signs of Lori and Todd being together recently, so she didn't think much of it.
"You might have caught a cold. The weather's been all over the place lately. Take care of yourself, and I'll come see you when I'm done here."
"Don't worry, I'm as strong as an ox. I've never had any health issues," Lori said, staring at the ceiling with a hint of frustration. "I think I'm lovesick. Ava's been gone for so long, and I can't eat or sleep."
Aurora chuckled and teased, "I think when Ava gets back, you two should just go abroad and get married."
Lori's eyes lit up with a mischievous grin. "Now that's an idea. I can handle both men and women. Life's too short."
"Alright, I have to get back to work. You keep yourself busy with your calligraphy."
Aurora ended the video call and was about to inventory the store's stock when Todd walked in.
Aurora joked, "Well, look who decided to drop by. What brings you to my store?"
The store had been open for a while, and this was Todd's first visit.
"Aurora, don't say it like that," Todd said, glancing around at the store's decor and the jewelry in the display cases. "Aurora, this is quite a career change for you. Your major was translation. What made you decide to go into business?"
"The Smith family is in the film industry, and you ended up in the underworld," Aurora replied. "Just get to the point. Don't beat around the bush."
Aurora didn't believe for a second that Todd was just there to look around.
Todd leaned against the jewelry case, hesitating. "Aurora, there's a big singles event tonight. Could you come with me and help out? It'll be fun."
"A singles event?" Aurora narrowed her eyes. "There's got to be a catch."
"Aurora, come on. What bad intentions could I have? Just come and help me out. Is that too much to ask?"
"No way!" Aurora refused flatly. "I'm going to check on Lori tonight. She's not feeling well. You go to your singles event by yourself."
Aurora couldn't figure out Lori and Todd's relationship. They didn't seem in a hurry, so there was no point in others worrying about them.
Aurora decided to stay out of it and just watch things unfold.
Todd scoffed, "She's as strong as an ox. What could be wrong with her? She was in the water for so long before, and nothing happened to her."
Aurora smiled knowingly at Todd. "You two really are in sync. You say the same things."
Todd asked casually, "What's wrong with her?"
Aurora continued polishing the jewelry. "Nausea, dry heaving, drowsiness."
With each symptom Aurora listed, Todd's expression grew more intense.
"Aurora, where's Lori?" Todd's tone was urgent.
"She's at home, practicing calligraphy."
As soon as Aurora finished speaking, Todd was out the door.
He ran so fast. Could Lori really be in trouble?
"Aurora, we just closed two more deals. They'll come pick up the goods this afternoon," Sophia said, walking over and taking a sip of water, looking very satisfied. "I think I'm a genius. I have such a knack for sales. By the way, didn't we get new stock? Take some pictures, and I'll post them online. We might sell a few more items."
"Absolutely. My Sophia is a lucky star, bringing in the money," Aurora said casually. "With your popularity in the socialite and fashion circles, if we did live streams, we'd make a fortune."
"That's a great idea," Sophia said, slapping her forehead. "Aurora, we should do a live stream together. Our looks alone would attract fans, and with our status, we'd have a huge audience."
Aurora laughed. "We'd become famous influencers in no time."
"Definitely," Sophia said, clasping her hands together, dreaming. "The CEO of the Lewis Group's wife is doing live streams. That would be a huge draw."
Aurora flicked Sophia's forehead. "You're getting smarter by the day."
"Aurora, I can already see the money rolling in," Sophia said, looking like a money-grubber.
"I thought you didn't care about money?"
"That's different. Now I'm earning my own money. Before, it was just my family giving me money," Sophia said, her face falling. "My dad plans to step down and hand the company over to Andrew, that jerk. He never liked me. He'll definitely make things hard for me, cut off my allowance, maybe even kick me out. I'll be homeless. It's a nightmare."
Despite her words, Sophia remained optimistic.
Sophia clenched her fists, determined. "I'm the Garcia family's little princess. I won't lose to that jerk. I'll make more money and be more successful than him."
Sophia always called Andrew a jerk. Aurora had never heard her refer to him as her brother.
They had been at odds for years, always bickering.
As they chatted, a commotion erupted outside the store.
Aurora and Sophia were curious and peeked outside.
Five men of varying sizes were dressed in pink ballet tutus, performing a ballet routine.
The men wore half-face feather masks.
Their ridiculous outfits and dance moves drew a crowd, who laughed heartily.
Sophia burst out laughing. "That's the ugliest swan I've ever seen."
The men were of different heights and builds. Aurora noticed the one in the middle had a somewhat normal physique. "He looks familiar."
As they danced, the swans moved into the store, surrounding Sophia.
Sophia laughed so hard she doubled over, which only made the men dance more energetically.
Up close, Aurora recognized the man in the middle. It was Leo.
He was really going all out to win over Sophia.
Sophia hadn't recognized him yet, still laughing. "Aurora, look how funny this is. There's even one with a beer belly. The one in the middle is the only decent-looking one."
Aurora didn't say anything, just watched the show.
When the dance ended, Leo and the others lined up and took a bow, then removed their masks, smiling brightly. "Sophia, you finally smiled. You look beautiful when you smile."
Seeing it was Leo, Sophia stopped laughing.
"Why is it you? Are you crazy? Dressed like this, dancing so badly. If someone takes a video and posts it online, you'll be a laughingstock."
Leo didn't care. "I don't mind as long as it makes you happy."
"I'm not happy. Go change your clothes, now," Sophia said, pushing Leo to change.
...
Todd rushed to Lori's place, so excited his hand trembled as he rang the doorbell.
Nausea, dry heaving, drowsiness. Was he going to be a dad?
John had given him a month. Was it finally happening?
No one answered the door, so Todd couldn't wait any longer and climbed in through the window.
No one was downstairs. Todd heard noises from upstairs and hurried up.
In the training room, Lori had changed into workout clothes and was punching a heavy bag. Calligraphy wasn't her style; she preferred boxing.
Lori's punches and kicks were powerful and precise.
Todd followed the sounds to the training room. When he opened the door and saw Lori working out so intensely, his heart nearly stopped.
Lori kicked the heavy bag, sending it flying.
"Lori!"
Todd's heart was in his throat, his eyes fixed on Lori's stomach. He rushed over, looking worried. "My darling!"
Lori was so surprised by Todd's sudden appearance that she didn't react. The heavy bag swung back and knocked Todd to the ground.
Todd saw stars.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
