Chapter 1095 Nurturing the Fetus
"Ms. Watkins, what's wrong?" the servant asked anxiously, noticing Jane's pale face.
"Nothing," Jane replied uneasily, sitting back on the sofa. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was some kind of omen.
Her rational side suggested that the TV show was just a coincidence, but emotionally, she couldn't get past it.
Jane felt she couldn't just sit and wait for things to happen.
She touched her belly. Although the baby wasn't what she had expected, it was still her child, and she needed to plan for him.
The more Jane thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, especially considering how common stepfathers and stepmothers are in this wealthy circle.
"Ms. Watkins, Mrs. Clark has sent soup again," the servant said, returning from outside with a thermos.
"Who sent it?" Jane asked.
She noticed the servant's wording. Previously, the soup had been sent by servants from the Clark Manor, and the servant hadn't specifically mentioned it.
But this time, she said it was Mrs. Clark.
"It was Mrs. Clark herself," the servant replied.
"I'll go see her." Jane changed into outdoor slippers, and the servant quickly grabbed a coat to drape over her.
In the past, the servants would have been worried about Jane meeting Ann, knowing her ill intentions; but over the past month, Ann's goodwill towards Jane had become quite obvious.
Ann stood outside the Emerald Gardens villa with a Hermes bag, accompanied by a servant holding an umbrella for her.
A very standard display of a wealthy lady.
Ann looked a bit surprised when she saw Jane come out, her gaze quickly moving from Jane's face to her swollen belly.
Four months into her pregnancy, Jane's belly was already quite noticeable, not very large, but clearly showing.
"How many months now?" Ann's smile was a bit awkward. She was clearly not pleased with Jane but liked the baby Jane was carrying.
Jane felt a pang of doubt, 'Didn't Ann not want this baby? What had changed her mind?'
"Four months," Jane replied coolly.
Ann's eyes lit up with excitement. "So, just over five months to go. I asked Anthony how many months you were pregnant, but he wouldn't tell me."
Anthony's guarded attitude towards Ann was obvious, which was why he was resolute in not letting Ann see Jane privately.
"Mrs. Clark, if you have something to say, just say it," Jane said, not wanting to beat around the bush with Ann, not even bothering with pleasantries.
Ann took a step forward but quickly noticed the wary looks from Jane and the servant beside her, so she stopped.
Then she just said, "Jane, I'm still of the same opinion: I hope you can come to the Clark Manor to rest during your pregnancy."
Jane frowned, not directly addressing the topic. "I heard you've been inviting Delilah to the Clark Manor frequently. Don't you think it's inappropriate to bring me there, too?"
Jane's words carried a hint of sarcasm.
Ann didn't seem embarrassed, just puzzled about how Jane knew about Delilah.
Ann had been inviting Delilah over to create opportunities for her and Anthony, but Anthony was like a block of wood, not even meeting Delilah. With no other option, Ann had to refocus her attention on Jane.
"Jane, if you come to the Clark Manor to rest, I won't invite Delilah anymore." Ann had already made up her mind. "You should know that having the baby at the Clark Manor is different from having it elsewhere."
For the child, the status would be different.
If the baby was born at the Clark Manor, even if she didn't marry Anthony, the child would be recognized and expected by the Clark family and Ann as the grandmother. Once the baby was born, people wouldn't dare to look down on him.
From another perspective, for Ann, watching her grandchild grow would create a stronger bond than if the child suddenly appeared.
A sense of being involved was something that people hold in high regard.
Jane suddenly had a suspicion. 'So, she called Anthony back recently with an ulterior motive, didn't she?'
Calling Anthony back and leaving her alone at Emerald Gardens, Ann probably thought this would make Jane feel a sense of crisis and loneliness.
Then, forcing Jane to compromise and return to the Clark Manor.
Although Jane was now considering compromising, her reasons were different from Ann's, but the result was the same. Ann would almost get what she wanted.
"I'll think about it," Jane replied.
As soon as she said this, Ann's eyes lit up.
"Jane, are you agreeing?" Ann said. "Don't worry, even though I don't like you, the baby is still my grandchild."
Jane rolled her eyes internally, thinking, 'You don't need to emphasize that you don't like me to seem magnanimous; I don't like you either.'
Jane said she needed time to think and then dismissed Ann.
Ann couldn't enter the Emerald Gardens villa and could only watch Jane's pregnant belly from a distance as Jane disappeared into the house.
"Why did she suddenly change her mind?" Jane asked the servant beside her.
These servants were not ordinary; they had been carefully selected by Anthony to be by Jane's side and naturally had their own strengths, such as being well-informed.
The servant thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Mrs. Clark was mocked by her rivals for not having grandchildren. I guess that might be part of the reason. Besides, Ms. Watkins, the baby you are carrying is still Mrs. Clark's grandchild. What she said before might have been out of anger. Grandmothers always love their grandchildren."
Indeed, Anthony was almost thirty. At this age, other people's sons already had children, some even on their second. Ann had high hopes for Aurora's child before, and the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Now, Ann's focus on Jane's baby was understandable.
Since the baby couldn't be aborted, it was better to accept it, which would also prevent Ann and Anthony from becoming estranged.
That was Ann's plan.
Anthony came back earlier that day, probably because Ann had gone out and couldn't pretend to be sick anymore.
"Anthony, I want to discuss something with you," Jane said as he took off his coat.
"Go ahead," Anthony said indifferently.
"Your mother invited me to the Clark Manor to rest during my pregnancy. What do you think?"
Anthony paused while rolling up his sleeves. "Jane, what I think doesn't matter. What matters is what you want."
To Anthony, this matter depended entirely on Jane's attitude.
"I think it's worth considering," she replied.
According to Ann, if she went to the Clark Manor to rest, Anthony wouldn't interact much with Delilah, which would ease half of her worries from the previous night.
Additionally, if the baby was born at the Clark Manor, his status would be higher.
Not having a legitimate status was already a significant guilt Jane felt towards the baby.
"What made you change your mind suddenly?" Anthony was surprised.
Although he had vaguely guessed Jane's attitude when she asked about resting at the Clark Manor, he was still surprised.
"I hope that after I leave, this baby will have not only his father's love but also his grandmother's."
Getting married might make a dad a "stepdad," but you didn't often hear about grandmas undergoing the same transformation.
This was another layer of protection Jane wanted to give the baby.
"Jane!" Anthony's tone suddenly became severe, and even his gaze turned cold.
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