Chapter 54 Preparing for Pregnancy
Douglas felt he might be hallucinating at one moment. He remained silent, gazing at her for a while. Regina knew it was audacious of her to ask, as it seemed having a child was merely a task to fulfill Tasha's wish, not an expression of her love for him.
As Regina snapped back to reality, she heard his deep voice, "The decision is yours. If you're willing, I'll go along, even if it's just to fulfill a task." Let him be a pawn in this task, he didn't mind.
Douglas saw through her concerns, but he didn't accuse or blame her. Regina looked up at him, seeing his serious and focused expression. She felt she should be somewhat moved.
Regina tiptoed, leaning towards his lips. It seemed she wanted to try something. However, her move was somewhat awkward. It's rare to see her take the initiative like that. Douglas felt desire surging through him like a tide, but he gazed at her quietly. Regina touched his lips, gave a gentle kiss, and then withdrew. Regina felt her heart beating fast.
In Douglas's deep eyes, he saw her blushing face.
His warm fingertips lightly brushed her red lips with a tone that was both playful and serious. "Mrs. Semona, a kiss won't make you pregnant."
Regina lowered her head and said softly, "I know." She wasn't stupid.
Douglas chuckled quietly, not saying or doing more. She hadn't slept well during her time at the hospital. Now, she was tired and weak, unable to withstand anymore. He was even afraid she might faint. He rubbed her head and said, "Go take a shower and rest." Regina agreed and slowly made her way to the bathroom.
After showering and lying down, Regina didn't expect to fall asleep so quickly. In the study, Douglas held the red hair tie, lost in his thoughts.
On Friday, Charles came to the Century Group to find Douglas, a rare sight.
"I've been here several times this week. Where have you been?" Charles placed a thick bid proposal on Douglas's desk and said, "Many companies are preparing to bid for the Azure Gateway Bridge project. Douglas, can you help me?"
There was a sea between the cities of Oriant and Mekal. To facilitate their integration, the government decided to build a cross-sea bridge, with both governments contributing to the total investment of $10 billion. Charles didn't hide his ambition to win this project.
Douglas ignored him, his gaze still on the data on the computer screen. Charles sighed deeply, "If I can't get this project, my father will definitely kick me out of the house."
The Rodriguez family was an old money, now in its fourth generation with Charles. Charles was known for his unrestrained behavior, especially when it came to relationships, with no bottom line or limit.
He never had a steady girlfriend. Not long ago, a girl even claimed she was pregnant with Charles's child and demanded that he take responsibility. Although Charles swore that he couldn't have made such a basic mistake and got someone pregnant, he was still severely beaten by his father. If he failed to secure the Azure Gateway Bridge project, he would face even harsher punishments.
The Rodriguez family was strong, but this time, their biggest competitor was the Heyday Group of the Sterling family.
"Losing to Philip isn't a disgrace, but..." Charles paused as he noticed Douglas, who had been staring at the computer screen, slowly lifting his head to glance at him.
"What did you say?"
"I said..." Charles hesitated, sensing something off about Douglas. So his mind raced, trying to figure out which sentence caught Douglas's attention. Suddenly, Philip's name popped into his head.
Last time at the Peace Club, he overheard Jason reporting something about Philip to Douglas over the phone. This time, he just casually mentioned Philip's name, and Douglas's mood became "sensitive," his face turning as cold as ice. So he had been paying attention to Philip. What did Philip do to upset him?
With this in mind, Charles said, "The Heyday Group is also bidding for this project, and Philip is in charge. I heard he will gain a lot if he gets this project." Charles knew quite a bit about the Sterling family. After all, they were both prestigious families in Oriant, belonging to the same class, and their social circles intersected. Although he didn't have much private contact with Philip, some information always found its way to his ears like wings.
"Philip has a half-brother from the same father. Their father groomed his older brother as the heir from a young age. He's a good person, mature, stable, and with strong work abilities. Their father has always valued his older brother. So if Philip can get this project, it should make their father pay more attention to him."
Douglas remained expressionless, lightly tapping the desktop with his clean fingertips. Charles saw and quickly handed him a cigarette. Douglas didn't take the cigarette. He said, "I'm quitting smoking."
Douglas didn't have a strong addiction to smoking, let alone the need to quit.
"Why do you want to quit smoking?"
Douglas's calm tone carried an unmistakable sense of satisfaction as he said, "We're preparing for a baby."
Charles could hardly believe it. "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Charles knew he had fallen in love, and it was the kind that was almost drowning.
Douglas glanced at the time, then lazily took the bid proposal off the table.
"Douglas, I really want to get this project, but if you can't help me, I won't blame you," Charles said casually. "The worst result is that Philip will take this project." At that time, Douglas didn't say anything, and Charles thought there was really no hope for this matter.
The next day, he received a message with the number of a private room in a certain five-star hotel. Douglas had actually arranged for the person in charge of the tender for this project to meet him.
The other party was not only polite to him but also said that the company recommended by Mr. Semona would definitely be in their top consideration. Charles thought that there must be a deep hatred between Douglas and Philip. Otherwise, he wouldn't be putting so much effort into causing trouble for Philip.
