She pouted, rushing to hug me.
With a look of grievance, she said, "Don't take what I said yesterday to heart. I didn't mean it!"
I retorted unkindly, "You didn't mean it? Come on, you totally meant it. You're just explaining yourself, and explanations are just lies."
I deliberately exposed her, "Deep down, you thought I would favor Trinity. Honestly, if you tap into your conscience and ask yourself about it, you'll know I've been quite lenient toward you."
Ivanna whispered, "I know you're good to me, but I feel like it's different with Jared this time."
"I told Atlas that if he could contact Jared, I'd ask him to call you. But even Atlas can't reach him right now. So just relax and wait for a message from him. That's your best option right now," I said bluntly, heedless of whether she could accept it.
"If you love him, you need to make some sacrifices, especially in times like these. You can’t appear to be irrational and make him feel like you're unreasonable or just causing trouble for the sake of it. You should use your generosity to shake his perception," I lectured her.
"Okay," Ivanna said. She seemed subdued and did not challenge my advice.
"Now, let's go downstairs for breakfast, then we'll go to the hospital to hear what the doctor says. I’m sure we'll be relieved once we know what’s going on," I instructed her gently.
She obediently followed me downstairs like a child.
Downstairs, Lauren had prepared breakfast. We wanted to eat together, but Ivanna had bouts of nausea again. As I watched her, I felt a pang of sympathy. Her symptoms seemed more severe than when I was pregnant with Ava.
After throwing up, she looked tired as she wiped her face and complained, "If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have done it!"
Lauren and I chuckled.
Lauren said gently, "You should keep the baby. We can all raise it together. It's a wonderful idea. If I had one, I'd keep it no matter what. It'll be like you have a mini version of yourself. Look at Ava. Isn't she adorable?"
Ivanna was momentarily stunned.
Just as we walked out of the gynecology corridor, we ran into Liora in the lobby. She was accompanied by a middle-aged woman, and was probably there to pick up some medication.
Her right hand was in a sling and a cast, hanging around her neck, and her face looked pale. It looked like she hadn't slept well last night. I could easily imagine the pain of a broken wrist.
She scowled and said something sharply to the woman following her.
Coincidentally, the three of us walked over, and her voice attracted my attention. When I saw her, I snorted and muttered, "Looks like we really are destined rivals."
Lauren looked over as well, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Liora's arm.
Before Lauren could speak, Liora sensed us and looked in our direction.
She suddenly raised her head, saw us, and erupted angrily. She pushed away the person following her and headed straight for me...
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