After leaving the detective agency, Astrid received a call from Emily. She took a taxi and slept for half an hour during the ride. If the driver hadn't told her they arrived, she wouldn't have woken up. She was jet-lagged and hadn't slept all night, so her head was spinning. She paid the driver and got out of the car.
Emily was already waiting for her at the entrance of the residential area. When she saw Astrid, she ran over immediately.
"Astrid, you heartless person!
You slipped away while I was drunk last night. Little Uncle said you met someone you knew. Tell me quickly, who is more important than me?" Emily had a cute face with chubby cheeks and big round eyes. She pouted and looked even cuter.
Astrid couldn't help but pinch her cheek and said with a teasing tone, "How could that bastard be more important than lovely Emy? You're the person I love the most, my dear sister."
Although they had been apart for three years, their relationship was still as good as before. They entered the residential area laughing and joking. Emily took Astrid to her apartment, which had two bedrooms and a living room. The lighting was very good, and there was a large balcony.
"How about it? My little nest is not bad, right? I bought it with my saved pocket money." Emily raised her chin proudly, waiting for Astrid's praise.
"Well, it's really nice, but why did my Miss Emily suddenly move out of the big villa and come to live in an apartment? Are you tired of living in the villa?" Astrid asked. Emily's face immediately changed, and she snorted, "I had a fight with my dad and moved out. He's over fifty years old and found a woman who is even younger than me to bring home. What's worse, that woman says one thing in front of me and another behind my back. She bullied me and then pretended to be pitiful in front of my dad, saying that I hit her. My dad didn't care about the truth and scolded me, telling me to leave!"
Astrid looked surprised thinking Mr. Taylor who doted on his daughter would have that kind of reaction. Hopefully he will come around.
Astrid couldn't help but comfort Emily.
Emily's eyes were teary, and she clenched her fists tightly. Astrid hugged her and comforted her. It was really difficult for every family. She leaned on Astrid's shoulder and cried for more than ten minutes before finally stopping. Her tears and snot were all over Astrid's clothes.
At first, Astrid didn't't notice, but when she looked closely, she was surprised to see Emily's red eyes. "Wow, Astrid, you've struck it rich! The dress you're wearing is a limited edition Chanel, worth tens of thousands!"
Astrid's eyes flickered, not wanting to bring up Ethan Thompson. So she just said "high imitation" and then pretended to have a headache, changing the subject.
Emily took her to one of the rooms, which was decorated in a very cute style with pink everywhere. "Isn't it pretty? I started decorating it the day I found out you were coming back to China."
Astrid was deeply moved and turned around to give her friend a big hug. "The accommodation fee..."
As soon as she mentioned money, Emily glared at her angrily. "Astrid, it's too formal between us to talk about money! If you mention it again, I'll use my fists to punch you." She said, pinching her small fists and hitting Astrid's chest twice.
The two of them played around for a while, but Emily could see the fatigue in Astrid's eyes and said, "Why don't you rest for a while? Jet lag can be painful."
After she left the room, Astrid lay down on the bed and was soon fast asleep. She slept until the next morning.
After a good night's sleep, Astrid felt refreshed and energized after taking a shower.
Emily had brought her luggage here earlier, and she found a white shirt and jeans to wear. She buttoned the shirt all the way up to cover the hickey on her neck, without needing to wear a scarf.
Even if it was just a simple shirt and jeans, it looked especially good on Astrid's curvy body.
Emily had gone to work early and left her a message, telling her that there was a dumpling shop outside the community that served delicious dumplings.
Astrid liked to cook, but Emily didn't know how to cook at all. Her kitchen was just for show, with no pots, pans, or utensils. The fridge was filled with drinks and fruit, and even if Astrid wanted to cook, there were no ingredients.
Grabbing her phone, Astrid closed the door and went downstairs. Before she even left the complex, she received a call from the private detective she had hired.
"Miss Green, the person you asked me to follow went to the hospital today. Do you want to come over?"
Astrid's heart skipped a beat. Excitedly, she asked, "Which hospital did she go to? Tell me quickly, I'll go there now."
"XX Hospital, on Qingnian Road."
Astrid ran out of the complex and hailed a taxi on the street. She didn't hang up the phone and, after getting off the taxi, she bought a mask and met the detective named Paget at the hospital.
"She went into the doctor's office and should be coming out soon."
Sure enough, not long after, Astrid saw a familiar face hiding around the corner. Four years had passed, but Ava Moreno's carefully maintained face had not changed much.
She smiled and put her hand on her belly, gently stroking it. It was a gentle gesture that Astrid had never seen before.
Her heart felt sour, and she forced back the tears in her eyes.
Carefully following Ava, Astrid saw her enter an ultrasound room. She quietly pushed the door open and looked inside, but there was a curtain blocking her view.
At this point, a nurse noticed her and said, "Miss, someone is having an examination in there. You need to leave and wait until you're called."
Astrid had no choice but to leave. But just as she turned around, she heard Ava Moreno's voice from behind the curtain. "Doctor, can you hear the baby's heartbeat now?"
"Yes, I can. Let me play it for you."
As soon as the doctor spoke, a strong heartbeat could be heard, the sound of "thump, thump" echoing through the room. Astrid stood still, shocked. Ava was pregnant!
It took her a while to calm down after Ava left the ultrasound room.
Ava Moreno didn't even notice the girl standing in the corner with her head down when she came out. She happily looked at the ultrasound report and then took out her phone. "Godfrey, I just had an ultrasound. I'm really pregnant. You're going to be a dad."
"Godfrey, I'm carrying the Thompson family's child now. Can I enter your family's door this time? It's been Four. I don't want to be pointed at anymore. Godfrey, I need a status, and the child in my belly needs it too."
Astrid didn't know what was said on the other end of the phone. Ava smiled and hung up the phone. She looked at the ultrasound report again and muttered to herself, "It must be a boy. Everything in the Thompson family will belong to us then."
After Ava Moreno left, Astrid slowly raised her head. The face under the mask was full of bitter laughter.
Four years ago, she tried to stop her mother from marrying Godfrey Thompson as revenge, but she only delayed it for four years.
Now, her mother was pregnant, and with the child in her belly, she would smoothly enter the Thompson family and become the enviable Mrs. Thompson .
Should she continue to stop it?
But how could she stop it? Her grandmother was still being hidden by her mother, and she didn't want to provoke Ethan Thompson again.
She was young and ignorant, using Ethan Thompson as a pawn. Even after four years, he still remembered the grudge, and merely recalling the incidence of that night almost made her legs give out