As the heir to the Lin family, he was a child of fortune, yet the only two times he had stumbled in life, both were because of this woman, Clara.

Had he been too lenient with her?

Was that why she dared to scheme against him so recklessly?

Eva cried, "Clara, I never thought you were this kind of person. A child should be the crystallization of two people in love. Why would you turn a little life into a pawn to scheme against others?"

Clara opened her mouth; the explanation reached her lips but couldn't come out.

Her hands were clasped tightly together.

No!

No!

She had never treated the child as a tool; no one cherished the baby in her womb more than she did.

In the car.

"You are too careless. Why didn't you tell me something as important as being pregnant? If the maid hadn't seen the pregnancy test in the trash and told me, and if anything had happened to the eldest grandson of our Lin family, I would never have forgiven it."

Clara was startled, only then realizing.

The maid at home was sent by Zhao Yun to look after them; she was Zhao Yun’s person.

The test she had thrown in the trash had been seen by the maid, which was how Zhao Yun found out about her pregnancy.

Zhao Yun tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't go back to the suburban villa. Come back to the ancestral home with me. Men... how many women they have outside is just for play. The child is the most important thing, so you just need to take good care of our Lin family’s eldest grandson. Whatever Julian does outside, just be broad-minded about it."

She was only helping Clara for the sake of the child in her belly. If Clara was confused and, while pregnant, went to fight for favor against Eva and ended up hurting the child, she would absolutely not permit it.

Clara bit her lip and gave a bitter smile.

All her mother-in-law cared about was the child in her womb.

Chapter 8: Eva is Pregnant with My Child

Clara complied with Zhao Yun’s arrangements and returned to the Lin family’s ancestral home.

She had no other choice. Julian wanted a divorce and, even more so, did not want the child she was carrying; she was unsure of what Julian might do.

Even if Zhao Yun was not protecting her out of genuine affection, she was the only one Clara could rely on for now.

"Just focus on resting for the baby, and let the maids handle everything else," Zhao Yun said with a smile, adding, "Since this is your first time being a mother, I’m still a bit uneasy. Tomorrow, I’ll have the butler take you to the hospital for a detailed check-up."

Clara was startled and shook her head like a rattle. "No, no." Seeing Zhao Yun’s brow furrow, Clara realized her lapse in composure. She took a deep breath and said, "I just had a check-up recently. The doctor said the baby is very healthy. Besides, I’m a bit afraid of hospitals; I can’t sleep well for a long time after each visit. The doctor told me that for now, I need plenty of rest."

Zhao Yun looked at Clara deeply, but finally, she did not insist.

Watching Zhao Yun leave, Clara slumped onto the edge of the bed.

Zhao Yun wanted a healthy grandson. If she went to the hospital for a check-up, her own medical condition would be exposed.

She wasn't sure if Zhao Yun would continue to shield her then.

So, she couldn't afford to take that risk.

Over the next few months, Clara lived the most sheltered life possible. She thought this peaceful existence would last until the baby was born. But that evening, at the dinner table, she saw someone she never expected.

"Julian, why are you here?"

Julian walked in wearing a dark gray suit and black leather shoes. He raised an eyebrow and said, "This is the Lin residence. If we’re being technical, you’re the outsider here."

It was his home; he could come whenever he wished.

Lin Hao and Zhao Yun were already seated. Zhao Yun beckoned to Clara, who was standing stiffly. "Clara, why are you just standing there? This is your husband. Come over and sit for dinner."

"Mom, there’s already someone in the seat next to me." Julian turned and walked in, holding Eva’s hand.

Although Zhao Yun looked displeased, she said nothing, and Clara sat down opposite the two of them.

Delicious food was spread before her, but it tasted like wax.

Julian’s presence made her deeply uneasy.

"Eva, this is your favorite."

"Eva, this is nutritious."

Julian tenderly picked out food for Eva, who smiled bashfully.

Such a harmonious scene, yet Clara found it incredibly grating.

The baby in her womb seemed to feel her emotional fluctuations and shifted. She reached out to touch her belly, feeling dejected.

Baby, I’m sorry. He is clearly your father, yet he is only gentle toward someone else.

He hated her, and by extension, he hated the baby in her womb. Her baby was destined to never receive a father’s love, not even after birth.

She felt incredibly bitter inside.

"Julian, Clara is quite far along now. You are the father; you should show her some concern as well," Zhao Yun said.

"Ugh!"

Eva threw up the food she had just eaten.

Zhao Yun frowned in displeasure. "Do you have some grievance against me, and are doing this on purpose?"

Eva shook her head. "No, Auntie, you’ve misunderstood me."

"Mom, Eva is pregnant with my child."

Julian’s single sentence felt like a bomb dropped into a calm lake.

Chapter 9: It’s a Boy

"You... what did you say?"

"Auntie, the doctor said the baby is three months along!" Eva glanced at Clara from the corner of her eye, then lowered her head, acting submissive. "They said... it’s a boy."

A boy!

Zhao Yun’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked at Clara’s stomach.

Clara had been pregnant for five months, but because she had been unwilling to go to the hospital for check-ups, no one knew the gender of her child.

"Dad, Mom, Eva is carrying my child. I cannot let my child be an illegitimate one. I want to marry Eva and bring her home immediately."

Lin Hao frowned and said nothing.

Clara was merely an orphan. The only reason they had agreed to let Julian marry her back then was that she was already pregnant. Who would have known that the child, who was perfectly fine and nearing birth, would end up lost?

"I know Clara is also carrying Julian’s child. In this matter, Julian and I have truly failed Clara. The doctor said that a round belly like hers means it’s a girl. Once the baby is born, she will be the big sister, and I will treat her as if she were my own. Julian and I have discussed it—we will provide Clara with a large sum of money as alimony. Clara, will you please let us be?"

Eva stepped forward and grabbed Clara’s hands, but in a spot where no one else could see, she sneered: "Clara, you snatched my position and made me suffer. Don’t worry, I will get it all back from your child."

After saying this, Eva turned and leaned tenderly into Julian’s arms, saying, "Julian, isn't that right?"

"Eva, you are just too kind. I never intended to marry her in the first place. If you hadn't left to let her be, we would have been married years ago." Julian said, "But since Eva has spoken, here is this check. You can fill in whatever amount you want."

Clara felt her whole body trembling. She looked at Zhao Yun instinctively. "Mom..."

"Feelings are a matter between two people, after all. It takes two hands to clap. Clara, I am fond of you too, but I cannot dictate the feelings of you young people. Being forcibly bound together doesn't necessarily lead to happiness."

Clara’s hand, which had been reaching out, stiffened.

Eva looked up from Julian’s embrace, a trace of triumph on her lips as she watched her.

If even Zhao Yun wouldn't help her, what would happen to the baby in her womb? Eva would not let her child go.

Clara’s mind was a mess. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her brain, and she blurted out: "No, you cannot possibly be pregnant. When you had your miscarriage abroad, you damaged your uterus. The doctor said you wouldn't be able to conceive again."

Clara suddenly remembered that her classmate abroad had told her that after Eva went overseas, she had lived a wild life, had several abortions, and later, when she was with that boy named Alex, after an accidental miscarriage, the doctor had essentially passed a life sentence on her fertility.

Because of her frequent abortions, her uterus was damaged, making it impossible for her to get pregnant in the future.