Chapter 259: My Great-grandson Is Naturally Outstanding in Every Way

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: My Great-grandson Is Naturally Outstanding in Every Way

Jean Fanning’s back suddenly stiffened. She met his gaze, a faint trace of mockery in her eyes.

"I’m not in the habit of eavesdropping on other people’s arguments."

Terrence Lloyd narrowed his eyes, staring at her intently for several seconds before closing them and ordering her away with an impatient, deep voice.

"Go. And don’t go over there again."

Jean Fanning saw Mother Lloyd into the car, then turned and instructed the driver to take her home.

"Jean, you’re not coming back with me?"

"Mom, I have something to take care of. I’ll be back later to have dinner with you."

Mother Lloyd nodded. Once the car was on the road, she told the driver to head to Terrence Lloyd’s villa.

Meanwhile, Jean Fanning walked into a bookstore by herself and borrowed a phone from the young woman at the counter to call Vesper Grayson.

"Miss Grayson, was it you who had someone injure Terrence Lloyd?"

"I didn’t arrange it, but it certainly has to do with me."

Jean Fanning’s heart tightened. She lowered her voice. "I’m afraid he already suspects me. I went with Mother Lloyd to visit him at the hospital today, and just before I left, he specifically stopped me. He asked if I heard anything when I went to the villa the other day to pick up some things."

Recalling the sinister, cold look Terrence Lloyd had given her just now, a chill ran down Jean Fanning’s spine, and her whole body went cold.

In all their years of marriage, she had never seen Terrence Lloyd look so ruthless and terrifying.

When she first married into the Lloyd Family, she was full of hope, eager to build a good marriage. But Terrence Lloyd had resented the arranged marriage from the start. He found her looks plain and her family background unremarkable, unlike the gentle, charming, and slender women he could find elsewhere.

Day after day, her passion was worn away until her heart felt like dead ashes. She only maintained the marriage because Mother Lloyd had always been kind to her, and because Terrence Lloyd was generous with money.

Although they had lived under the same roof, they slept in separate rooms. Resentment built up over time, and they would bicker and argue at the slightest provocation. Unable to stand it, Terrence Lloyd eventually bought property in Maridia and sent her and his mother to live there.

During the years they lived together, it wasn’t that she never noticed anything unusual. Occasionally, when she brought tea to his study, she would accidentally overhear him mentioning things like "timely delivery of goods." She never paid it any mind, and certainly never suspected something as monstrous as human trafficking.

Vesper Grayson was leaning back on the sofa, her tone casual and calm.

"Ms. Fanning, after all these years, how much do you know about Terrence Lloyd’s shady dealings?"

"I can’t see through him. If it weren’t for Mother Lloyd, our marriage would have ended long ago." Jean Fanning’s tone was flat. "Now that he’s in trouble, Roya Winters and I are the only ones who know the truth. He has Roya under house arrest at the villa, guarded by bodyguards twenty-four-seven, so there’s no way she could have leaked anything. That makes me the prime suspect. Miss Grayson, do you think he’ll... do something to me?"

"Don’t panic. He wouldn’t dare."

"But what if he does? The things he does in secret... he has no regard for human life."

"Since you’re already aware of the situation, are you willing to gather evidence of his crimes and expose him?"

Jean Fanning’s heart sank. She refused without a second thought.

"I can’t. If I’m exposed, he’ll never let me go."

Before, she had been fearless, relying on Mother Lloyd’s favoritism. But now that she had seen Terrence Lloyd’s true, sinister nature, she didn’t dare step into such danger. Gathering evidence would be tantamount to gambling with her life.

"I’m asking too much of you." Vesper Grayson wasn’t surprised by her choice and let out a soft laugh. "It’s alright, I understand your concerns. Just go on with your life as usual. Without solid proof, he won’t hurt you, no matter how much he suspects."

"Okay, I understand."

’Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll take Mother Lloyd and settle in Maridia. I’ll sell all our properties in Northolme and never set foot in this place again.’

After hanging up, Vesper Grayson leaned her head against the man beside her.

"Just as you predicted, Jean Fanning isn’t willing to take the risk."

Jared Hawthorne reached down and gently pinched her soft cheek, his thin lips curving into a slight smile.

"Who do you think has a bursting sense of justice like you? Anyone would put their own safety first. Prue, I also hope you’ll always seek advantages and avoid harm, instead of always charging to the front lines."

Vesper Grayson puffed out her cheeks. "But if everyone just stands by and watches, wouldn’t society be too cold and indifferent?"

"That’s just how the world is. Don’t get any more involved in Terrence Lloyd’s business," Jared Hawthorne urged softly. "Go change. We’re going to the hospital for your prenatal check-up."

"Okay," she answered obediently.

In the examination room at the hospital, after asking some questions, the doctor gestured for Vesper Grayson to lie down on the ultrasound table.

Vesper Grayson lifted her shirt, exposing her lower abdomen. A cool, viscous, transparent gel was spread over her skin. The doctor held the ultrasound probe, moving it slowly back and forth across her belly, pressing lightly. On the monitor, the fetus’s silhouette appeared clearly, and the sound of a steady, rhythmic heartbeat came through the machine.

"The fetus is developing well," the doctor said, pointing to the screen. "This is the baby’s head, and here are the limbs..."

’At the last check-up, it was just a tiny embryo, but now it’s already starting to look like a little person.’ Vesper tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the screen, filled with wonder.

Jared Hawthorne squeezed her hand, his eyes locked on the tiny figure on the screen, filled with tenderness. ’This was his and Prue’s child.’

"Doctor, her morning sickness is severe. Will it affect the baby’s development?" Every time he saw her nauseous and struggling to eat, Jared Hawthorne felt incredibly anxious, wishing he could endure the morning sickness for her.

The doctor smiled gently. "The mother’s body provides nutrients to the fetus. No matter how bad the morning sickness is, she needs to eat small, frequent meals. Based on the ultrasound results, the baby is a little on the small side, but its overall development is on track. Once the morning sickness subsides, you can slowly supplement her diet, and the baby will catch up quickly."

The doctor then mentioned a few more things to keep in mind. Jared Hawthorne carefully committed the advice to memory and walked out of the examination room, clutching the ultrasound report.

His gaze never left it.

Vesper Grayson teased, "Haven’t you stared at it enough?"

Jared Hawthorne’s lips curved upward. "This is our first child. If Grandpa saw this, he’d probably live a few more years."

"Do you have to be so dramatic?"

He took a picture of the ultrasound, carefully labeled the head and limbs, and sent it to his grandfather on WhatsApp.

’He was so serious about everything, meticulous even with such small details.’

「The Hawthorne Estate.」

The old master had been spending his days at leisure, eating, drinking, and playing chess. But Kevin Hawthorne insisted on hanging around the estate all day, fawning over him, pestering him to no end. He couldn’t even shoo him away.

"Dad, please have some tea." Kevin Hawthorne sidled up with a freshly brewed cup, his face a mask of subservience.

The old master lifted an eyelid to give him a cool glance. "If you have nothing to do, stop hovering around me."

"Dad, please help me convince Nancy to come home. She always listens to your advice. We’re not young anymore, and our child is already grown. Getting a divorce will just make us a laughingstock."

"Your actions have already made you the butt of everyone’s jokes. You’ve completely disgraced the Hawthorne family name!"

The old master snorted, every word sharp and cutting.

Kevin Hawthorne’s expression stiffened slightly as he reached out to massage the old man’s shoulders.

"I know I was wrong and I’ve repented. Didn’t you always used to say that there’s no greater virtue than admitting and correcting one’s mistakes?"

"Don’t you dare use my own words against me! Cheating on your wife and raising a bastard—did I teach you to do that, too?"

Kevin Hawthorne: "..."

’He never imagined that the son he had so carefully raised wasn’t his own flesh and blood.’

’The woman he had cherished so dearly had been deceiving him for over twenty years.’

’If he had known the truth sooner, how could he have been such a fool, raising another man’s bastard?’

Just then, the old master’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, the cold expression on his face instantly softened as he answered the call.

"Elias?"

"Grandpa, I just finished the prenatal check-up with Vesper. I sent you the ultrasound picture. The baby has taken shape."

"Good, I’ll look at it right now."

After hanging up, the old master eagerly opened the picture and examined it closely, an irrepressible smile spreading across his face.

"Wonderful. It already looks strong and healthy."

Kevin Hawthorne commented casually, "It’s only been three months. How can you tell it’s strong and healthy?"

"What do you know!" the old master snapped. "My great-grandchild is naturally outstanding in every way."

"Dad, look, Liam Hawthorne isn’t young anymore. Shouldn’t you be arranging a marriage for him, too?" Kevin Hawthorne knew the old master had good judgment; anyone he picked would surely strengthen the family’s second branch.

’Although he didn’t have much affection for Liam Hawthorne, he was, after all, his only son now.’

’Even though Liam was cold and distant toward him, he still hoped to mend their father-son relationship.’

The old master shot him a look. Of course, he could see right through him.

"Sons and grandsons have their own fortunes to make, I’m staying out of it! The last thing I need is for them to end up like you and Nancy, a miserable couple, cursing my name every holiday!"

"How could that be? What’s between Nancy and me is just a misunderstanding," Kevin Hawthorne said with a laugh. "You arranged Elias’s marriage, and Liam is your grandson too. You can’t play favorites, Dad."

"The engagement was proposed by Elias himself. It didn’t have a damn thing to do with me. As for Luke’s marriage, let him handle it himself."

Kevin Hawthorne slumped onto the sofa, his face long. "Dad, why do you refuse everything I say?"

"I just don’t like the sight of you." The old master didn’t beat around the bush, his words dripping with undisguised contempt.

"..."