Crossroads

At noon, the housekeeper specifically called Stephanie to dine at the main residence. She was somewhat reluctant, as aside from the mandatory. breakfast together at Wellington Villa, there weren't other niles about having meals together, so it was somewhat unusual.

Hence, Stephanie figured they wanted her company.

"Stephanie, you're really getting faner..."

Reluctantly heading towards the main house, Stephanie could hear Vincent's casual teasing from afar, It had been over a month, but Vincent was still as cheeky as ever.

Stephanie frowned and shot him a glare.

Normally, she would have given him a piece of her mind, swiftly shutting down him. But now, she glanced down at her bloated body and couldn't help but pinch her waist in frustration.

Where was her waist? She had gotten so far that her waist seemed to have disappeared.

Dominick naturally pulled her to sit beside him, accustomed to their banter. He didn't pay much attention and knew Vincent's arrival would liven things up a bit.

But now Stephanie sat there with a strained expression, genuinely unhappy and distressed Women hated it most when others described them as fat, plump, or chubby, as those words would strike their hearts directly, especially when her own man was so outstandingly fit, and those other women outside were eyeing him like he was their prey.

Stephanie scooted away a bit, distancing herself from Dominick Feeling utterly defeated, she shouted, "Dominick, just leave me alone. When I turn into a roly-poly ball. you can go to find yourself a gorgeous lover.

Many celebrities and models had been reluctant to have children when they were young because they were afraid of what it would do to their figures. Honestly, for women who loved beauty, having kids demanded quite a bit of sacrifice.

Seeing her act so petulantly, Dominick couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"This is just perfect."

His large hand gently smoothed the hair at the mape of her neck, the cool tips of his fingers brushing her skin. Since Stephanie had gotten pregnant, perhaps due to hormonal changes, her skin had become even more supple and delicate.

"Perfect! You think I didn't know what you men were really thinking?"

Stephanie had protested countless times to Dominick, insisting she didn't want to consume so many supplements. But Dominick, with his expressionless face, would always use the baby as an excuse, shamelessly placing his hand on her chest, saying her bust had gone up a cup size and that it felt better this way.

Teels better my ass! she would always think

"I don't care anymore. After our sons are born, make sure the nutritionist comes up with a plan to help me get my figure back. I'm so fat now that I feel downright insecure.

Vincent couldn't hold back and burst into uproarious laughter, clutching his stomach. "Stephanie, you're insecure? For some as shameless and confident as you to be insecure speaks a lot!

"And besides, you're just like Catherine Tramell, destined to be a femme fatale. Stephanie, it's fare! Just accept it. Your weight is bound to skyrocket.."

What nonsense about being a femme fatale.

Stephanie's eyes blazed with anger. She snapped her head towards Dominick beside her and yelled, "Even if I have to starve myself, I will lose all this weight!"

She would either lose weight or lose her life while trying to do so!

This was the fundamental rule of modem feminism Dominick had originally been letting her vent, but when he heard her say she would starve herself, his face immediately darkened and cast a cold sidelong glance at Vincent.

Vincent felt a chill run down his spine and was so scared that he couldn't laugh anymore.

Seeing that Stephanie was genuinely worried about her post-pregnancy body, and feeling the intense aura of Dominick, Vincent felt his heart tremble. If he didn't say something to appease this fery woman, he sensed he might be in trouble.

Clearing his throat with a hint of reluctance, he began to lecture. "You know, men only praise women for their external beauty-high heels, curvy figures, slim waists - we call them beauties. But when it comes to our own women, it's different. We care about them, and prefer a more plump Sigure because it's more comforting to hold...Content © provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

Dominick managed to soothe Stephanie, but she was still dissatisfied with Vincent. Then how come out of all of the girlfriends you've had, none of them were fat:

That's because I still haven't found my wife"

As Vincent droned on with his nonsense, Stephanie couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation. Glancing over at the butlers diligently arranging chairs and tableware in the dining room, it was clear not everyone had arrived yet. Usually, except for breakfast, the elders rarely joined them for meals together, so who else was expected?

Curiously, Stephanie asked, "Vincent, any specific requirements you have for finding a wide?"

"Well, not really just gotta have a great rack," Vincent replied after a moment of contemplation.

"A great rack," Stephanie muttered under her breath as she grabbed an apple from the table and flung it straight at him.

"Dominick, control your wife...

"Oh come on, Stephanie, the fact that Dominick's here doesn't mean I won't strike hack Vincent let out a bowl as the lump on his forehead swelled from the impact, causing a stir in the grand hall of Wellington Villa.

George was known for his stern and composed demeanor, naturally, he didn't tolerate such disruptions. The maids stood silently on both sides. their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity. In Wellington Villa, such raucous behavior was unheard of, but the Dominick seemed unperturbed by it Dominick casually picked up a large apple and handed it to Stephanie. Seeing her nestled against his chest with a daring smile, he couldn't help but smile back.

Vincent felt defeated; not only did his friend prioritize his wife over his loyalty for his friends, but now he was an accomplice in his own wife's Suddenly, a deep cough interrupted them.

Vincent's eyes lit up, feeling a glimmer of hope.

George, Traning on his cane, slowly approached them. His cloudy old eyes scanned the out-of-line youngsters with a stern expression that concealed his true thoughts..

Perhaps because he had consciously distanced himself from Stephanie lately, she immediately straightened up and became more disciplined.

"Serve the food," George ordered without looking at them again and walked away.

Dominick's smile vanished instantly, his face returning to its usual cold and composed expression. Naturally, he wrapped his arm around Stephanie and headed towards the dining room.

Stephanie wouldn't notice how special Dominick's smile was, when they were together, she often scolded him. When Dominick looked at her with a mix of amusement and irritation, she would usually give in But Hayley wouldn't allow that to go unnoticed.

Dominick was handsome and cold but when he smiled genuinely, he was unexpectedly tender, even his gaze held a hint of fondness.

However, it was never for her.

"Hayley.. Stephanie was surprised to see Hayley sull at Wellington Villa.

"Hayley came over today just to chat with Yvonne. Don't let your imaginations run wild."

Vincent casually walked by Stephanie, catching her discreetly observing the others, and he couldn't resist teasing her under his breath

"Hey..Stephanic," Yvonne timidly called out

Yvonne, not biologically related to Dominick, was an adopted child known for her introverted nature, sometimes labeled as withdrawn by doctors. Apart from breakfast, Stephande rarely interacted with her, it was rumored that Yvonne only enjoyed Hayley's company

Hayley, a prominent figure at Wellington Villa, immersed herself deeply in both official matters and personal relationships.

Reflecting on this, Stephanie felt a pang of jealousy. Hayley's presence at the main house for dinner underscored her valued starus.

Mary, who didn't take a fancy to Stephanie, joined them for the meal. She clearly favored Hayley, and their conversation flowed warmly and effortlessly Chapter 185

Stephanie understood the nuances of social dynamics but found herself unable to break into their conversations. Hence she settled for reluctantlycoonsuming half a plate of spaghetti and mushroom soup. However, she hesitated as she stared at the mushroom soup as she was known for being picky with her food, and mushrooms themselves were on the list of foods she would never take.

Across the table, George's gaze turned complex, making Stephanie afraid of rejecting the soup.

"Pass it over." Dominick had already seen through her dilemma.

Stephanie's expression showed surprise at first but quickly turned into excitement Watching Dominick eamestly savor her soup, she moved closer to him, blurting out, "Dominick loves mushrooms.

Dominick responded with a slight, unamused chuckle, The atmosphere at the dining table fell somewhat silent. When did Dominick develop a taste for mushrooms?

So what if she was picky with her food? Dominick was willing to pamper the love of his life.

Yvonne's eyes widened slightly while the others remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, quietly continuing their food.