Edwin gently pinched her face, saying softly, "I need to step out for a bit."

Laura grabbed his arm, hesitating before speaking in a hoarse voice.

“Edwin, I know I'm not the smartest, and you and your mom handle everything for our family. But... Olivia is like a sister to me, and I think I should have a say in this. Olivia and Dylan are happy together, and he loves the child. Please don't..." She couldn't complete her thought.

Edwin watched her intently.

Beneath the crystal lamp, his eyes looked deep and unreadable. After a moment, he smiled reassuringly. "I'm just going to bail him out. Nothing else will happen. You're acting like a true big sister now, looking out for Olivia. I'm so proud of you."

Laura looked at him with her doe eyes. "Edwin, you're the best!"

Suddenly, Edwin stepped forward and embraced her.

He remembered the days when he had plotted to win her affection only to abandon her later. The memory of Laura crying in the rain, pleading with him not to leave, still haunted him at night. Yet, he had left her all the same.

As he kissed her hair, Edwin's voice was rough with emotion. "I am not. I'm a terrible man. You're the one who's the best."

Laura blushed slightly.

Edwin kissed her again, reassuring her, “Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

However, Edwin never met Raphael at the station. Before he arrived, the Jones family had already sent someone to bail Raphael out. He stood outside the police station, smoking quietly, pondering over Raphael's situation. He thought Raphael should have moved on by now.

Indeed, the next day Raphael sorted everything out.

He stopped pestering Olivia and held no grudges against the Evans family, resuming his normal life.

In May, rumors circulated that he was set to marry Sharon. Their social circle was tight-knit, and Edwin caught wind that Kiley had dramatically threatened her own life by consuming a significant amount of sleeping pills. Raphael had agreed to the marriage while his mother was recuperating in the hospital.

It seemed everyone had found their resolution.

Life settled down.

By June, Olivia and Dylan had still not married. The pregnancy continued to be difficult for Olivia, and Dylan decided they would wed after the birth of the child. By this time, Olivia's belly had begun to show.

She had a feeling it was a girl.

In late June, during a visit to the salon, Olivia unexpectedly encountered Raphael and Sharon. Raphael was there to accompany Sharon as she tried on a wedding dress.

Typically, a bride-to-be would be radiant with happiness, but Sharon appeared gloomy and unwell. They seemed less like a couple about to wed and more Like people who were getting ready for a funeral.

Olivia glanced at them for only a moment before turning away.

Just then, she felt a sudden flutter in her belly-the baby's first movement.

In a fleeting moment, Olivia was taken aback by the stirring within her, feeling the tiny movements for the first time.