Joseph was taken aback.

With reddened eyes, he admitted, "Rena, it's all my fault. Could you please relay a message to her for me?"

Rena subtly shook her head. It was too Late.

Even without this child with Roscoe, Vera could never return to Joseph

*

After returning home, Rena received a message from Roscoe expressing his gratitude, but he refrained from asking about the outcome of her meeting with Waylen.

Rena knew, however, that Roscoe was eager to learn the result. Seeking information, she asked around and discovered that Roscoe had engaged in a fierce confrontation with his family. The Figueroa family insisted that if Roscoe and Vera wished to be together, Vera would need to undergo an abortion and cut all ties with Joseph before being allowed to marry into their family

They proposed that she could conceive a child at a later time. The point was they wouldn't allow Roscoe to get involved with a woman while she was still married to another man

Leaning against the terrace, Rena gazed at the crescent moon suspended in the night sky. While both Roscoe and Vera were young and had the potential to have children in the future, none of those hypothetical offspring could compare to the precious life growing within Vera at this very moment.

Moreover, if they were to lose this baby, would they still have a chance at happiness together?

Rena's heart, though not one considered sacred, ached at the thought of

Vera's tear-stained face.

Late into the night, Rena called Waylen, but his phone was switched off. It wasn't until one o'clock in the morning that he returned her call, his voice hoarse.

"What's the matter, Rena? I'm currently on a business trip in Czanch. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

Waylen's words carried a sense of careful reporting, as if the heated argument from the other day had never occurred

After a prolonged silence, Rena said softly, "I wanted to discuss with you once again about Vera's case."

Waylen chuckled.

“Are you agreeing?"

"No!" Rena attempted to maintain a calm tone.

"But I believe there's room for negotiation.”

Waylen smiled gently.

Having just concluded an official dinner party, he stood in the hotel lobby, radiating a positive aura.