Chapter 563

She was fixated on the shocking revelation that Winnie and Rock were now romantically involved and planning to marry.

Incredibly, just yesterday, Winnie had been agonizing over Ishara's pregnancy and despising Lawrence For his cold-heartedness.

Her decision to pursue a relationship with Rock happened with such suddenness.

Olivia lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, torn between offering her congratulations and voicing her concerns for Winnie's well-being.

She desperately signaled to Winnie with her eyes.

Sensing her friend's unease, Winnie stood up from the couch. "Olivia, let's go upstairs," she suggested.

Olivia turned to Rock and politely said, "I'm going to take Winnie to rest for a bit. We have a nanny at home; I'll ask her to make some coffee for you."

"Don't be so formal, Ms. Olivia. I got here early this morning and I actually made some food in the kitchen; why don't you take that up to Winnie?" Rock asked with ease as he headed toward the kitchen, his posture firm.

Olivia was taken aback, staring at Winnie, worry seeping into her voice. "What's going on with you? This isn't like you, Winnie."

The two women retreated to Winnie's bedroom.

Faced with Olivia's probing questions, Winnie found herself at a loss for words.

She didn't truly have feelings for Rock.

However, she couldn't reveal the real reason to Olivia.

Olivia, shaking her arm, speculated, "Were you riled up by Lawrence getting Ishara pregnant?

Everyone sees how devoted Rock is to you, but you jumping into a relationship and even marriage so quickly. Winnie, that's too hasty. Marriage requires emotional investment, and right now Rock is content because he hasn't fully won you over. But what about later? Will he feel it's not enough and demand more emotion from you?"

Winnie didn't have the luxury of pondering these things; her heart was consumed by thoughts of Oscar.

Shaking her head, a calm yet profound darkness in her eyes, she said, "Who says I can't invest emotionally? I will say my goodbyes to the past and start to open my heart to someone new. It's also a way of letting go for myself. Rock said he needs genuine emotion; he doesn't want to be another tool I use. I promised him."

Olivia stared blankly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Love isn't like some business transaction. You can't just decide to invest and expect your heart to follow suit. There's got to be a backstory to this sudden fling with Rock. Knowing you, after the whole fiasco with Lawrence, I thought you'd swear off romance and focus solely on your career. Come on, there's not even a hint of desire on your face."

Winnie couldn't help but laugh, pulling at her lips to mask the secrets buried deep within. "There's always a way out when you hit a roadblock. Don't worry about me. You're right, besides marriage, I'm all about carving out a career, waiting for the day my dad wakes up. The Blanchet family might not mean much to me, but I want to secure his legacy and help him retain his empire."

Olivia, echoing her indignation, voiced, "No offense, but your dad's had it rough. He surely didn't anticipate his beloved son and so-called sweetheart to carry on for years behind his back, propping up an illegitimate daughter to seize his company!"

Winnie took a deep breath and calmed her racing heart.

Night had descended upon the hospital corridors.

Jeremy responded to Bryan's call and hastened to the hospital. In the sparsely populated maternity ward corridor, he discovered Lawrence seated on a chair. Bryan had informed Jeremy that Lawrence had been stationed there all day.

As Jeremy approached, he noticed cigarette butts strewn across the floor. A pang of concern crept into his almond-shaped eyes, and he hurried over to Lawrence, his brow furrowed with worry.

Amidst the dim lighting, he could see Lawrence's chiseled profile-still impeccably handsome but utterly lifeless. Jeremy eyed the hollowness of his gaze, the thick lashes unmoving, as if lost in contemplation.

Jeremy understood the depth of his sorrow; after all, he was among the first to know about Winnie's pregnancy.

The baby was gone.

A piece of Lawrence's heart must have been missing.

The glowing ember of the cigarette neared the filter, threatening to burn his fingertips. With a sense of urgency caught in his throat, Jeremy finally spoke, "Mr. Rodriguez, the hospital is closed for the night."

Lawrence snapped back to reality, his gaze shifting toward him. His eyes were intense, bloodshot red.

"Jeremy, join me for a drink," Lawrence said with a hoarse voice. He stood up, his tall figure striding out of the hospital.

They headed to a nearby bar where both seated at the corner.

Lawrence ordered a startling array of drinks. Jeremy checked the alcohol content with concealed alarm but was relieved to see that the man was still lucid. He poured the drinks for Lawrence and waited for him to speak.

However, Lawrence just drank in silence, showing no intention of breaking the ice.

Bathed in the dim light, Jeremy assessed the heaviness beneath Lawrence's bloodshot eyes. "Mr. Rodriguez, it's come to this. I understand that the loss of the child is devastating."

"It's beyond pain," Lawrence clenched his glass, his long fingers whitening, veins popping as his Adam's apple moved with a rasp. "I want to rip open Winnie's heart to see what's truly inside."

Jeremy reasoned, "I don't think Winnie would've terminated the pregnancy on purpose. She isn't that cold-hearted. Maybe after finding out she was expecting, the idea of another child with you, more entanglements, was too much for her to accept. In her panic, her body couldn't cope, and it happened naturally."

"It's still murder!" Lawrence couldn't contain his anger, his features sharpening with danger in the low light.

He sipped his drink aimlessly, undid his blazer, his white shirt hugging a tense frame. Fishing out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, he unfolded it, his eyes reddening. "A month ago, I found out she was pregnant. This initial HCG test report, I carried it through everything. On my trip to Africa, through dangers and customs detainment, this paper gave me strength."

He continued, his voice heavy with emotion. "I told you, this baby was supposed to be our fresh start. After settling my issues and ensuring Oscar's safe return, I was ready to commit to her for life. A year from now, our daughter would be born. I had a strong intuition it was going to be a girl. But she destroyed it all, shattered my dreams."

His voice turned bitter. "She never trusted me, not a slightest bit. At the slightest hint of trouble, she would distance herself from me. I understand my affair with Ishara and her subsequent pregnancy were my mistakes, hurdles she couldn't overcome, aside from Oscar... But I was prepared to put an end to that