The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 444

“Of course I am. You’re the mother of my child. Who else would I be good to?” Joseph blurted out without thinking as he watched the tears of emotion well up in her eyes.

Vivica froze. “What? I’m the mother of your child?”

A jolt of panic shot through Joseph as he realized his slip-up. “I mean, we’re going to have our own child soon. You *will be* the mother of my child, so of course I have to be good to you,” he quickly corrected, trying to smooth over his mistake.

Vivica studied him, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Fearing he’d be found out, Joseph quickly changed the subject. “If you want to do the DNA test, we should go to Sydville after the holidays. Hillary and his husband Hayes Chase have trouble getting around, so we shouldn’t make them travel.”

Vivica nodded, her attention successfully diverted. Her expression softened into one of pity as her thoughts drifted. “What if… what if it’s all a mistake? Maybe… maybe they’re not my real parents after all.”

After all, in a world this big, it wasn’t unusual for people to bear a striking resemblance to one another.

“If they’re not, then the danger is gone, which would be for the best,” Joseph said, though he secretly hoped it was just a misunderstanding. They had enough on their plate already, with Chaim still waiting for cord blood to save his life. The last thing they needed was a messy family drama with dangerous relatives.

But given all the evidence that had surfaced, it was unlikely to be a coincidence. The tragically unfortunate Hillary and Hayes were almost certainly Vivica’s biological parents.

“I’ve made up my mind. We’ll go to Sydville after the holidays. I want to meet them,” Vivica said with renewed determination.

Joseph nodded in support, then remarked with a sigh, “You know, your soft heart is probably genetic…”

Vivica glanced at him, confused.

Joseph explained, “That self-made second son of the Chase family, Hayes, didn’t he end up in this mess precisely because he was too soft-hearted? He let his parents and brothers guilt-trip him into submission.”

Vivica’s lips tightened as the realization dawned on her. It was true… Her own history of being endlessly drained and emotionally blackmailed by the Lynn family into supporting Zahar Lynn was a mirror image of this distant story. The difference was, she wasn’t the Lynns’ biological daughter, which made their favoritism and malice somewhat understandable.

What she couldn’t comprehend was how parents could be so biased against their own child, or how blood brothers could try to kill each other over money.

Vivica was speechless. Joseph was, too.

Harvey adopted a professional air and began to educate them. “Under ideal conditions—and by ideal, I mean both partners are healthy with no reproductive issues and are having regular, unprotected sex—the probability of conception in any given month is only between twenty and thirty percent.”

Joseph frowned, and Vivica looked just as surprised.

“Generally speaking, about half of all couples conceive within three months. Within six months, that number goes up to about seventy percent. Even after a full year, there’s no guarantee that every couple will have succeeded. So, for you to not get pregnant the first month is totally normal and expected.”

Joseph hadn’t realized that even with two healthy people, conceiving a child could be so challenging.

“So is there anything we can do to increase our chances? We’re not in a rush for ourselves, but Chaim can’t wait,” Joseph said, his face grim as he swallowed his pride and asked for help.

“For that question, you’ve definitely come to the right person.” Harvey flashed a smug, almost wicked smile as his eyes darted between them. “First, a healthy diet, no late nights, no smoking or drinking, and plenty of exercise. That’s the bare minimum.”