The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 644

Vivica rested her hand on Hillary's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Mom, why are you thanking us? It's what we're supposed to do."

Hillary patted her daughter's hand, turned her wheelchair, and fixed her gaze on her husband's portrait in the memorial hall, letting her eyes linger for a long, quiet moment...

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After Hayes's funeral concluded, Vivica stayed in Sydville City with Chaim for another three days.

Due to work commitments, Joseph had to head back to Riverdale City first.

However, constantly worrying about his pregnant wife and sick son, he flew back to Sydville two days later specifically to bring them home.

Vivica sighed with a touch of emotion. "These past few days, I've been trying to convince my mom to come live with us in Riverdale for a while, but she absolutely refused. She said my dad just passed, and if she leaves with us now, he'll be lonely."

Joseph held his wife close, quietly listening to her reflections.

"They had such a beautiful bond. Even separated by death, she still wants to be close to him."

Vivica looked up from his embrace, her eyes shimmering with warmth. "Yeah. I never imagined that after everything they went through, their love would remain so profound."

She had thought about it a lot over the past few days. If she had been in her mother's shoes, she probably would have divorced her husband, cut ties with the family, and never looked back.

But Hillary had never abandoned Hayes, caring for him for over a decade until she finally saw him off in peace.

To modern standards, her mother might seem foolishly devoted. But looking at it from another angle, wasn't it the most perfect manifestation of love, marriage, and life itself?

"Since she isn't ready to leave, we shouldn't force her. Let her stay in Sydville for now and continue living with Cheryl. In a few months, when the twins are born, we'll bring her to Riverdale. I'm sure she'll be more than willing then." Joseph looked down at his wife, offering his gentle advice.

Vivica nodded. "Yeah, I think so too."

The next day, Joseph brought his wife and son back to Riverdale.

Having taken a week of bereavement leave, Vivica returned to work.

Her baby bump was becoming increasingly obvious. Zavier Fulton was so worried about her getting tired that he had practically stopped assigning her major projects.

But Vivica felt guilty occupying a desk without contributing and adding pressure to her colleagues, so she actively went to Zavier to ask for work.

Looking at her swollen belly and seeing how radiantly nourished she looked under Joseph's care, Zavier had completely let go of any lingering romantic feelings he once harbored. Now, all that remained was pure friendship.

"Vivica, there's no need to feel bad. Mr. Baird has introduced two million-dollar accounts to us this month alone. And your cousin, Raymond, his company just signed another project with us and even referred a new client. Honestly, even if you did absolutely nothing but sit here drinking coffee and chatting all day, none of us would have a single complaint."

Even Holly chimed in, "Vivica, you're literally our department's lucky charm! You absolutely have to come back to work after you have the babies. You cannot quit and become a full-time housewife—we'll all be waiting for you!"

It made life so difficult that she couldn't even see her own feet when she looked down.

Quintina explained it to them: "This is known as a pendulous abdomen, caused by a combination of factors. There's no way to correct it right now. All you can do is wear a maternity support belt daily to relieve the pressure on the lower back and abdominal wall. You also need to avoid standing or walking for long periods and try to rest on your side as much as possible."

Joseph listened with a deep frown. Staring at his wife's enormous belly, he felt a profound sense of helplessness, wishing he could suffer in her place.

"With this condition, it's highly likely the babies' heads won't drop into the pelvis properly in the third trimester. A C-section is almost guaranteed."

Quintina was worried about her best friend too, so she made sure to give them all the facts early on to prepare them mentally.

But that explanation only made Joseph more anxious.

From her sixth month onward, he drastically cut back his workload. He would only go to the office for half a day, rushing home or to the hospital by noon.

Even when he had to handle urgent legal matters, he did so while hovering around his wife and son.

This routine continued for about two months. Then, one night, Vivica suddenly experienced sharp abdominal pain.

A light sleeper, Joseph bolted upright the second he heard her groan.