"Oh, so now I can’t miss a single meal? What about before? You weren’t this concerned about me then! Tell me, are you only being nice to me because the baby is yours? If it wasn’t yours, you wouldn’t care about me at all, would you?"

The conflicted and sullen look in Flora Bloom’s drowsy eyes brought a soft smile to Lex Cross’s stoic face. He set down the porridge, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled Flora onto his lap.

"Don’t let your imagination run wild. Get up and eat your porridge."

After a nap, Flora Bloom didn’t feel refreshed at all. Instead, she still felt weak and lethargic. She wasn’t sure if it was the baby acting up or something else. Combined with her current frustration, it was as if she had suddenly become a different person.

If the Flora Bloom from before could be described as aloof and somewhat repressed, the Flora Bloom of today seemed more authentic—and had a temper.

"I just know it. If the baby wasn’t yours, you definitely wouldn’t be treating me like this, would you?"

They say pregnant women are highly sensitive. The thought, combined with the memory of how Lex Cross had never paid her this much mind before he knew the baby was his, was too much. Her nose began to sting, her eyes welled up, and her lower lip trembled.

When the woman in his arms suddenly went still and silent, Lex Cross looked down. "Why are you crying?"

Flora Bloom turned and buried her face in Lex Cross’s black combat vest, her tears now flowing uncontrollably. "I knew it! You don’t love me! You just love your daughter!"

"I..." Lex Cross had never faced such a terrifying, no-win question before. ’No matter who I say I love,’ he thought, ’this isn’t going to end well!’

"See? You hesitated! You’re only acting like this because of the baby!"

"Then... should we not have the baby?" Lex Cross asked tentatively. His words made Flora Bloom freeze. When she looked up again, she let out a loud "WAAAH" and started crying hysterically, utterly inconsolable no matter what he said.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!"

A knock sounded at the door.

They both turned in surprise to see Caleb Bloom standing awkwardly at Flora’s doorway. Lex Cross froze, his face paling slightly. Flora’s sobs hitched, and her previously flushed mind went blank.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Bloom," Lex Cross said in a low voice. As he stood up, he lifted Flora into his arms.

Flora Bloom smacked Lex Cross. "What are you doing?"

Caleb Bloom stared blankly at the pair for a moment. His brow furrowed in displeasure at the sight of his daughter on Lex Cross’s lap. "Ahem."

The moment Caleb Bloom turned away, Flora leapt out of Lex Cross’s arms, causing his face to pale even further. "Be careful!"

Flora whirled around and glared at Lex Cross, tears still glistening in her eyes. Her voice was thick from crying. "Shut up!"

"Dad, did you need something?"

A smile suddenly spread across Caleb Bloom’s face, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "Your mother just woke up. She’s still a little weak, so I called for Shauna Wallace and Dr. Preston. You should go down and see her."

A look of delight flashed across Flora’s face. "Mom’s awake! I’m going to see her!" With that, she took off, her bare feet pattering down the stairs.

When Lex Cross and Caleb Bloom hurried downstairs, Lex carrying Flora’s shoes and the porridge, they found Flora sitting by Jade’s bedside. She was still barefoot, watching as Maeve Preston and Shelly examined her mother.

Lex Cross dropped to one knee to put Flora’s shoes on for her. The gentle, heartwarming gesture brought a smile to Jade’s face, and she nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems a lot has happened while I was unconscious, hasn’t it, Flora?"

Noticing everyone was looking at her, Flora quickly pulled Lex Cross to his feet and finished putting on her shoes herself. "Mom, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"No, I’m just a little dizzy. And very hungry."

Flora glanced at the porridge Lex Cross had set aside, then picked it up and brought a spoonful to her mother’s lips. Lex Cross, standing nearby, frowned slightly.

"Flora, you haven’t eaten breakfast either. Why don’t we go eat in the living room?"

His words made everyone freeze. Flora, her face flushed red, shot him a glare. "Have you ever heard of respect? My mother just woke up. I’m staying here to eat with her!"

A corner of Lex Cross’s mouth quirked up. His tone was casual, but his next words left everyone stunned.

"Then you go ahead and eat first, Mom. Flora’s pregnant and can’t go hungry, so I’ll take her to the living room to get something to eat."

The hand Flora was using to feed her mother froze in midair. She turned her head stiffly toward Lex Cross, who wore a look of perfect innocence.

"That’s *my* mother! Who are you calling ’Mom’!?"

The room fell silent. It was so quiet you could hear every single person breathing.

Caleb Bloom, in particular, was stunned for several seconds before striding in front of Lex Cross and glaring at him fiercely. "What did you just say? My daughter is pregnant?"

With a calm expression and a slight smile, Lex Cross replied, "Yes, Dad."

Flora’s face flushed crimson. "Lex Cross, who are you calling Dad!"

Caleb’s face was stony. "Captain Cross, my Flora is still an innocent young woman. How could she possibly be pregnant? This is no time for jokes!"

Lex Cross turned to look at a nervous Flora, then suddenly pulled her into his arms. "The child is mine, and I will take full responsibility!"

Only then did Caleb Bloom begin to take Lex Cross’s words seriously. He stared into Flora’s eyes, and his gaze made her feel both embarrassed and mortified.

Flora shoved Lex Cross away. "Lex Cross, what are you doing!" She glanced nervously from Caleb Bloom to Jade. "Dad, Mom, don’t listen to his nonsense."

"Flora, we can’t hide this from our parents. Now that it’s happened, I won’t let you suffer any injustice! Dad, Mom, Flora is mine now! Please entrust her to me. I will treat her well!"

Lex Cross’s speech attracted the attention of Saul Sterling, Five, and their group, who had just arrived at the villa’s entrance. Cheering, they all rushed inside to watch the show.

"Wow, the Boss sure is quick to go public with his crimes!"

"Yeah, Boss is awesome!" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"What are you talking about? Our Lady Boss is the awesome one!"

"Right, Lady Boss is awesome!"

By now, all of Lex Cross’s subordinates had gathered outside Jade’s room. Their boisterous chatter made Caleb Bloom’s face turn as black as the bottom of a wok.

"Go on, get out of here, you bunch of rascals!"

Everything had happened too fast since Lex Cross announced her pregnancy; Flora hadn’t had time to react. She glared at him, her face beet-red, but under her parents’ intense scrutiny, she could only nod and confess.

"Flora? What’s going on? You’re pregnant? When did this happen?" Jade asked sternly, then her expression suddenly softened into a smile as she looked at Lex Cross. "Young Cross, Flora is still so young. For you two to... you know... before getting married, isn’t that a bit inappropriate? And being pregnant in these apocalyptic times... it’s so dangerous!"

Flora looked at her in astonishment. "Mom, is now really the time to be talking about marriage?"

Jade shot Flora a look. "Adults are talking. Children should be quiet."

Flora was speechless. She turned her head and shot Lex Cross another fierce glare, her expression screaming, *You just came here to make trouble, didn’t you?* She then muttered under her breath, "How am I a child?"

Caleb’s face was grim. "Not a child? Then how could you hide something this huge from us?" He clapped Lex Cross on the shoulder. "You. Come with me."

For once, Lex Cross looked completely serious. He lowered his head and followed Caleb Bloom out without a word. Flora watched them go with a gloating expression. ’Serves you right,’ she thought. ’That’s what you get for spilling the beans without talking to me first.’

Maeve Preston and the others, seeing that the Blooms had family business to attend to, tactfully made their excuses to leave. As for Saul Sterling and the twelve special forces soldiers who were always with Lex Cross, it was another story. They had never in their lives seen their boss with his head hung low, getting a lecture from his father-in-law. They all turned away, covering their mouths to stifle their laughter, pretending they saw nothing.

"Jade, if you feel any discomfort at all, come find me. Please don’t hesitate."