My CEO Husband Says I'm Irreplaceable

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Miss Grayson, Are You Scared?

Jared Hawthorne grasped her hand in his, his lips curling slightly. "Grandpa, Mom, pregnancy is something best left to nature. It’s not as if we can just decide on it, can we?"

"Vesper, how about this? I’ll make an appointment with a doctor, and when you have time, I’ll go with you to the hospital for a full physical," Sharon Chandler said, looking at her with a gentle smile. Her gaze was soft, devoid of any ill intent.

It was as if she genuinely just wanted her to get a check-up.

Perhaps afraid Vesper would read too much into it, she quickly added another sentence.

"Elias will go with you."

Jared Hawthorne raised an eyebrow. "No problem."

’Judging by the Hawthorne Family’s attitude, they must be very pleased with Vesper. They’re already rushing her to get pregnant and have a child.’

’If Vesper has a child, her position in the Hawthorne Family will be secure.’

’In that case, she probably won’t compete with Gwen for the Grayson family’s assets, right?’

Joyce Rivers decided she would sound out Milton Grayson’s attitude when they got home that evening.

After dinner, Milton Grayson left first with Joyce Rivers and Gwen Grayson.

The car glided smoothly through the night, the cabin utterly silent.

Joyce Rivers was the first to break the silence. "Milton, don’t forget, Gwen is your daughter too. You can’t play favorites. You need to find a match for Gwen from a family on par with the Hawthornes."

"I don’t want to think about marriage so soon..." Gwen mumbled.

After seeing Gael Keane’s heartless, shameless, and utterly ugly true colors, any rose-colored glasses she had regarding men were completely shattered.

"What girl doesn’t get married?" Joyce Rivers glanced at the silent Milton Grayson and sighed. "I know you don’t love me, but Gwen is your own flesh and blood. You’re her father; you can’t just ignore her needs."

"What are you saying? Don’t talk such nonsense in front of our daughter," Milton Grayson said with a frown. "There’s no rush for Gwen to get married. We can discuss it again in a couple of years."

"You know perfectly well if I’m talking nonsense. I know your heart has only ever belonged to Vesper’s mother. You married me back then only because circumstances forced your hand." Joyce felt her eyes sting. "I’m not asking you to love me. I just hope that, for the sake of all our years as husband and wife, you’ll give some company shares to Gwen."

’After all, back then, she had been Milton Grayson’s best option.’

When she first met Milton Grayson, she had been drawn to his gentle and humble demeanor.

When he confessed that he had a daughter and that his heart belonged to another, she didn’t hold it against him. On the contrary, she found him to be honorable and refreshingly honest.

As if under a spell, she married him without hesitation.

After they married, they had a son and a daughter, but their relationship remained lukewarm. They were always polite to each other, but distant, like honored guests rather than husband and wife.

Gwen Grayson had heard this argument countless times growing up; it was nothing new to her anymore.

Her past hostility toward Vesper stemmed from frequently seeing Joyce secretly wiping away tears and being jealous of Milton’s blatant favoritism. That was why she had treated Vesper as a rival, constantly trying to one-up her and always at odds with her.

Now that she was an adult and understood more about relationships, she realized just how complex and messy things could be between a man and a woman.

It just made her want to get married even less!

...

"Don’t take their words to heart."

Jared Hawthorne held her hand tightly as they strolled through the courtyard under the dark night sky.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves. Moonlight spilled down like water, stretching the long, soft shadows of the two figures walking side-by-side across the stone path.

Vesper tilted her face up to look at him, a faint smile playing in her eyes.

"I feel for you, President Hawthorne. The pressure of the great Hawthorne Family all rests on your shoulders."

The direct lineage of the Hawthorne family was thin in this generation. When it came down to it, Jared Hawthorne was the only grandchild in the main line. His youngest uncle, Justin Hawthorne, had lived abroad for years and was still single, showing no interest whatsoever in romance or starting a family.

"So, are you getting scared, Miss Grayson?" Jared Hawthorne glanced down at her, his tone teasing. A ghost of a smile touched his lips.

"The pressure is definitely on." Vesper gently tried to tug her hand free, but he only held it tighter. She met his deep gaze, her lips pursed with worry. "The Hawthorne Family is so eager for an heir. If I fail to deliver, I’ll be seen as the family’s biggest disappointment."

Jared Hawthorne paused and leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing against her bangs.

"As long as I’m here, you don’t have to feel any pressure. If it comes to it, we can adopt a child from one of the branch families and raise them as our own."

"But it wouldn’t be our biological child, and I’m not in the habit of raising other people’s kids."

Something occurred to her. "I heard that the reason you were sent abroad as a child, President Hawthorne, was because of an assassination attempt?"

Jared Hawthorne’s long, dark eyes narrowed, his gaze growing heavy.

"Something like that did happen."

"And did they find who was behind it?"

"No. The assassins sent after me died, and the trail went cold."

"And after that? Nothing?"

"Nothing."

After he was sent abroad, he was surrounded by bodyguards. His security detail was so tight it was almost isolating, with every outing heavily guarded. Whoever was lurking in the shadows never got another chance.

"Do you have anyone you suspect?"

"I did, but they’ve all been ruled out. When you were on Mount Corvath with your grandfather, do you have any particularly vivid memories?"

Jared Hawthorne lowered his eyes, his gaze locking onto her, a nearly imperceptible flicker of hope hidden in their depths.

’A vivid memory?’

Vesper frowned slightly, searching her memory.

Those years deep in the mountains, life had been simple and routine. Her days consisted of nothing more than gathering and drying herbs, studying medical texts, practicing acupuncture, and helping her grandfather tend the medicinal garden. It was a peaceful life, almost to the point of being dull.

She shook her head lightly. "I don’t think... there was anything special."

The light in Jared Hawthorne’s eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly, and his fingertips curled, the motion barely visible.

’So she really did forget him.’

’That heartless girl.’

...

Sharon Chandler was efficient. She made an appointment with a doctor and took Vesper for a physical exam.

"Sharon?"

A soft female voice called out.

They turned to see a woman with delicate features, dressed in simple clothing. Though she was well-preserved for her age, her hair was completely white.

"Nancy, what are you doing here?"

"I’m just here to take care of something."

Her gaze fell on Vesper. "Is this Elias’s girlfriend?"

"Yes. Their engagement party is next month."

Sharon Chandler pulled Vesper over and introduced them. "This is Elias’s second aunt, Nancy Linton."

"Hello, Ms. Linton."

"We’ll be family soon. You can call me Second Aunt, just like Elias does."

"Second Aunt."

"Good girl," Nancy Linton said with a hint of envy. "Sharon, you’re so lucky."

A complex expression crossed Sharon Chandler’s face. "You still haven’t given up?"

"As long as I’m still breathing, I will never give up. I have to run, let’s talk another time."

With that, she hurried off.

Sharon Chandler sighed. "That poor woman, Nancy. Her child was stolen right after it was born. She’s been searching for years, but there’s never been any news."

"So her hair..."

"It turned white overnight."

Vesper couldn’t help but sigh in sympathy.

During the examination, she excused herself to use the restroom.

She had just rounded a corner after leaving the restroom when she unexpectedly bumped into someone.

"I’m sorry, are you..."

Vesper saw that the woman’s face was pale, and she had a devastated look in her eyes.

The woman mechanically bent down to pick up some scattered papers.

’It was Jared Hawthorne’s second aunt!’

She quickly bent down to help pick up the papers from the floor.

As she did, her eyes accidentally fell upon one of the documents: a DNA test report.

The results confirmed a biological parent-child relationship between Kevin Hawthorne and Aidan Hawthorne.

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