Chapter 294: Chance Encounter

One day in August, Grandma Faulkner and Julian accompanied Vivian to the hospital for her prenatal checkup.

Vivian looked at her slightly swollen belly, feeling a sense of wonder. “Is this the little life growing inside me?” she thought.

She was four months pregnant.

She had heard that around this time, a mother could slowly begin to feel the baby’s movements. Yet, Vivian felt only stillness in her belly; there was no reaction at all.

“Could it be… is something wrong with the baby?” Vivian couldn’t help but ask the doctor during her ultrasound.

Hearing this, the doctor smiled and replied, “Mrs. Faulkner, please don’t worry! The baby is perfectly fine, and the fetal heartbeat is normal! As for the fetal movements… I think it might just be because the baby is still quite small.

“Some babies are more active in the womb and show movement at four months, but it’s also completely normal to feel them a bit later, around five months. You don’t need to worry too much.

“Just continue with your daily routine and take good care of yourself. There’s no problem at all!”

The doctor’s words were incredibly reassuring. Vivian felt much more at ease, and even Grandma Faulkner, who was standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief.

“I told you so!” Grandma Faulkner said. “Vivian, you just worry too much. The baby is doing wonderfully!”

Vivian nodded. It was her first time being a mother, and she lacked experience in every aspect. She had simply been too nervous, terrified that something might be wrong with the child.

She had read online that some mothers didn’t pay enough attention during their pregnancies and were completely unaware when their babies stopped developing in the womb. They would only go to the doctor after feeling stomach discomfort, nearly losing their children in the process.

The more Vivian read, the more frightened she became, which was why she had come for her checkup ahead of schedule.

As it turned out, she was overthinking it.

“As long as everything is fine,” Vivian said, glancing apologetically at Grandma Faulkner. “I was just too anxious. I made you and Julian worry, it’s my fault!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Grandma Faulkner didn’t mind at all. She smiled affectionately, holding Vivian’s hand. “You are the most precious person in our family right now. It’s only right to be a little careful.

“Alright, it’s already ten o’clock. Shall we head home first? Julian, don’t you have to go back to the company? I’ll accompany Vivian home to rest!”

“Okay,” Julian agreed, intending to have Vance Wyatt drive Grandma Faulkner and Vivian back.

Grandma Faulkner waved her hand dismissively. “Just let Shaw drive. Vance is your assistant. How can he just keep following us around?

“When he follows you, he’s handling important business. Isn’t it a waste of his talents to follow us? Vance, you should go drive Julian!”

Vance gave a dry laugh.

“A waste of my talents?” he thought.

He knew President Faulkner definitely wouldn’t see it that way. In President Faulkner’s eyes, ensuring his family’s safety was an incredibly important task!

“That works…” Fortunately, Julian yielded.

Grandma Faulkner continued to support Vivian as they left the hospital.

After leaving the obstetrics and gynecology department and stepping into the elevator, Vivian caught a glimpse of someone familiar.

Not far away, a person wearing a hospital gown looked surprisingly like Shelly Lowell.

And the people accompanying Shelly, besides the equally familiar Joy Drake, seemed to include… Mason Grant?

The elevator doors quickly slid shut. Vivian stared in that direction, wanting to get a closer look, but she lost the chance.

“What’s wrong?” Noticing Vivian’s sudden change in expression, Grandma Faulkner worried that she was feeling unwell and came over to ask.

Vivian shook her head and forced a smile. “It’s nothing. My chest just feels a bit tight. It might be a little pregnancy reaction again!”

Since getting pregnant, Vivian had frequently felt nauseous and uncomfortable. Now that she was four months along, she felt much better. She only experienced these symptoms in the mornings or during car rides.

It wasn’t severe—just a stifling feeling rather than an actual urge to vomit.