Chapter 188 Yes, We Have a Child

Mrs. Thorne’s question was like a bolt from the blue, shattering the calm in the room. Julian Sterling’s dark eyes instantly locked onto Sophie Winslow. The air seemed to be sucked out of the space. A cold sweat broke out on Sophie’s back, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. She never expected things to take such a turn.

When Mrs. Thorne first touched her hand, Sophie had noticed her highly professional technique. Though alarm bells had immediately blared in her head, she had reacted a second too late.

Madam Sterling’s expression shifted as well. “No, that can’t be,” she said suspiciously. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

Taking advantage of the distraction, Sophie withdrew her hand, her tightly clenched fingers ice-cold. Worse still, Julian Sterling never took his eyes off her. His gaze felt like a blade, effortlessly piercing through her armor to uncover the secret she had painstakingly hidden. It made Sophie almost forget how to breathe. Desperately trying to compose her expression, she looked at Mrs. Thorne.

Mrs. Thorne looked at Sophie in confusion, scanning her up and down. “The pulse doesn’t lie. That is the profound mystery of traditional medicine; there is a distinct difference from a normal person. However, Mrs. Sterling’s pulse is quite faint. Logically speaking, it must have been quite a few years ago.”

Sophie hadn’t anticipated this situation today at all. Madam Sterling’s schemes always managed to strike exactly where it hurt the most.

Julian Sterling’s face remained almost expressionless, though his gaze sent a prickly chill down Sophie’s spine. His eyes were cold and clear as he asked, “Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”

“I’ve been treating patients and saving lives for decades,” Mrs. Thorne said with dissatisfaction. “I wouldn’t make a mistake simply reading a pulse.”

The atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze once more.

Madam Sterling suddenly looked at Sophie, her tone uncertain. “Why don’t you check her pulse again? Sophie and Julian have been married for seven years, and they definitely don’t have any children.”

She then explained to the couple, “Grandma Thorne has been practicing medicine in the area of The Serene Prefectures for decades. I specifically invited her here to help regulate your bodies. It’s simply unacceptable that you haven’t had a child after all these years. Let’s find out which one of you has the problem. Sophie, you need to hurry up. If worse comes to worst, you’ll have to undergo acupuncture and take medication.”

Even if they had to resort to IVF, she was determined to make them carry on the family line. That was the very reason she had called them back today. Who could have expected to hear such an absurd diagnosis? But they truly didn’t have any children—otherwise, they wouldn’t be this stunned and bewildered.

Mrs. Thorne couldn’t help but start doubting herself. “No children? What kind of normal couple goes seven years without having a child?”

The speaker meant no harm, but the words pierced right through the listener’s heart. Sophie felt as if she was once again forcefully reminded of all the wretched neglect she had suffered over the years.

“Mhm.” Julian Sterling’s lips moved slightly, his expression entirely aloof. “We don’t have children.”

Sophie refused to look at him. In that brief span of time, her mind raced at lightning speed. An immense wave of panic almost swallowed her whole. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and just run away, but she couldn’t. Fleeing would be as good as confessing the truth.

“Come now, let me check your pulse again.” Refusing to accept defeat, Mrs. Thorne grabbed Sophie’s hand without giving her a chance to object.

Sophie forcefully suppressed the urge to violently shake her off, knowing all too well that an outsized reaction would only look suspicious. As someone who also studied traditional medicine, she knew better than anyone that Mrs. Thorne was indeed highly skilled.

“Why don’t you examine Julian Sterling first? Perhaps it’s just that I’ve been too busy with work lately, and my body is severely drained,” Sophie said, stalling for time.

Mrs. Thorne thought about it and found the suggestion reasonable. She released Sophie and waved at Julian Sterling. “Let me take a look at you. Let your wife sit down and catch her breath.”

Julian Sterling’s thoughts were unreadable. He had been looking down, but he lifted his eyes at the sound of Mrs. Thorne’s voice. From the corner of his eye, his gaze lingered on Sophie’s seemingly normal profile for two seconds before he spoke, remaining motionless in his chair. “I’m perfectly fine. I just had a physical checkup not too long ago.”

It seemed his mind was made up. He wanted Mrs. Thorne to thoroughly examine Sophie to see exactly what was going on with her body.

Sophie’s heart skipped a heavy beat. She subconsciously glanced at him, only to be caught completely off guard. Julian Sterling had been staring right at her, and she crashed straight into his profound gaze. His look was sharp and piercing. Beneath its surface calm, it made her feel as if there was nowhere to hide.

Sophie held her breath, her eyes stinging. Today felt like a deliberate execution aimed solely at her. One wrong move, and she would be doomed beyond redemption. Her Lydia… She would absolutely never allow the Sterling Family to take her away!

“Why are you two so reluctant to see a doctor? This won’t do at all. How are you supposed to have children if you don’t nurse your bodies back to health?” Mrs. Thorne began to lecture, putting on the air of a veteran physician.

Madam Sterling was also clearly disturbed by the phrase “had a child before.” Frowning, she spoke to Sophie in displeasure. “Seven years! If another family’s daughter-in-law failed to produce a child for seven years, her in-laws would have demanded a divorce ages ago. But I haven’t pressured you all these years, have I? I haven’t tried to kick you out. I’ve treated you well enough, haven’t I? If the problem truly lies with your body, aren’t you just holding the Sterling Family back? If there’s an issue, treat it. Don’t be so willful.”

Word after word, they practically cornered Sophie. Every move she could make, forward or backward, felt like a mistake. It was as if the Sterling Family had bestowed immense charity upon her, and she was expected to grovel in gratitude.

Sophie suddenly realized that things had escalated to a point where she could no longer hide. Even if she refused, they would likely force her into submission right here and now. She knew Julian Sterling had been inexplicably watching her this entire time. She knew that with Julian Sterling’s sharp intuition, he must be… suspecting something. She didn’t look up.

Mrs. Thorne sat in front of Sophie once again. Mrs. Sterling walked over, grabbed Sophie’s hand, and half-forced it down onto the table, paying absolutely no heed to her wishes. Mrs. Thorne rested her fingers on Sophie’s pulse.

Julian Sterling sat motionless in his seat. With his legs crossed, the hand resting on his lap idly rubbed a lighter missing a few rhinestones. His deep, unreadable eyes remained fixed on Sophie’s flat stomach as the memories of the past few years flashed through his mind in rapid succession.

It was a long time before Mrs. Thorne finally spoke. “I was right.”

Julian Sterling instantly snapped his gaze toward her.

Even Mrs. Thorne found the matter unbelievable. “I didn’t misread the pulse earlier. Her pulse is telling me that it is distinctly different from that of a woman who hasn’t given birth. Traditional medicine has very clear indicators for whether a woman has been pregnant or not. I’ll stake my reputation on this.”

Madam Sterling was also stunned. “What does this mean? Sophie?”

As the stares fixed upon her turned into sharp blades, Sophie, her lips pale, slowly pulled her hand back and rolled down her sleeve.

“Yes.” Her voice was incredibly soft.

Julian Sterling’s thumb abruptly stopped rubbing the lighter.

Sophie raised her head, meeting his inscrutable gaze without flinching. Word by word, she declared, “We do, in fact, have a child.”