Days passed, and Rain began experiencing the typical symptoms of her first trister, morning sickness and an intense craving for sour foods, particularly green mangoes.
"Seriously?" Sanya murmured, watching Rain savor slices of green mango dipped in a mix of fish sauce and powdered sugar.
"It tastes good! Try it," Rain said with a grin, clearly enjoying her snack. Dinner had just ended, but Rain had gone to the kitchen to satisfy her craving. Sanya, curious, followed her back to the living room, where they settled to watch the news.
"No thanks," Sanya replied, wrinkling her nose. "I’d rather have ripe mangoes. That’s way too sour for ." She started flipping through channels.
"Sanya, can we have sothing sour in the soup tomorrow? Like a sour soup with at, vegetables, and tamarind broth," Rain requested with a hopeful smile.
Sanya chuckled, shaking her head in amusent. "Alright, fine. I’ll prepare that tomorrow. Do you also want to pack you so green mangoes for the office?"
Rain’s face lit up, and she eagerly nodded. "Yes, please!"
Sanya laughed again. "You’re really leaning into these cravings, huh? At this rate, I’ll have to start stocking tamarind and green mangoes by the truckload."
Rain shrugged playfully. "What can I say? Baby wants what baby wants."
"Fair enough," Sanya said with a grin.
Sanya glanced at her wristwatch and humd thoughtfully. "I wonder what those two are talking about. They seem to be taking a while."
Rain rely shrugged, unfazed, as she continued munching on her green mangoes, dipping each slice into the fish sauce mixed with sugar. "Who knows? Probably sothing important. You know how they get."
In the study, Alexander and William were deep in discussion about sothing important. Rain usually joined these etings, but tonight she wasn’t in the mood. She knew Alexander would fill her in later.
Sanya smirked, leaning back on the couch. "Important, sure, but they better not drag it out too long. I’m starting to get curious."
Rain chuckled, savoring another bite. "You? Curious? Never!" she teased sarcastically, earning a playful nudge from Sanya.
"So, are you and Alexander really going tomorrow night?" Sanya suddenly asked, her eyes on the TV. She was referring to the annual gala hosted by Lane, Inc., a prestigious event attended by prominent figures. The family of Sebastian Lane was as influential and wealthy as the Lancasters, making the gala a significant social affair.
"Of course. Why wouldn’t we?" Rain replied with a slight pout as she popped another mango slice into her mouth.
"Well, for one, Carla will be there," Sanya teased. "She’s not exactly great for your mood, and I don’t want my future godchild looking like her. You know the old saying... when you’re pregnant and annoyed by soone, your baby might resemble them."
Rain laughed but shook her head. "No way. Carla doesn’t bother at all. I’m just going to enjoy the party with my husband. Besides, the Lancaster family always attends these events, and we’re part of the family now. It’s only right that we’re there."
Sanya smirked knowingly. "Hmm, or maybe you just want to make sure Carla doesn’t pull anything with Alexander?"
Rain shrugged, a faint smile playing on her lips. She couldn’t deny it, there was so truth in Sanya’s words. After all, she didn’t trust Carla one bit.
Sanya leaned back on the couch, smirking at Rain. "You know, I don’t bla you. Carla is always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. It’s like she thrives on attention, especially when it cos to Alexander."
Rain rolled her eyes, setting her empty plate on the coffee table. "She can thrive all she wants; it doesn’t matter. And if Carla tries anything again, well..." She trailed off, her fingers lightly brushing her growing belly.
Sanya raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Well, what?"
Rain’s face darkened as she declared, "I won’t go easy on her anymore. I’ve had enough. The last ti was the only generosity I could muster... for the sake of her parents, who were good to ."
Before Sanya could respond, Alexander entered the room, his brow furrowing as he caught sight of her plate. "What are you eating?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity and mild concern.
"Unripe mangoes," Rain replied with a mischievous grin, holding up another slice as if to tease him.
Alexander’s frown deepened as he crossed his arms. "And how many of these have you had today?"
Rain shrugged playfully, not missing the amused look on Sanya’s face. "A few. Why?"
Alexander sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know too much sour food isn’t good for you or the baby."
Sanya chuckled, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Relax, Alexander. She’s just indulging a craving. It’s part of the pregnancy experience."
Rain grinned and popped another slice into her mouth. "Exactly. And don’t worry; I balanced it out with dinner earlier."
Alexander shook his head but leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Just promise you’ll be careful. No overindulging, okay?"
"I promise," Rain said, her smile softening as she looked up at him. "Are you finish discussing things with William?"
Alexander nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Yes. I didn’t want to keep you waiting."
Rain smiled up at him. "I wasn’t waiting. I was busy enjoying my mangoes."
"Let’s take this upstairs and head to bed," Alexander said, grabbing her plate.
Rain looped her arm around his as they bid Sanya goodnight. Together, they climbed the stairs, moving at a leisurely pace.
"Do you still plan on going to work?" Alexander asked, his tone curious but concerned.
"Of course," Rain replied without hesitation. "As long as I’m healthy and everything’s fine with the baby, I want to keep working. But don’t worry, I’ll stop the mont it becos too much or if it puts our baby at risk. So far, I feel fine, and my pregnancy doesn’t seem to be sensitive."
Alexander nodded as they entered their bedroom. He placed the plate on the side table while Rain sat down, happily continuing to eat her green mangoes.
Sitting beside her, Alexander watched her intently, his gaze soft and thoughtful. "You’ve really embraced the cravings, haven’t you?"
Rain grinned, dipping another slice of mango into her fish sauce and sugar mix. "Cravings are a part of the journey. Besides, it’s not like I’m overindulging," she reasoned with a grin.
Alexander chuckled softly and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just promise you’ll let know if you feel the slightest discomfort, okay? You and the baby are my top priorities."
Rain paused her eating, eting his eyes. "I promise. And I know you’ll take care of us, Alexander. You always do."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Always."
"Rain," Alexander murmured, grabbing her hand gently. She turned to him, her brows furrowed in curiosity. "What is it?"
"I heard you plan to use Dina as bait... and apparently, we’ve already discovered who pulled her out of prison," Alexander began, his tone serious.
Her frown deepened as she asked, "Who?"
"It’s Rico Alvarez," Alexander said evenly, watching her reaction. "Sanya’s biological father."
"What?!" Rain exclaid, her voice filled with disbelief. She stared at him, trying to process the shocking revelation.
Alexander nodded and continued, "William is likely discussing this with Sanya right now."
Rain’s mind raced. "What kind of coincidence is this?" she muttered, her tone sharp with frustration.
Rain’s mind spun as she processed the revelation. She already knew about Sanya’s biological father, Rico Alvarez, from Sanya herself. Sanya had confided in her about how dangerous the man was, so much so that William had gone to extre lengths to protect Sanya’s mother, even creating a new identity for her to ensure her safety.
But now, to hear that Rico Alvarez was involved with Dina? How was that even possible? The last she’d heard from Sanya, Rico Alvarez had taken a flight bound for their country.
And now this? How did he go from that to being connected to Dina?
Rain’s hands balled into fists as frustration and worry churned within her. If Rico was this deeply entrenched in Dina’s affairs, it ant the situation was far more complex and far more dangerous than any of them had anticipated.
"I know," Alexander agreed. "William isn’t wasting any ti. He’s making preparations as we speak. The plan is to take Rico Alvarez down and have Dina arrested. Once that’s done, he’ll question Rico and uncover why he’s keeping Dina with him."
Rain crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering. "When will William make his move?"
"Tonight," Alexander revealed. "He’s flying to Palan Island with his team."
Rain gasped, worry etched across her face. "But this could be dangerous..."
Alexander squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry. William is overseeing the operation, but he won’t be out in the field himself. He knows how to handle this."
Rain took a deep breath, her mind still spinning. "I just hope everything goes according to plan. If Rico Alvarez is involved, it’s bound to get ssy. That man is a mafia and a criminal at another country."
Alexander placed his other hand over hers, his voice calm yet firm. "It will be fine, Rain. We’ll see this through, and we’ll protect what matters most."
She nodded, though the unease lingered in her heart. "We don’t have a choice but to trust William and his team. Let’s just pray this ends tonight."
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