Chapter 578:

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Renee knew that once they had a child, all the plans she’d mapped out for herself would have to be thrown out the window.

After washing up, she checked her phone for messages. First, she dealt with the one from the studio, selecting a few projects that interested her and passing them to her staff to begin negotiations. Then she opened social media.

The moment she logged into Twitter, her eyes widened.

She didn’t even know when she had followed Alma, but Alma had just posted an update tagged in Livbon, Angland.

“Happy birthday, Vivian.”

So Vivian was in Angland?

Was it really just a coincidence that Marcelo had gone there too?

The smile on Renee’s face froze. A chill crept into her chest, turning her heart cold.

Renee sensed something was wrong.

Alma, who barely used social media anymore, was suddenly active on Twitter. Why the abrupt change after years of silence?

𝗥e𝗮𝘥 𝘸𝗶𝘁ho𝘶𝘁 𝘪n𝗍𝘦r𝘳𝘶𝗽t𝗂𝗼ո𝘴 on 𝗴а𝗹𝘯о𝘷𝗲l𝗌.𝗰𝗼𝗺

It was unusual, to say the least.

After thinking it over for a while, Renee sent Marcelo a single message: “.”

She wasn’t in the mood, and she had no interest in polite conversation—especially with Marcelo.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that he replied with a single question mark.

Renee set her art appreciation book aside and asked bluntly, “Are you in Livbon?”

“Yeah,” he answered.

Renee’s eyes narrowed. Didn’t he realize that a plain “yeah” sounded indifferent in casual conversation? She let out a small snort and sent him a screenshot of Alma’s post.

“What a coincidence!” she added, followed by a smiley emoji that looked more forced than cheerful.

Even from miles away, Marcelo caught the sarcasm.

Renee waited for a response—five long minutes—her earlier confidence draining away with each passing second.

Just as she was about to block him out of sheer frustration, Marcelo started a video call.

Renee answered, but Marcelo—apparently unfamiliar with video call etiquette—held the phone at an awkward angle, showing only half his face.

It was still afternoon in Livbon, several hours behind her time.

“Are you jealous?” he asked, sounding amused.

Irritated by the angle, Renee turned her camera toward the wall, showing only a strand of her hair. “Marcelo,” she said, “if you’d called ten seconds later, you’d be blocked on WhatsApp for a month.”

He sounded genuinely confused. “What?”

“Blocking you on WhatsApp,” she repeated.

Still unsatisfied, she added, “I was even thinking of going to the pharmacy.”

Marcelo’s expression shifted instantly. “Are you not feeling well?” he asked, concern tightening his features.

“Should I ask Damian to check on you?”

“No.” Renee kept her eyes on the wall. “I was thinking about buying emergency contraception.”

“Renee,” Marcelo called out, exasperated.

Then Renee heard a woman’s voice speaking to Marcelo on the other end of the call.

Her expression hardened, and her voice turned icy. “Are you with Vivian?”

The camera finally adjusted. A strand of long, feminine hair slipped into the frame first.

Renee was just about to end the call when a woman’s face appeared.

“Renee, hello! I’m Joselyn. Nice to meet you!” the woman greeted brightly.

She looked to be in her forties, with delicate features and long, curly black hair. She carried herself with a calm, elegant composure. Renee’s initial look of disgust, however, was still frozen on her face.

“Did you think Marcelo came to visit Miss Lambert?” Joselyn asked with a warm, teasing smile.

“I… um… sorry. I didn’t realize it was you…” Renee stammered, her ears burning with embarrassment. She wished the ground would swallow her whole.

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