Chapter 986:

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Lianne’s POV:

After I collapsed last time, Ethan told me no more work. He wasn’t making a suggestion — he had already made up his mind, and there was no room left for me to argue.

Noah took over control of the studio while I remained trapped at home, filling my days with meals, naps, aimless walks, sunlight, and ridiculous television programs that required almost no thought. I felt less like a person than a spoiled animal kept behind beautiful bars.

Tracy had called me early that morning.

“Lianne! Are you doing anything today? I’m losing my mind over here!” Her excitement came through the phone clearly. “Jeremy had to head into the office, and he finally agreed to let me out. I’m bored by myself. Come shopping with me! I need to buy some clothes and shoes for the baby.”

I laughed softly. “Absolutely. I’m about to die from boredom myself.”

Once the call ended, I went downstairs to eat. Ethan was already in the kitchen — breakfast had been prepared, with fried eggs, bacon, and toast arranged across the table.

Seeing him cook was unusual enough to surprise me. I took my seat, nudged the egg on my plate with my fork, and asked, “What happened? How did you suddenly find time to make breakfast?”

He kept working without looking my way. “I’m afraid you’ll lose your mind sitting around all day, so I thought I’d give you something useful to do. You’re handling the dishes afterward.”

The 𝘣𝗲𝗌𝘁 𝘳e𝘢𝘥𝗶𝘯𝗴 е𝘹𝗽е𝗿i𝘦𝘯c𝘦 о𝗇 g𝘢ln𝗈𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘀.с𝗼𝗆

I gave him an exaggerated pout. “That’ll take barely any time. Why not let me go back to work instead?”

He gave me a brief look and said nothing. That silence told me everything — there was absolutely no chance he was going to change his mind yet.

After we finished eating, Jeremy came by with Tracy. Not long afterward, the two men left together for work. Before getting into the car, Ethan bent toward me and kissed my forehead. His voice softened as he reminded me, “Don’t stay out too long. Come home early, and take it easy.”

“Got it,” I said, nodding before leaving for the mall with Tracy.

The moment we arrived, we made our way into a baby boutique. Tracy was practically glowing with excitement. She picked up one tiny outfit after another, holding each against herself as she debated aloud. “Look at this pink one — isn’t it adorable? And this blue one is gorgeous too. What do you think?”

I smiled and helped her decide, occasionally pointing out which pieces I liked best.

We had barely spent much time there before deciding to check another shop. As we rounded the corner, however, we came face-to-face with someone neither of us wanted to see.

It was Daisy Moreno, Jeremy’s ex.

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