Chapter 656

The evening at the Wells manor started with a scream. When Susan arrived, Jimmy moved with such clinical precision to block her path that Susan nearly lost her temper.

"I’m pregnant, Susan! Jimmy is just on edge," Hannah called out, hurrying toward them.

The news hit Susan like a physical shock. "What?! When? Why didn't you tell me?!" She pushed past Jimmy—who remained hovering like a hawk—and began a barrage of questions about morning sickness and due dates.

As they walked inside, the mood shifted. "I suffered like hell when I was pregnant," Susan murmured, her voice suddenly small. The memory of the baby she had lost—Manuel’s baby—welled up, a phantom pain that never truly went away.

Hannah squeezed her hand. "You'll have babies again, Susan."

Susan nodded, though a bitter thought crossed her mind: But will they be his?

To distract herself, Susan listened to Hannah complain about Oscar’s "overreactions." From hiring extra guards to treating Hannah like she was made of glass, Oscar had become a different man. They laughed over the absurdity of Theodore Wold becoming a father to "Little Bunny’s" baby, and Susan marveled at Hannah’s ability to navigate the complex lives of the men around her.

"You have a superpower, Hannah," Susan said. "You chose the 'notorious' Oscar over the 'promising' Charles, and now look at you. If I were half as smart as you, my love life wouldn't be such a disaster."

When Oscar returned from his dinner party, Susan took it as her cue to leave. She knew he was heading out on a trip the next day and needed time with his wife.

In the back of the car, Susan drifted into a daze, the neon lights of the city blurring into memories of Manuel sitting in this very seat beside her.

"Miss Phillips?" Jimmy’s voice broke the silence.

"Are we there?"

"Not yet." Jimmy watched her through the rearview mirror. His next words were uncharacteristically blunt. "Are you good with Mr. Johnson?"

Susan blinked, surprised. "Not really."

"Do you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"If you don't love him, stay away from him," Jimmy said, his voice flat and honest. "It isn’t good to be a two-timer. Manuel deserves better."

Susan sat in stunned silence. Even the driver saw her as a villain. She realized then that the "wilderness" Oscar and his cousins grew up in had forged a loyalty among their staff that she could never penetrate.

Back at the manor, Hannah waited for Oscar to finish his shower. When he emerged, water dripping from his hair and a towel slung low on his hips, she pointedly looked at the wall.

"We must restrain ourselves for our baby girl," Oscar teased, seeing her blush.

Hannah sighed, refusing to argue about the gender of the baby. She knew the next few days would be long without him, but as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, the weight of the "baby girl" comment felt a little lighter.