As if struck by a thought, Sophia Shaw quickly opened the company website. When she saw the face illuminated by the flames in the live broadcast, her own turned deathly pale!

「Grant Interstellar Rocket Launch Base.」

On the massive command platform, Vincent Grant and Joanna Sherman stood side by side, the cold wind making their navy blue work uniforms flap endlessly.

Data scrolled across the displays in front of them, and a robotic announcer’s voice held everyone’s hearts in a tight grip!

A cry of "Success!" and thunderous applause erupted both on and off the platform.

Joanna Sherman threw herself into Vincent Grant’s arms.

Through her phone screen, Sophia Shaw heard Vincent Grant say, "Eight years ago, you said you wanted to launch a rocket. We did it!"

A string deep inside her snapped.

So the tightly-guarded chief rocket engineer of Grant Horizon was Joanna Sherman! The rocket project Vincent Grant had insisted on was to fulfill her dream!

She shouldn’t have walked into that room back then. She had always wanted to do something to make it up to Vincent Grant for her transgression.

When she learned he was starting a rocket launch project, she gave it her all, using everything she had ever learned to help him!

At this moment, Sophia Shaw didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. A storm of emotions raged in her chest.

It hurts. It hurts so much. Vincent Grant has no dreams of his own. Everything he does is for Joanna Sherman!

Starting the company was for her.

And this is, too!

She foolishly gave it her all, only to end up helping the person who hurt her the most!

Sophia Shaw clutched her phone, masochistically watching the two of them embrace. Her heart felt as if it had been pierced by countless throwing knives, leaving it hollow and full of holes.

She didn’t know how long had passed before the ringing of her phone startled her.

It was Vincent Grant.

"You were looking for me a couple of days ago?" The man’s voice was cold and distant.

Sophia Shaw was just about to tell him about the baby when Vincent Grant changed the subject. "Cedric wants to stay at the base for a while. I’ll be responsible for him during this time."

"Okay." She had just given birth; she couldn’t take care of Cedric Grant. "Vincent..."

He hung up.

Staring blankly at the dark phone screen, a bitter smile touched Sophia Shaw’s lips. Other than discussing Cedric Grant, Vincent Grant showed no desire to communicate with her at all.

In their situation, having a second child is completely out of the question.

But in the fifth year of their marriage, she had clearly felt his attitude towards her improving, and he hadn’t objected when the family suggested having a second child.

She had wholeheartedly believed it was the start of him accepting her and had happily begun trying for a baby.

Who could have known that Joanna Sherman would suddenly return?

Every time she closed her eyes, images of Vincent Grant embracing Joanna Sherman flashed uncontrollably through her mind.

Every thought was another sharp stab to her heart.

In their six years of marriage, Vincent Grant had never once held her. The embrace she longed for but could never have, Joanna Sherman received with such ease.

"Oh my! How did the jaundice spread to her feet!"

Ms. Archer, who was changing Bun’s diaper by the bed, suddenly exclaimed in a low voice.

Sophia Shaw looked over at the sound and saw that the tiny foot in Ms. Archer’s palm was a dark, sallow yellow.

Her heart lurched!

Normal physiological jaundice could never spread this far!

Ms. Archer quickly ran to find a doctor.

An examination confirmed Sophia Shaw’s fears: pathological jaundice!

Bun was rushed to the treatment room for phototherapy.

Sophia Shaw stumbled after them. The phone she was clutching contained information about pathological jaundice she had just looked up.

Cerebral palsy, developmental delays, hearing loss...

Every word sent her hands and feet turning ice-cold as her entire body began to shake. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Ms. Archer’s comforting words sounded like they were coming from underwater, distant and muffled, unable to reach her.

She had to grip the hem of Ms. Archer’s shirt just to keep herself from collapsing.

Ms. Archer wrapped a sympathetic arm around her and sighed silently. How can they expect a woman who has just given birth to handle such a crisis all on her own?

Then, Bun started to run a fever. Her tiny body was burning bright red, and she writhed in discomfort, her little mouth open, letting out soft whimpers of pain.

The fever had to be brought down before the phototherapy could continue.

Seeing her in so much pain, Sophia Shaw’s heart ached as if a hole had been gouged out of it.

Unable to suffer in Bun’s place, all she could do was hold her and try to bring her fever down, over and over again.

By dawn, the fever had finally broken.

Ms. Archer took Bun and gently urged Sophia Shaw to lie on the bed. "I’ll watch over her during the phototherapy. You should get some proper rest. You have a long road of child-rearing ahead of you, don’t ruin your health."

Sophia Shaw nodded weakly. After sitting up for most of the night, her back ached as if it would break, and her not-yet-fully-healed incision throbbed with stabbing pains.

In the afternoon, Ms. Archer finally brought good news.

Bun’s jaundice was starting to subside.

Sophia Shaw’s taut nerves finally relaxed, and Ms. Archer quickly ordered some food for her.

Ms. Archer watched her eat, head bowed, taking one small bite at a time. She was so weak that she lurched forward even while bracing herself against the table, prompting Ms. Archer to sigh deeply.

She spoke up, "You can’t let anything happen to a newborn. If even one small thing goes wrong, the whole family worries to death.

"There’s another child in the phototherapy room who was also diagnosed with pathological jaundice last night. The couple brought their little one over in a hurry with their older son. The whole family of three insists on staying with the baby; none of them is willing to leave.

"That older brother is only five or six. I hear he stayed up all night and still refuses to leave."

The hand Sophia Shaw was using to hold her spoon paused. Ms. Archer quickly fell silent, an apologetic look on her face.

She spoke too freely. She forgot that Sophia Shaw doesn’t have any family here with her.

Sophia Shaw gave a small smile, as if to say it was nothing. But the thick soup in her mouth turned bitter.

How wonderful it would be if my little Bun could also have her father’s and brother’s love!

After eating, Sophia Shaw had regained some strength.

Still worried about Bun, she headed to the phototherapy room herself while Ms. Archer was washing the dishes.

Standing at the door of the treatment room were Vincent Grant and Cedric Grant.

Sophia Shaw’s heart leaped, and for a moment, she forgot how to walk.

"Dad, please, can you ask Auntie Joanna for me? I don’t want to go back, I want to keep watching over my sister," Cedric Grant said to Vincent Grant, his voice pitiful.

Joanna Sherman, dressed in a white chiffon blouse and a light gray A-line skirt, walked over gracefully. "Cedric, you’ve been watching for a whole day and night. If you keep this up, it will be bad for your health."

"You’ve all been here just as long."

"We’re adults, you’re a child."

The moment she saw Joanna Sherman, Sophia Shaw’s leaping heart plummeted into a bottomless abyss.

So the "family of three" Ms. Archer was talking about... was them!

Because Joanna Sherman was telling him to go home, Cedric Grant was so upset that his lips were pressed tightly together, and the rims of his eyes turned red.