Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 353: Bad luck

Braelyn’s POV

In the end, money was everything. Mira stared at Joey, her eyes blurred with tears, but she couldn’t say anything in her defence for a full minute.

Mira could only stomp her foot and glare at Genny. "Just because you have his child doesn’t give you an advantage. Your family is below the Alvarez," she hissed and stormed away.

Genny stayed calm on the surface, but her fist silently clenched. Joey’s gaze drifted her way, but he didn’t say anything. It was the truth. Although the Moreaus were considered high society and elite, they were still way below the Alvarez, who were on a similar level to the Volkovs.

Genny’s family were not old money and only became wealthy in her grandfather’s generation. They were no comparison to the Alvarez in both wealth and reputation, and if they willed it, the Alvarez could buy their entire fortune.

Joey’s lips parted to say something but he was interrupted by Alora, who pulled his hand. "Daddy, I want to see the dresses," she urged him. His face immediately brightened. Joey chuckled, then bent over to carry Alora.

It was mind-blowing how much they looked alike despite being different genders. The head designer rushed forward.

"Please come this way. I will personally attend to the young miss."

I watched the father and daughter pair leave, and my lips couldn’t help but twitch, remembering a certain person was calling the other Bad Joey just a few minutes ago, and now they were best buddies.

Joey and Alora disappeared behind the door, leaving Genny stunned. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she snapped out of her daze.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. She sighed, then dragged her feet, moving away from the reception table in the direction Joey left, far enough to have some privacy.

"I am fine," she whispered. My gaze narrowed on her. There was so much she wasn’t telling me.

"What is going on with Joey?" I pressed, going straight to the point. She went silent for a while, probably figuring out how to tell me the truth.

Genny released a heavy sigh. "Joey and I made a deal," she started, drawing my attention.

"He is sick of the blind dates his mum sends him on and used the fact that I was the one who ran off to use Alora as his cover to delay any marriage prospects for now," she explained. It was feasible, but I felt there was more to the story.

"And Mira?" I asked.

"She is just an opportunist," Genny scoffed.

That was pretty much obvious. Something tugged at my thoughts. My gaze deepened on Genny, who was acting awkward around Joey.

"Do you still like him?"

Genny went silent at my question, then shook her head.

"He still loves Amelia, and I got over that crush. I am just worried the Alvarez family wouldn’t treat Alora well because of my family. To them, the Moreaus are nothing..." There was heaviness in her voice. This seemed like something she had been agonising over for a while.

I clapped her back. "I think you are just overthinking it," I said. Her eyes drifted towards me. The worry in them was obvious.

"Joey is the only child, which makes Alora the only granddaughter of the Alvarez. There is no way they would mistreat her, at least until he gets married."

My words didn’t ease her worry, but it was the truth. One of the reasons the Alvarez family was desperate to get Joey married off was because he was the sole heir.

They couldn’t take any risks, considering his love for extreme sports and lack of interest in the company. If his parents could have another child, they would have, but unfortunately, they couldn’t.

Although I had a feeling Joey wasn’t so simple. After all, Lucien once mentioned Joey founded New Horizon with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joey was playing some type of trick on his family.

*******

Christmas Eve arrived, and it was Alora’s birthday. The Alvarez family went all out for the event. For a six-year-old’s birthday, they booked the best event centre in the city and invited all the elite families. To say it was extravagant was an understatement.

From how glamorous the event was, it felt more like they wanted to announce little Alora as part of the family legacy rather than just celebrate her birthday.

Lucien was busy with some last-minute work, and I had to come on my own. I was a bit late for the event and quietly slipped in.

My goal was just to wish Alora a happy birthday and present my gift. I had no intention of staying long before running into anyone who would ruin my day.

Lynn: I just arrived. Where are you?

I texted Genny as soon as I got in. My eyes darted around the crowd, but I couldn’t catch any glimpse of Genny or Joey.

There was no reply from Genny. A waiter passed by with champagne. I was about to reach for one when my brain reminded me I was pregnant. My hand awkwardly froze halfway, and I pulled it back with a stiff smile.

There were a couple of curious glances coming my way, along with whispers I was immune to thanks to Raphael, who had made me popular. I ignored it all and moved to the dessert table. At least I could enjoy some mini cheesecake and a children’s juice box.

I missed drinking champagne.

I got to the dessert table and picked up a cheesecake, which I enjoyed while still searching for Genny. Down the hall, I spotted Alora, who was dressed like a princess in pink with a diamond tiara on her head.

Genny was worried for no reason because Mrs Alvarez absolutely adored Alora. Joey looked like his mother, making Alora a mini version of her grandmother. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Mrs Alvarez was showing off her granddaughter with a proud smile. It made me chuckle. She had no idea how troublesome Alora was, being a combination of Joey’s and Genny’s personalities.

Teenage Alora would be a piece of work.

The cheesecake was nice. I enjoyed every bite of it. After taking the last bite, I was about to get some juice when a sudden urge to throw up hit. The smell in the hall became overwhelming.

My stomach churned, and honestly, it was the first time I had felt something like this.

I didn’t think. My hand clamped over my mouth, and I ran, pushing through the crowd to the exit. Luckily, the restroom wasn’t far. I barged into the empty restroom and rushed to a sink before throwing up everything.

The cheesecake I just ate came out immediately, and still my stomach churned. My hand gripped the sink as I continued gagging.

I was still retching when the door was pushed open, and a familiar voice that made my stomach drop spoke in a trembling tone.

"Lynn..." he called shakily. "Are you pregnant?"

My body froze. I was too scared to turn around.

My luck couldn’t get any worse.