Chapter 356 - 340: The Note Slipped into Her Palm 3

Erin Irving seemed to have it in for Georgia Thorne, his eyes glinting with an inscrutable light. "You’re really not drinking?"

"Not unless you want to force a pregnant woman to drink, President Irving!" Georgia Thorne said candidly, raising an eyebrow and moving her hand away.

Surprise flashed in Erin Irving’s eyes, but he quickly concealed his emotions, his expression returning to its usual cold austerity. "Then I suppose you can’t drink."

Georgia Thorne murmured in agreement, and the atmosphere in the private room immediately grew tense.

Sylvie and the others cast curious glances at Georgia Thorne and Erin Irving. Georgia was her usual self, but Erin Irving’s expression was grim.

It was as if someone had done something to displease him.

The work dinner ended quickly.

Before it ended, Georgia Thorne picked up the glass of juice in front of her, stood up, and said, "I have a couple of things I’d like to say!"

Her gaze swept over everyone present before finally landing on Erin Irving. "There’s something I have to say. I’ve been hiding it from everyone for a long time, and since we’re all here today, it’s the perfect opportunity to tell you all!"

"I’m almost three months pregnant!"

"Pregnant? Miss Thorne, you’re pregnant!" Sylvie shot to her feet in astonishment. She had drunk too much and swayed unsteadily, bracing her hands on the table. "Why didn’t you tell us!"

"I’m sorry for hiding it from you. I originally thought being pregnant wouldn’t interfere with my work, but I was wrong. Pregnancy is very demanding. Over the past few months, trying to juggle work while taking care of my body has left me feeling completely overwhelmed. For that reason, I’d like to leave the studio." Georgia Thorne’s gaze shifted to Erin Irving.

Her meaning was perfectly clear. The only question was what Erin Irving thought of it.

The latter didn’t respond. Luther, sitting opposite them, said, "You’re leaving? What’s going to happen to the studio?"

"Yeah, Miss Thorne..." Sylvie, drunk, started to stutter, slurring her words. "Miss Thorne, we can help you take care of the baby. Please stay, won’t you?"

Felix Sinclair, however, did not join in the chorus of persuasion. Like Erin Irving, he remained silent, offering no comment on Georgia’s departure.

When the dinner ended, Georgia had just stepped out of the private room when Erin Irving, who was beside her, forcefully grabbed her arm and yanked her into his arms.

An unfamiliar scent washed over her, and a wave of panic hit her. She struggled with all her might.

Just then, Sam Yates, who had just parked the car by the entrance, saw the situation and immediately got out.

He hurried over to Georgia. "Ma’am!"

As his voice fell, she felt Erin Irving’s grip on her arm tighten.

She turned her head and shot Sam Yates a look, signaling him not to come over. ’I can handle this myself.’

Sam Yates understood and stopped in his tracks, but he was still uneasy about Georgia being alone with Erin Irving, so he kept a certain distance.

"President Irving, what are you doing? Please let go!"

The harder he gripped her, the more panicked Georgia became. Joanne Donovan’s words swirled in her mind like an unshakable curse.

’Erin Irving has a crush on me. That’s a truly terrifying thought.’

"You want to leave? You think it’s that easy?"

Georgia was speechless.

Just as Georgia thought the man was about to lose his temper, Erin Irving suddenly released her arm and resumed his gentlemanly smile.

"A pregnant woman does indeed need plenty of rest. Take good care of yourself."

Georgia was baffled.

Even on the way home, Georgia couldn’t figure out what Erin Irving meant.

’Does he want me to leave, or not?’

’Judging by his aggressive attitude, it seemed like he wouldn’t let her leave, but his last sentence was completely inscrutable.’

Ever since Georgia became pregnant, Sharon Ennis’s concern for her had risen to a whole new level.

She supervised her meals morning, noon, and night, making sure she ate on time and didn’t let work cause her to starve the baby in her belly.

As a result, Georgia usually hadn’t even started to feel hungry before Sharon Ennis was already urging her to eat.

And before bed, she had to drink a special soup that Sharon Ennis had someone prepare.

Georgia had just gotten home and finished her shower when Sharon Ennis came in with a bowl of soup.

"Come on, drink this soup!"

Georgia took a sip. The fishy taste wasn’t too strong, so she drank it all in one go.

She set the bowl aside. "Mom, there’s something I want to tell you."

"Go on, what is it?"

"It’s about work. I’m planning to take a break for a while. I’ll go back to work after the baby is born."

"Oh, that’s wonderful. It’s best if you can rest at home and focus on the pregnancy," Sharon Ennis said, pleased. "Your belly may be small now, but in a few more months, it’ll get bigger and bigger. You’ll feel tired after just running a few steps!"

Sharon Ennis also felt for Georgia. If her job was a quiet one sitting in an office, that would be one thing, but she was constantly running around outside, which was far too tiring.

Georgia hummed in agreement, her hand resting on her belly.

Almost three months. Her belly was already starting to show a little.

At the three-month mark, Sharon Ennis planned to take Georgia to the hospital for a prenatal check-up to see how the baby was developing.

On Saturday, the two of them arrived at the hospital and found quite a few people waiting to register at the obstetrics and gynecology department.

"You sit here. I’ll go register for you!"

"Mom, you should sit. I can go by myself!"

"You sit down. It’s too much for a pregnant woman to stand for a long time. Don’t argue with me about this!" Sharon Ennis pressed down on Georgia’s shoulders, making her sit.

To be honest, the last time Sharon Ennis had truly felt like a mother-in-law was when Hillary was pregnant.

Now Selena was already so big. Fortunately, Sharon had finally gotten her a daughter-in-law, allowing her to realize this dream once more.

Registering, waiting, and then the examination took up the entire morning.

The ultrasound results came out, showing that the baby was developing normally in all aspects and there were no other issues.

Sharon Ennis was relieved to hear that. "As long as everything’s okay!"

Sharon Ennis was also a superstitious person. On the way back, she said to Georgia, "We should go to the temple another day to light some incense and pray for the safety of you and the baby."

Georgia naturally had no objection and agreed.

Since Erin Irving hadn’t given her a clear answer, Georgia went to work as usual on Monday.

The studio was as busy as ever. Georgia had just walked in and put down her bag when she started working.

She didn’t have a moment to catch her breath until noon. Such a hectic work schedule was indeed physically and mentally exhausting.

Sylvie sat across from her, holding a lunchbox. "Miss Thorne, are you really leaving the studio?"

"Yes. The baby is very important to me. I hope to give birth without any stress and then go back to work."

Hearing this, Sylvie sighed dolefully. "Miss Thorne, I really don’t want you to go!"

In truth, Georgia wanted to leave, but without a definitive word from Erin Irving, she couldn’t.

Erin Irving and Joanne Donovan’s wedding was about to take place, and the event had been generating a lot of buzz over the past few days.

Everyone at their studio received an invitation to the wedding.

The ceremony was to be held at a church, after which the reception would move to a five-star hotel.

To show the world his affection for Joanne Donovan, Erin Irving planned a grand wedding, inviting all the city’s rich and famous.

Inside the church, Georgia stood at the very back, watching the bride and groom standing face-to-face at the front. Under the pastor’s guidance, they exchanged vows and rings, then kissed amidst the cheers of the crowd.

It should have been an incredibly dreamy and beautiful wedding, but with Erin Irving and Joanne Donovan, it all seemed rather ridiculous.

Because their marriage was a complete sham from start to finish. The two of them were just putting on a show.

As Erin Irving and Joanne Donovan kissed, a figure approached and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

Without turning around, Georgia knew who it was.

"Do you like this kind of wedding?"

"I used to, but not anymore."

After saying this, Georgia turned and walked outside, but the man beside her remained.

He stood his ground, his gaze lingering on the newlywed couple being celebrated by the crowd.

’A double entendre. "I used to, but not anymore..."’

’Heh...’

Justin Sullivan felt that he had become utterly ridiculous. He had wanted to become a better person for Georgia, but he didn’t realize that in the process, he had inadvertently lost her.

By the time he wanted to turn back and find her, he discovered she already had someone to lean on.

And he could never get back the Georgia who had belonged to him.

Perhaps for the rest of his life, he could only search for her shadow in his memories.

He now envied Elliot Sheridan. He envied the feelings Georgia had for him.

Even when he was in prison and had asked Georgia for a divorce himself, she hadn’t been willing to leave him.

Georgia, having walked out, wanted to clear her head. Everyone inside was envying the newlyweds, but none of them knew it was all just a ploy by Erin Irving.

’How ridiculous that a man who would even use his own marriage for power could supposedly have a crush on her.’

The sound of footsteps echoed from behind her. It was rare for her to want some peace and quiet, yet someone always had to come and bother her.

Before the person could get close, Georgia spoke. "I thought you understood what I meant."

"Oh? You haven’t said a thing to me. How am I supposed to understand what you mean?"

Georgia turned her head and saw it wasn’t Justin Sullivan approaching, but Dylan Heston. She gave an awkward smile.

"Um, I thought you were..."

Dylan Heston cut her off nonchalantly. "Sharon asked me to pass on a message to you. Be careful for a while, and don’t believe a word anyone says."

Georgia froze for a moment, then looked up at Dylan Heston expectantly. "What did he say?"

Dylan Heston glanced around warily. After confirming no one was there, he leaned in closer to Georgia. "He said you’re not to trust anyone."