Chapter 377 - 357: Who Are You Talking About? 4

Sometimes, silence is more terrifying than an outburst. Aidan Sheridan wasn’t as grief-stricken as expected. He simply closed his eyes in silence.

He remained that way, silent, for two whole days.

Even when James Sheridan and Sharon Ennis spoke to him, Aidan Sheridan remained withdrawn and silent.

This continued until William, who had been gone for two days, appeared at the hospital. He went into the room and spoke with Aidan Sheridan for over an hour.

Afterward, Aidan Sheridan was a changed man. He said something unexpected to everyone: "I’m going to be strong."

"Even if it’s not for myself, I’ll live on for my sister. I can feel her inside me."

Quentin Chase’s funeral was held on the third day—the same day Aidan Sheridan had his breakthrough.

Fresh from surgery, he insisted on attending Quentin Chase’s funeral to see her off one last time.

There weren’t many people at the funeral.

Georgia Thorne, dressed in a long black dress, held Miles’s hand. "You need to be a good boy in a moment. Say a proper goodbye to your mother. Don’t make her sad, understand?"

No matter how mature he was for his age, Miles was still a child. He couldn’t accept that his mother had been reduced to the cold headstone before him.

He desperately clung to Georgia Thorne’s sleeve, refusing to budge as he broke into a wail. "That’s not my mommy! I want my mommy!"

The child’s cries brought tears to Sharon Ennis’s eyes.

"Don’t cry. You’ll make your mother sad. Be a good boy and come with Grandma."

Sharon Ennis took the boy from Georgia Thorne’s hands and led him to the headstone, prompting him to kneel.

Miles looked at the photo on the headstone. It was his mother, all right, but his mother wasn’t supposed to be cold.

His mother was warm. He let out another wail and burst into tears again.

Seeing the boy cry, Carter Sheridan found it unbearable and started to step forward to comfort him, but Elliot Sheridan grabbed his shoulder, holding him back.

"Brother, Georgia and I have discussed it. I’m taking on this responsibility for Quentin. We’ll bring him up from now on."

Carter Sheridan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he ultimately said nothing. He didn’t have much of a connection with the boy.

After the funeral, Georgia Thorne took the boy’s hand, but he immediately wrenched it free and ran to Elliot Sheridan’s side.

The boy was still wary of her.

Elliot Sheridan scolded Miles, and the boy, who had just started to calm down, became agitated all over again.

In the end, Sharon Ennis had to console him. "The boy is just not used to Georgia yet. It’ll get better once they’ve spent some time together."

Elliot Sheridan shot Miles a warning look before turning to put an arm around Georgia Thorne’s shoulders. "I’m fine," Georgia said. "Don’t be so harsh with him."

On the day Quentin Chase was shot, Ethan Fletcher had arrived soon after, bringing the police with him.

They arrested Joanne Donovan, Erin Irving, and their accomplices.

Joanne Donovan was sentenced to life in prison for murder. Erin Irving, however, was acquitted.

The reason being that Isaac Irving had taken the fall for everything.

He confessed to planning the kidnapping, as well as orchestrating Elliot Sheridan’s car accident years ago.

On the day of his acquittal, Erin Irving discreetly attended the sentencing to hear the verdict.

As expected, Isaac Irving received the same sentence as Joanne Donovan: life in prison.

The moment he stepped out of the courtroom after the sentencing, he was swarmed by a pack of sharp-eyed reporters asking for his reaction.

Georgia Thorne was on a break, sipping some water, when the news flashed on TV. It showed Erin Irving, his face grim, turning away from the cameras without a word.

She took a sip of water just as a text came in from Elliot Sheridan, asking what she was up to.

She texted back, "I just saw the news. About Erin Irving."

"Yeah," Elliot’s text came back. "Isaac Irving took the rap for him. He sacrificed his own father so he could walk free."

’But he looked so tormented,’ she thought.

She took another sip of water, and then her phone rang. It was Elliot Sheridan.

Her ringtone was turned up loud, making her jump. She fumbled with the phone, nearly dropping it, before quickly answering, "What’s up?"

"Is that little rascal with you? Is he behaving?"

"He’s being very good... Don’t worry, I can handle him... He really hasn’t caused any trouble." Only after Georgia Thorne’s firm declaration did Elliot Sheridan seem convinced. He tossed out a final sentence, "I’ll come pick you up this afternoon."

"Okay!"

After hanging up, Georgia Thorne glanced over at Miles, her eyes meeting his.

A month had passed since the funeral, and Miles had been living with them for just over a month.

Miles was a good, bright kid. He was a lot like the Sheridans.

At first, he’d been resistant to her. But later...

Georgia Thorne walked over and sat down beside him. "If you get stuck on anything, you can just ask me."

Miles kept his head down, stubbornly silent in that way only children can be. Georgia Thorne gently ruffled his hair. "Don’t be shy. Your drawing is really good!"

That evening, Elliot Sheridan came to pick them up after work.

He took the bag from Georgia Thorne’s hands. "Tired?"

"A little!" Georgia Thorne leaned against him, the corners of her eyes lifting in a smile. "Honey, I want a piggyback ride."

"A piggyback ride might squish the baby."

Georgia Thorne blinked. "Then carry me in your arms!"

The words were barely out of her mouth before she was swept up into his arms.

"Hey! I was just kidding! You actually did it!"

Georgia Thorne blushed, lightly pounding on his shoulder to be let down, but Elliot Sheridan only held her tighter. He chuckled, his lips brushing against her hair. "Whatever Mrs. Sheridan wants, Mr. Sheridan provides."

Her face growing even redder, Georgia Thorne gave up trying to escape and simply buried her face in his chest so no one could see her. "The child is right behind us!"

Elliot Sheridan glanced back. The little guy, Miles, was dawdling behind them, his face clearly saying he was not happy.

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and keep up!"

"Oh!" Miles broke into a little jog to catch up.

Georgia Thorne’s due date was in mid-January, which was about three weeks away.

Georgia Thorne’s body was getting heavier and more cumbersome. With her large belly, even going down the stairs was a chore.

During this time, Elliot Sheridan, the anxious father-to-be, canceled all his social engagements and rushed home immediately after work every day.

On Christmas Eve, after a busy day at work, Elliot Sheridan hurried home.

James Sheridan had gone to play chess with an old friend, and Sharon Ennis was picking Miles up from school, so the house was empty.

Elliot Sheridan went straight to the bedroom. It was pitch-dark, the curtains drawn. Georgia Thorne was asleep.

The heating was on, making the room cozy and warm. Elliot Sheridan, having just come in from outside, brought a chill with him.

He went into the bathroom first for a hot shower. When he came out, Georgia Thorne was still fast asleep.

He carefully lifted the covers, slipped into bed, and wrapped his arms around Georgia Thorne.

Still groggy, Georgia Thorne lifted her head. "Are you leaving for work?"

"No, I’m just going to lie with you for a while."

"Mm."

Thinking it was morning, Georgia Thorne habitually snuggled closer, pressing against his chest.

Elliot Sheridan couldn’t sleep. He just watched her quietly as she slept.

He stroked her long hair intermittently and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Ever since her belly had gotten bigger, Georgia Thorne had forced herself to sleep on her left side, as she’d heard it was better for the baby’s heart.

It was uncomfortable at first. She would often wake in the middle of the night, find herself on her right side, and have to consciously roll back onto her left.

With only a month to go, Georgia Thorne’s sleep quality had been suffering.

Georgia Thorne was excited for the baby’s arrival, but she was also a little scared.

Pregnant women worry too much. She’d thought of every possible thing that could go wrong, from the pain to potential complications during delivery.

Finding it hard to sleep at night meant she ended up sleeping more during the day.

Georgia Thorne had fallen asleep that afternoon and didn’t wake up until just after six.

When she woke up, she was surprised to find Elliot Sheridan still in bed. She rubbed her eyes. "Why didn’t you go to work?"

Elliot Sheridan showed her his phone. It was already past six o’clock. "The sun’s already set."

Georgia Thorne scratched her head in confusion. "Did I sleep the whole day?"

’But it feels like I just spoke to him half an hour ago.’

Finally feeling rested and energetic, Georgia Thorne put on some warm clothes and went downstairs for dinner.

Georgia Thorne had a healthy appetite these days. After dinner, they went for a walk.

Elliot Sheridan grabbed a puffy down jacket and draped it over her. Georgia Thorne grumbled under her breath, "I’m already wearing a ton of layers!"

The heavy jacket made her look like a bundled-up teddy bear.

"It’s cold out today."

Georgia Thorne was speechless.

’Yesterday, the day before, the day before that... you say it’s cold outside every single day...’

Every evening after dinner, Elliot Sheridan would accompany Georgia Thorne on a walk. The doctor had said pregnant women needed regular exercise, or the delivery could be difficult.

Georgia Thorne was sweating. They sat down on a bench to rest. "I’m so hot."

Her hand had just reached for her jacket when Elliot Sheridan, as if reading her mind, said, "Don’t you dare take that off."

Georgia Thorne was incredulous. "... I just want to unzip it a little, is that not allowed?!"

He remained stone-faced, replying with perfect seriousness, "Nope. The baby will get cold."

"..."

’Damn it, the baby is in *my* belly! How the hell would you know if she’s cold or not?’

Under Elliot Sheridan’s tyranny, Georgia Thorne obediently kept her mouth shut. Gazing at the dimly lit roadside, she couldn’t help but sigh, "Time really flies, doesn’t it?"

Elliot Sheridan grunted in agreement. It had been almost half a year.

Georgia Thorne looked down at her bulging belly, feeling a mix of happiness and melancholy. She hadn’t noticed at first, but as time went on, she realized she had gained quite a bit of weight.

"After the baby is born, I’m definitely going on a diet. I’m going to lose all the weight I’ve gained!"

"You’re already very slim compared to other pregnant women!"

Georgia Thorne was speechless.

The only reason Georgia Thorne hadn’t felt fat over the past few months was because of the man beside her, who constantly told her she was too thin and that it wasn’t good for the baby’s development.