Chapter 38

Anouk glanced up at Jasper, her eyes darting between him and Charlotte.

She quickly picked up on Jasper's feelings for Charlotte.

But she was also worried about Frederick.

Anouk kept her smile steady and said politely, "I'm really glad Charlotte has a friend like you. As for Frederick, I'll make sure to keep him in line."

Jasper frowned a bit, wanting to say more,but Charlotte started coughing right away.

She coughed a few times, then said to Jasper, "Jasper, you're still on duty,right? Grandma's here to take care of me. You should get back to work."

Jasper's eyes darkened, a hint of sadness flickering in them.

He knew he had been a bit forward today, but he didn't regret it.

"Get some rest. I'll come back to see you later."

Jasper didn't hesitate, nodding slightly to Anouk before leaving.

Once he was gone, Charlotte finally let out a sigh of relief.

Her tense emotions had just relaxed when she felt her stomach churning again.

Not wanting to lose her composure in front of Anouk, she quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, not even bothering to puton her shoes.

Anouk immediately asked, "Charlotte, what's wrong?""Grandma. I'm fine. Don't worry."

Even though Charlotte told her not to worry, the sound of her vomiting was loud and clear to both Anouk and the caregiver.

The caregiver whispered to Anouk, "Mrs. Anouk Percy, it looks like Mrs.Charlotte Percy might be pregnant."

Anouk's furrowed brow instantly relaxed, her eyes lighting up with joy:

"It does seem like it! Could Charlotte really be pregnant?"

Just then, Charlotte came out of the bathroom.

Her face was still pale, and upon hearing Anouk's words,she turned almost ghostly white.

Charlotte nervously clenched her fingers, forcing a smile. "Grandma, who did you say is pregnant?"

The caregiver smiled and said, "Mrs. Charlotte Percy,you haven't had children before, so you might not have noticed. But we can tell at a glance that you're pregnant. Congratulations!"

The caregiver didn't know about the issues between Frederick and Charlotte.

Upon discovering Charlotte's pregnancy, she immediately assumed it was good news and congratulated her. But Charlotte couldn't smile. She hadn't expected her symptoms to be so obvious. The secret she had hidden for so long was so easily revealed by a stranger. W

Even now,Charlotte wanted to struggle a bit.

She suppressed her true emotions and said, "We've been married for five years without getting pregnant. Now that we're about to divorce,how could I be pregnant? I must have just eaten something bad."

Anouk remembered that Frederick had wanted to divorce Charlotte, and her initial joy was somewhat dampened, yet she didn't want to give up.

"Charlotte,you haven't given birth, so it's normal not to recognize the signs.But I also think you're pregnant. Why don't we have a doctor check you right now?"

Charlotte's expression grew more serious.

If she insisted further, would Anouk think she was deliberately hiding it and get angry?

If there was anyone in the Percy family that Charlotte cared about, Anouk was definitely one of them.

When she and Frederick got married, everyone else looked down on her,but Anouk stood by her.

Anouk's kindness and warmth were something Charlotte could never repay.

"Grandma, Frederick and I have reached this point. Is there any need for a checkup?" "Of course, there's a need. The child in your belly is my long-awaited great-grandchild. Whether it's a boy or a girl, it's a child I've been looking forward to. If you're willing to have this baby, I believe Frederick wouldn't mention divorce again."Charlotte gave a bitter smile, her eyes full of determination.

"I don't want to use my child to bind him. The child is innocent and only belongs to me. Grandma, please allow me to be selfish. I'd rather the Percy family not acknowledge the child's identity. Otherwise,it would only separate me from my child."

Anouk looked at Charlotte with deep sympathy.

She knew that everything Charlotte said was true.

"Silly child, do you know how difficult it is to raise a child alone? If this child is born into the Percy family, it will receive the best care and enjoy top resources from birth. Whether it is a boy or a girl, I will raise them as the family heir."

Charlotte's eyes filled with tears.

She shook her head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I just want my child to grow up safely and not get involved in our matters."

Charlotte held Anouk's hand and knelt in front of her wheelchair.

She pleaded earnestly, "Can you please not tell Frederick about this? I know it's unfair to him, but I can't live without this child."

"If Frederick finds out about the child, I won't be able to compete with him for custody. After our divorce, he can have a newwife and more children, but I only have this one child."

"Please."

Charlotte's tears fell like a broken kite string.

Anouk fell into deep thought. She felt sorry for Charlotte, but she had been looking forward to this fuature heir for many years.

She was old and unsure when she would see Frederick's child.

If she missed this child, who knew how long she would have to wait.

But as a mother, Anouk also understood Charlotte's feelings.

Anouk thought for a long time.

She looked into Charlotte's eyes and asked, "Charlotte, if Frederick is willing to live well with you in the future,would you stay?"

"Grandma, you know we've reached this point not because of me. It's not something I can control."

Charlotte didn't want to completely sever ties with the Percy family,making the situation even more unmanageable.

But she also reminded Anouk that Frederick was the one responsible for the current situation.

Anouk sighed heavily.

"It's all Frederick's fault. I know you've been wronged. Fine, I promise you,no one else will know about your pregnancy besides the three of us here.Even if you and Frederick get divorced in the future, in my heart,you will always be my family. As long as I'm alive, that will never change."