After all, it was Ariana who had initiated this. Though it was for Lambert's sake, she couldn't help but feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
So after asking, she didn’t dare to look at Lambert’s expression. Instead, she hesitated for a moment before tentatively lowering her head toward his body.
Lambert’s eyes darkened even further.
Just as Ariana’s face was about to draw near, he stopped her.
Startled, she looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion.
Lambert’s gaze was deep and unfathomable, like an endless abyss—yet within that icy darkness, there seemed to burn a molten intensity that could scorch a person to ashes.
His voice was low and rough as he said, “Don’t.”
Ariana’s lashes fluttered as she studied him uneasily, her heart fluttering with sudden panic—had she been too forward? A shadow of disappointment and silence flickered in her eyes.
Lambert sighed softly before slowly pulling her into his arms. His embrace was firm, yet his touch was gentle, especially as his fingers brushed the nape of her neck.
Leaning close to her ear, he murmured in a husky voice, “I can’t bear to.”
In an instant, a fierce thrill burst through Ariana’s chest like fireworks. She stared at him, stunned. Lambert, seeing her dazed expression, couldn’t help but let a faint smile touch his eyes.
“I’m going to take a shower,” he said softly. “You rest here, alright?”
Only then did Ariana snap out of her daze, her face flushing crimson as she nodded.
With that, Lambert got up and headed to the bathroom.
As the sound of running water filled the air, Ariana’s heart swelled with sweetness—as if she had just devoured two whole jars of honey.
She quickly grabbed her phone, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she sent a text to Allison.
At that moment, Allison was still pretending to be in a cold war with Stefan. When she received Ariana’s message, she initially felt a warm flutter in her heart—'Ah, my bestie still cares about me, checking in like this.' But the moment she opened the message, the smile on her face vanished instantly.
Allison glared at her phone screen, inwardly wailing, 'How did I ever end up with a friend like this?!'
Here she was, locked in a silent battle with her husband, and Ariana had the audacity to flaunt her own blissful relationship!
Ariana, utterly oblivious, followed up cheerfully: 'Isn’t this just the sweetest thing?'
Allison replied with icy detachment: 'Hmph.'
Undeterred by Allison’s mocking and irritated tone, Ariana continued gleefully: 'See? Lambert is practically the gold standard for perfect men. Hehe, so you really shouldn’t stay mad at Stefan. After all, where else would you find another guy like Lambert? Right?'
This time…
Allison snapped. Fuming, she logged out and promptly blocked her so-called "best friend."
On the other end, Ariana blinked in surprise for a couple of seconds before breaking into another silly grin, completely unfazed by Allison’s dramatic exit.
Stefan, who had been discreetly observing Allison’s every move, cautiously asked, “What’s wrong?”
Allison shot him a glare.
Baffled, Stefan blinked innocently, his expression a mix of confusion and wounded pride. “Is this… about me again?” 'Did I offend some celestial deity this year? Maybe I should get my fortune read. My luck’s been terrible lately.'
Truth be told, he was quite content with the life he had now.
It was more than enough.
Just as Allison was about to say something more with satisfaction, her brows suddenly furrowed. She covered her mouth and let out an involuntary dry heave. Stefan was startled and quickly moved closer to her, asking anxiously, "What's wrong? Is your stomach upset?"
Allison looked at Stefan blankly for a moment before frowning slightly and replying, "...Maybe."
But she hadn’t eaten anything unusual today.
In fact, she had barely eaten much these past few days because she was so upset...
The thought had barely crossed her mind when her heart skipped a beat. Stefan seemed to have realized something at the same time. His hand froze mid-air before he spoke, barely able to contain his excitement, "Could it be... you're pregnant again?"
Allison bit her lower lip.
Instinctively, she placed a hand on her abdomen. The sensation did feel familiar—exactly like when she was carrying Shawn. Could she really be pregnant?
Stefan burst into hearty laughter, hugging Allison tightly for a long moment before declaring, "I have to tell Lambert! That guy’s been gloating in front of me for days! Now I can finally get back at him!"
Well, "gloating" might be an understatement. Ever since Ariana got pregnant, Lambert had been flaunting it nonstop—360 degrees, no blind spots.
Now that they were expecting another child, let’s see how Lambert could keep up his smug act.
Allison’s face flushed slightly as she grabbed Stefan’s hand before he could dial the number. Shaking her head, she said, "Ahem, let’s go to the hospital for a check-up first. What if it’s just a false alarm?"

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