Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 198

After ending the call, Ines was still hung up on Hunter's last words. It was a big deal for a tough cookie like him to say "Thank you".

Their father-daughter relationship was definitely one for the books.

In the past week, Ines had been getting the skinny on the Galeana Group. Gentry's financial report had also been released, and it was pretty much what she had expected. Gentry was a straight shooter, but his picky nature was a real buzzkill.

The report was pretty top-notch, even better than she had expected.

"Ms. Galeana, is there something wrong?"

Ines shook her head, asking somewhat awkwardly, "Does Mr. Galeana have a soft spot for Gentry?"

Silas nodded, "Yes, Gentry often locks horns with Mr. Galeana, but Mr. Galeana has never considered sacking him."

Ines reviewed the reports for the past few years and found that everything was on the up and up. There was no heavy make-up on the report, which was in line with the chairman's joke: "Reports can wear light make-up, but never a full face."

Gentry's approach was just right, making him the perfect fit for the CFO position.

"In finance, we sometimes need people like that."

Silas chuckled, looking at Ines, "That's exactly how Mr. Galeana describes Gentry."

Ines's face changed slightly, "I didn't say that."

At lunchtime, Ines received a call from Amelia Young, Naomi's voice could also be heard. Ines hadn't seen the little girl in a while and missed her, so she made time to meet them.

Today, Naomi was dressed in a pink princess dress, her mid-length hair was smooth and she wore a fine crystal hairpin, she looked like a little lady. Naomi was over the moon when she saw Ines and squealed, "Izzy."

Ines crouched to embrace Naomi, but her increased weight thwarted the effort. Amelia's laugh echoed, "Ms. Galeana, refrain from lifting her; she's gained pounds beyond your strength."

Ines observed Naomi's fuller face. She playfully pinched her cheek, finding it pleasantly soft; no wonder Ethan relished pinching her rosy cheeks.

"She's put on a bit of weight."

Naomi huffed, pouting at them, "Mommy, Izzy, I'm not fat. My teacher and classmates all say I look better now, and my desk mate says I'm cuter now."

"Your desk mate is a boy, isn't he?" Ines laughed.

Naomi nodded seriously, "Yes, he even says I'm his girlfriend. He gave me a box of chocolates yesterday."

Hearing this, Ines thought kids these days are growing up too fast, already talking about girlfriends. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Amelia playfully messed up Naomi's hair, "You're still young, don't accept things from others so casually. If you want something, I'll buy it for you."

"Mommy, the things you buy and the things others give have different meanings. The latter represents their care."

Ines laughed, "So, Naomi, do you know what a boyfriend and girlfriend are?"

Naomi answered seriously, "I do. If a boyfriend and girlfriend have a good relationship, they can get married. They live together and then they have children."

Looking at her innocent face, Ines suddenly thought, if she had a daughter in the future, Ethan would have to be on guard against little boys from an early age.

She noticed that Naomi and Amelia seemed much closer now, she even shared her little secrets with Amelia.

"Amelia, what's the latest with Naomi?" Ines asked.

"Izzy," Amelia began, a softer tone tinging her voice, "I meant to discuss this with you today. When might your husband be available? I wish to host a meal in your honor. I've triumphed in the lawsuit against Leo, securing custody of Naomi. Leo is only granted visitation rights." There was a noticeable warmth in Amelia now, a departure from her previous frostiness.

"Congrats, Amelia. I'll let Ethan know. You don't need to be formal with him, he really likes Naomi."

"Izzy, why didn't Ethan come with you? I feel like I haven't seen him for a long time." Naomi looked up at Ines.

"Ethan has been busy recently. When he's not as busy, I'll bring him to see you."

"Okay, Izzy, you're not lying to me, right?"

Ines tousled her hair, "Of course not, I won't lie to you." The three of them went to eat fried chicken. Amelia only allowed Naomi to eat it once a month. Naomi ordered a lot of chicken, Ines got a meal deal, Amelia looked a bit embarrassed, "Izzy, I invited you out for a meal and ended up choosing a fried chicken joint."

"Amelia, don't worry about it, as long as Naomi's happy."

However, after eating a small piece of chicken, Ines felt nauseous.

Amelia quickly noticed something was up, "Izzy, are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"

"I've been eating pretty light recently, I think I'm just not used to fried food anymore. The smell is making me nauseous. You guys go ahead, I'm going to the bathroom." With that, Ines got up to go to the bathroom.

Amelia watched her leave, suddenly a light bulb went off in her head.

Ines washed her face and felt a little better, then came back to the table.

As soon as she sat down, Amelia asked, "Izzy, how long have you been feeling this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"The feeling of wanting to throw up but can't, and your chest feeling tight."

"I haven't felt like this before, it only started after eating the chicken. I'm fine now." As Ines said this, she took a sip of the tomato vegetable soup. It was a bit sour, but it tasted good.

Watching her, Amelia couldn't help but voice her suspicion, "Izzy, I think you might be pregnant."

Hearing this, Ines was stunned for a moment, but then she shook her head firmly, "I don't think so. The last time I went to the hospital, the doctor told me that my womb wasn't in the right condition to get pregnant. I need to take some time to recuperate."

"Hey, there's no way to know for sure, but when we head out later, I'll go with you to snag a pregnancy test from the drugstore. Whether you're knocked up or not, it's always better to check." Amelia said.

"Forget it, knowing something's impossible only ends in disappointment." Ines didn't hold out much hope.

"How's your sleep been lately?"

"I've just taken over the Galeana Group stuff recently. It's been all go, really exhausting. I'm practically out like a light not long after dinner."