The following afternoon, the plane landed in Norava. Landon and the others were finally back home. Gloria assumed they had returned from a business trip, and with a beaming smile, she instructed the kitchen to prepare a grand welcome home meal.

Landen’s eyes were red, and he was nervously wringing his little hands. The call from Jonny yesterday had deeply frightened him.

“Mom, let’s go check on Kimsey,” Amelia said.

“Sure thing!” Gloria agreed eagerly, and Amelia led her away.

Kayla’s heart ached for her son as she opened her arms wide. “Mommy…” Landen choked out. He dove into her embrace and finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tuff crouched down and pulled them both into a hug, murmuring, “It’s okay, it’s okay…”

“That call… That guy…” Landen gasped, his entire body shaking. At that moment, Kayla suddenly recalled the call from yesterday. She hesitated, uncertain about how to tell Landen.

Jonny was Landen’s biological father, and Landen was pretty happy when he talked to him on the phone yesterday. Kayla was unsure about telling him that Jonny was already dead.

“Mommy, did he hurt you?” Landen asked.

Kayla froze, letting go of him. “Landen, what did you just say?”

“H–he’s a bad guy…” Landen wiped his eyes. “Uncle Landon told me he’s a bad guy. I even overheard Grandma and Uncle Landon fighting about him. Anyway, he’s a bad guy. I don’t want him as my dad.”

Kayla’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions. Unbeknownst to her, the Kyle family had already influenced Landen’s thoughts about his biological father while she wasn’t watching.

“What else did Uncle Landon say?” Tuff asked.

“Uncle Landon said you’re my dad.” Landen snuggled into Tuff’s arms. “Daddy.”

Tuff was overwhelmed with emotion; it felt as if his heart might burst. He had never asked Landen to call him “Dad” since the wedding, but today, Landen did so all on his own. “That’s my boy! With me here, you don’t have to be afraid of anything!” Tuff exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Landen nodded vigorously, a smile finally breaking through.

Kayla’s tears flowed freely. “Landen, were you scared yesterday?”

“I was so scared. But Mommy, did I do well?” Landen asked, looking up at her.

“Yes, you did great!” Kayla said.

Tuff looked puzzled. “Wait, Landen knew what happened yesterday?”

“Landen called me, and it just so happened Jonny picked up…” Kayla went over the whole thing again for him.

Tuff scooped Landen up and showered him with kisses. “You were awesome! Just a few words from you, and you kept the enemy in check!”

“He had Mommy’s phone, and I was so scared.” Landen cupped Kayla’s face, checking her all over to make sure she was okay. “Mommy, did he hit you?”

“No…” Kayla hugged him tightly. Landen was the only happiness she had during those wild years ruled by Jonny.

“Alright, let’s wrap up dinner, then we’ll head home!” Tuff said, determined to shield Gloria from seeing Kayla in this condition. After dinner, Tuff took Kayla and Landen back home.

Gloria felt a twinge of sadness as she watched them leave, but she understood that Kayla now had her own family. “Amy, Kayla doesn’t seem well, what’s going on?” Gloria asked. “Did they fight?”

“No, she’s just been sick for a few days and hasn’t really bounced back yet,” Amelia fibbed.

“Oh! I just can’t see Tuff winning an argument against Kayla,” Gloria said.

Amelia remained quiet as Gloria continued, “Look at all of you–you’ve lost so much weight. Not used to being abroad, are you?” Gloria playfully pinched Amy’s cheek. “You were only away for a couple of weeks, and your face already looks so sharp!”

“Of course. There’s no place like home,” Amy said with a smile. “Mom, Wesley said you’re recovering well from your surgery. Is that true?”

“Of course it’s true. I’m feeling great now. I could even help you guys out with a few more grandkids if you wanted.” Gloria winked. “So, when are you going to give Kimsey a sister?”

“Mom, Kimsey isn’t even a year old yet!” Amelia laughed.

“I know, I’m not in a rush. I want you to take care of yourself. Let Landon handle the company’s matters. You don’t need to help him. Let the man worry about putting food on the table,” Gloria said.

“Okay,” Amelia said, recalling all the hurdles she had faced and the numerous doctors she had consulted in her journey to have a baby. Her heart ached for Kayla; she understood just how hopeless things must seem for her.

The Prescott family would never allow Tuff to avoid having a child of his own. Just the thought of facing Maggie about it would be challenging enough.

Later that night, after their intimate moment, Amelia snuggled close to Landon’s chest and brought up Tuff’s feelings about having children. Landon’s voice grew cold as he replied, “If he dares to hurt Kayla, he’ll have to answer to me first.”

“Don’t resort to threats or violence. Once you’re married, it involves more than just the two of you. The Prescott family is quite influential,” Amelia said with a frown as she traced circles on his chest. “We need to find a way to help Kayla recover.”

“What did Dr. Shawn say?” Landon asked.

“He went to consult with other specialists, but I have no idea when he’ll be back. Maybe Dr. Mitchell could take a look as well,” Amelia suggested.

“I already talked to Dr. Mitchell about it. He said there’s nothing he can do,” Landon replied.

“What?” Amelia was disappointed. “If she can’t have kids, fine, but at least there’s something they can do about her monthly bleeding, right?”

“Nothing can be done,” Landon said. He felt for Kayla, too.

During Amelia’s health struggles, he was so anxious that his brows were constantly furrowed. Now, Kayla’s situation is even more serious than Amelia’s ever was. He could not possibly feel at ease.

“We’ll just have to keep looking for solutions. There’s no need to rush,” Amelia sighed. “Tomorrow, I’ll go out and pick up some good tonics to help boost her energy. I’ll make sure Kayla gets plenty of them.”

“I’m counting on you for that. Tomorrow I’ve got to head back to the office, and I should also drop by to see Jeffrey,” Landon said.

Just hearing Jeffrey’s name made Amelia’s heart flutter with anxiety. He had always embodied loyalty, yet he ended up with a secret child due to someone else’s scheming. ‘What if Tuff does something like that one day? What if he goes behind Kayla’s back and has a child with someone else?’ Amelia couldn’t shake off her worries.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. The following day, she visited Kayla’s house with some supplements, wanting to check in on her. As fate would have it, Maggie also arrived.

“Weren’t you supposed to be pregnant? Why does your belly still look flat?” Maggie stared at Kayla’s stomach, then looked at her pale face, and snapped, “Did you have a miscarriage? Did you make me lose my grandchild?”

Kayla had always been strong, but today she couldn’t find the strength to respond sharply. Back then, she had lied to avoid drama, and thought she would eventually have a child with the Prescott family anyway. But now, that dream has gone for good.

“Mrs. Prescott,” Amelia called out quickly, trying to defuse the tension.

Maggie’s expression remained frosty. “Don’t waste your time bringing me gifts. The Prescott family doesn’t need anything. Today, you owe me an explanation about my grandchild–right now!”

“I’m not pregnant,” Kayla said.

Maggie froze for a second, then her anger flared even hotter. “How dare you lie to me?”

“Mrs. Prescott, please don’t get upset,” Amelia quickly interjected. “Kayla indeed lied, but let’s be honest–they just got married! They’re still in their honeymoon phase!”

“That doesn’t mean she can lie to me! Especially about something this important? Everyone in Lunova knows the Prescott family is expecting a baby. What am I supposed to tell them now?” Maggie snapped. “Kayla, you need to get pregnant, and fast!”

“Mrs. Prescott, having a baby isn’t as simple as a chicken laying eggs–you can’t just snap your fingers to make it happen!” Amelia chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. “Landon and I were married for quite some time before Kimsey finally came along.”

“Why not? With modern medicine, anything is possible. Come back to Lunova with me, and I’ll arrange for you to see the best doctors. We’ll get you checked out and ensure it happens soon,” Maggie said, her tone finally softening a bit.

Kayla noticed that Maggie was hesitating a bit, but if she returned to Lunova for treatment now, it would essentially mean exposing her health issues, which was the last thing she wanted. Her relationship with Maggie was already a significant source of stress for Tuff; she didn’t want to add to his burdens.

Kayla stood her ground. “My mom just had surgery, and she needs me here.”

“Exactly! My mom would be heartbroken if Kayla left,” Amelia chimed in.

Maggie scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “If you can’t bear to leave your mom, then why bother getting married? Just stay single and live at home. Or better yet, why not find yourself a live–in son–in–law? That way, you can stay close to your mother for the rest of your life.”