Chapter 579
The intense anxiety that had kept Elissa tightly wound all day finally eased a fraction.
She definitely wasn’t going to argue anymore. After giving Cliff a strict rundown of medical instructions to watch out for, she and Rowan headed back to Rivercross Residence.
Normally, Rivercross Residence was pin-drop quiet, even during the day.
But tonight, even though it was completely dark outside, the moment the two of them stepped through the front doors, they were hit with a chaotic, bustling wave of energy.
Elissa and Rowan exchanged a bewildered glance before walking further inside.
The entire living room, radiating outward from the central coffee table, was completely buried in a mountain of luxury baby supplies.
There were massive items like designer strollers, high-end cribs, and changing tables at least fifteen to twenty huge boxes of varying styles.
And then there were smaller items: actual mountains of baby clothes, swaddles, and premium newborn accessories…
Rowan walked further into the room and noticed an incredibly rare, vintage set of jade jewelry resting on the coffee table. It was a prized heirloom Janice had hoarded for years, never even bearing to wear it herself. He clicked his tongue. “What exactly is going on here?”
“They’re for Elissa!”
Janice turned to Elissa, her voice bursting with earnest enthusiasm. “I know you’re stressed out of your mind about Jacqueline’s condition, so you just focus entirely on taking care of her. Leave absolutely everything else to me.”
Even though the due date was still over four months away, she insisted that so many things needed to be locked down immediately.
It wasn’t just about buying gear. They needed to interview elite maternity nurses, hire top-tier postnatal nutritionists, secure the best VIP maternity suite, and book a world-class obstetric surgeon.
If they didn’t book those things right this second, all the good ones would be snatched up by other families.
Rowan knew his grandmother adored Elissa, but seeing her literally pulling out her most fiercely guarded family heirlooms still caught him off guard. He shot Elissa an amused look. “The old lady is practically handing over the entire family vault to you.” Originally, he had been mildly worried that his grandmother might pretend to be happy while secretly resenting the fact that the child wasn’t his.
Clearly, he had vastly underestimated her.
Elissa had anticipated that Janice would be thrilled to know the truth about the baby, but she had never, in her wildest dreams, expected her to be *this* over the moon.
She glanced down at the solid jade bangle Janice had already aggressively shoved onto her wrist, and the massive emerald necklace she was currently trying to clasp around her neck. ‘Terrifying’ was the only word for it.
Based on the terrifyingly flawless clarity and color of the stones, the set easily cost north of a hundred million dollars.
Rowan calling it ‘the family vault’ wasn’t an exaggeration in the slightest!
Elissa was deeply moved, but she frantically started sliding the bangle off. “Janice, I appreciate the thought so much, and I’ll gladly accept the baby stuff. But this is way too valuable. You really need to keep it.”
Before Janice could argue, Elissa aggressively placed the bangle back into its velvet box. Seeing that the two women were caught in a stubborn standoff, Rowan smoothly intervened Grandma, why don’t you hold onto it for now? Everything in this house will belong to her eventually anyway. There’s no rush to hand it all over tonight.”
Janice hesitated for a second, then finally relented. She patted Elissa’s hand. “Fine,
I’ll keep it safe for you. Whenever you feel like wearing it for fun, just come get it.”
“Deal.”
This time, Elissa agreed without a fight.
Otherwise, accepting something of such astronomical value for absolutely no reason would have made her feel overwhelmingly guilty.
As for the baby…
She was the one who desperately wanted it, and she had made the decision to keep it on her own.
She didn’t need Janice, as her elder, overcompensating and showering her with extravagant gifts out of gratitude.
Janice didn’t have time to entertain them any longer. She practically sprinted up to the second floor, aggressively barking orders at the maids on how to perfectly layout the nursery and the playroom.
Rowan wrapped an arm around Elissa’s waist, guiding her to the dining room. His
amusement.outh twitched.
you happen to see
the pure Gold Keepsake Locket and the Engraved Gold Bangle sitting next to that jade set?”
“…I saw them.”
Elissa was just as shell-shocked as he was.
That Gold Keepsake Locket was so massive that forget a newborn-if Elissa wore it, her neck would probably cramp from the sheer weight.
But Janice was thoughtful. She had clearly bought the insanely heavy, solid gold set purely for good luck and symbolism, and had ordered a separate, delicate set for the baby to actually wear.
Elissa could feel it in her bones—Janice was pouring pure, unadulterated love and breathless anticipation into this child.
It was a kind of unconditional family love Elissa had never once experienced from her own blood relatives.
Her baby was going to grow up incredibly loved and blissfully happy.
During dinner, Elissa was quietly sipping her soup when the man beside her suddenly asked, “What exactly did you say to Grandma at the hospital today?”
She choked on a sip of broth. “What do you mean?”
“I could tell you two were hiding a secret the second I walked in.”
Rowan handed her a napkin, leaning back in his chair as he stared at her with a knowing, arched brow. “And now the old lady is running around like she’s on speed. Forget giving you priceless jade; I bet if you asked for her bank account passwords right now, she’d read them off to you.”