The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 365

After Vivica had canceled their wedding celebration due to her mood, Joseph had stayed at the office to work late. This was the first he was seeing her since.

At the sight of him, Vivica was instantly reminded of the passionate morning they had shared, of the fact that they were now officially husband and wife. While she hadn't yet grown accustomed to the title of Mrs. Baird, she already felt the instinctive pull of a wife's responsibilities.

As Joseph walked in and shrugged off his trench coat, Vivica stepped forward, took it from him, and hung it up.

The simple, natural gesture made him stop and stare at her.

Vivica turned back and, seeing his gaze, asked with a hint of confusion, “What is it?”

“Nothing,” he said, shaking himself out of his reverie with a trace of awkwardness. “It’s just… I haven’t quite realized I have a wife yet.”

Vivica bit her lip, thinking to herself, *I haven’t gotten used to you being my husband, either.*

“Have you had dinner?” she asked softly, changing the subject.

“I have. Fannie had something delivered to the office.”

“Oh.”

“Have you eaten?” Joseph asked.

“Yes, I ate here with Sheridan and Melanie. They went home after dinner.”

“Good.”

Despite being married, they spoke like two people who had just met, their conversation stilted and awkward. After a few exchanges, the line went dead, the silence hanging between them like a row of ellipses.

They caught each other’s eye, and Joseph frowned, clearly thinking this new dynamic was strange.

Vivica felt it too. To break the uncomfortable silence, she searched for another topic. “You should… probably go home tonight. I can stay here with Chaim.”

Joseph looked up, a graceful smile playing on his lips before his eyes met hers again. “Being sharp-tongued doesn't mean I don't understand social graces. For instance, when the Lynn family was bleeding you dry, it was right not to give in. And now, out of respect for the dead, it’s right for you to be generous.”

One had to be shrewd when necessary and magnanimous when the situation called for it.

Vivica nodded. “That’s what I thought, too. So when I heard his father had passed, I sent the money. He thanked me. He sounded quite sincere.”

At this, Joseph’s brow furrowed. He recalled his mother’s words from the phone call earlier. At the time, he had been so sure she wouldn’t. But now, listening to Vivica’s tone…

Joseph stared at her and asked abruptly, “If we hadn’t gotten married, and Fletcher apologized to you again, maybe even got on his knees and begged you to take him back, would you have done it out of pity?”

Vivica’s expression turned serious, and she answered without a trace of hesitation. “Of course not! He thanked me because he should have. I was the one who was magnanimous enough to grant his father’s final wish. But that has nothing to do with getting back together. He wasn’t a good husband, and he wasn’t a good father. Why would I jump back into that fire just because he said thank you?”

Joseph nodded, a look of relief washing over his face. “Good. You’re clear-headed and your judgment is sound.”

“Of course I am. I’m wide awake now. Whether it’s the Sanford family or the Lynn family, I won’t be fooled again.”