He was genuinely worried that her health was failing.
"It's nothing bad. She's pregnant."
"Congratulations, Walden. The family is growing."
Claire's simple announcement left both members of the Hawk family completely stunned.
Van had finally gotten some time off for the holidays to spend with his wife and grandfather.
He never expected Claire to walk through the door and drop such a massive bombshell.
Well, technically his wife provided the bombshell, but Claire was the one who spotted it.
Walden was ecstatic.
Van's refusal to settle down had been a constant source of anxiety for the old man.
Now, not only was he married, but he was already starting a family.
Even if he died tomorrow, he could rest in peace.
He quickly pushed the dark thought away; it was the holidays, and he needed to stay positive so he could watch his great-grandchild graduate college.
"Are you serious?" Tilda asked, utterly bewildered.
Having a baby this early completely contradicted her meticulously planned career trajectory.
Seeing the look on Tilda's face, Claire suddenly remembered her ambitious career goals.
Was Tilda actually hesitating about keeping the baby?
From her pulse, Claire knew the pregnancy was incredibly strong and healthy.
Barring any accidents, it would be a perfectly smooth delivery.
But this meant Tilda's professional ascent would hit a major roadblock.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Tilda asked, lightly tapping Claire's arm when she noticed her silence.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about your pregnancy..."
Before Claire could finish, Tilda realized exactly what was on her mind.
"Don't overthink it. Now that the baby is here, I'm happier than anyone."
Tilda reached out and pinched Claire's cheek.
Her skin was so radiant and soft; youth really was a wonderful thing.
"Huh?" Claire blinked in confusion.
With her sharp, executive demeanor, Tilda didn't strike her as the maternal type.
"If I get this out of the way early, I
can focus entirely on my career later." Filda had never planned on
using he
to Varas to Van
9
macrenating a family
excuse to avoid having a family.
Having a child now actually fit perfectly into the next two years of her life.
Once she had the baby, she could settle in and relentlessly climb the corporate ladder without any future interruptions.
Claire was amazed at how seamlessly a fierce businesswoman could pivot her life plans.
If anything, the surprise pregnancy seemed to make Tilda's overarching strategy even more solid.
"Thank you, Tilda," Van said softly, amazed that she was willing to embrace this right
now.
He had always been hesitant about kids because of his high-risk operations.
If something happened to him, Tilda
would have no problem remarrying, but having a child would complicate her future prospects.
Even with Tilda's family wealth, potential suitors would hesitate, knowing her resources would be split with her first child.
In their elite social circles, blended families were a minefield of strategic alliances and ruthless calculations.
"You hear that, Van? You're going to be a father."
Tilda looked him dead in the eye,
firmly which means fromet
and once he nodded, she added
now on
you need to be ten times more careful on your missions!"
"I refuse to end up a single mother!"
Van immediately promised, "Don't worry, I'll be incredibly cautious."
In a twisted way, having a child meant he could theoretically take on more suicidal missions.
The Hawk family lineage was secure.
But the thought of Tilda and his grandfather shattered any reckless disregard he had for his own life.
Walden couldn't survive losing another grandson.
After delivering such monumental news, Claire and Dane soon excused themselves.
The family was far too swept up in their own excitement to entertain guests anyway. The couple continued their holiday visits, eventually ending up at the Cole family estate.
Since Claire needed to give Kendrick his acupuncture treatment, she agreed to stay for dinner.