Chapter 1001

The implication was clear—he was expected to bring a girlfriend next year. But Aaron casually deflected, “Didn’t I already bring someone to kneel with me just now? What, does she have to do it again? In that case, she should get another round of red envelopes.” With that one sentence, he shifted the attention onto Lena. This man…seriously? What did this have to do with her?

Besides, the elders weren’t just asking him to find someone to kneel beside him. They wanted him to bring his other half. Grandma Deborah dabbed at the corner of her eye and made things even clearer. “What your sister means is that next year, you should bring Xandra home as your wife.”

Lena immediately thought back to what she had overheard at his place—the news about Xandra moving into his villa. So it seemed like they really were about to make things official this year. “Mm, I’ll do my best to marry her next year,” Aaron replied without hesitation.

For some reason, Lena suddenly felt the urge to leave. She turned around to go, but before she could take a step, a voice stopped her. “You’re not taking your red envelope?” It was Aaron. Only a fool would say no to that.

She halted, turned back, and held out her hand. “Hand it over.” “Kneel first. No kneeling, no red envelope,” her dear mother interjected, ever the troublemaker. Lena glanced at Aaron, then at the metal basin on the floor. Yeah, no. This money wasn’t worth it.

When she started to pull her hand back, Aaron took out a red envelope and held it out to her. “Happy New Year.” She was about to refuse when he added, “It’s a big one.” “How big?” Briana cut in. “Don’t give her money. She doesn’t need it.” Deborah shot Briana a look. “Let them handle their own business.”

Lena still hesitated, but before she could make a decision, Aaron grasped her hand and placed the red envelope in her palm. His hand was warm and soft. Lena’s heart tensed. She instinctively tried to pull away, but he didn’t let go. Not wanting anyone to notice, she quickly tried to change the subject. “It feels too light. Don’t tell me there’s only a hundred bucks inside.”

“If she didn’t kneel, even a hundred would be too much,” Briana muttered, ever the critic. “Aaron, stop spoiling her. She’s a grown woman, but she still acts like a child.” Lena was used to it by now. Without another word, she tucked the red envelope into her stack and bent down to pick up the basins.

Just then, her phone rang. “I got it,” Aaron said, picking up the basins for her. She glanced at the caller ID—Hayden. Her first thought was She’s in labor. Sure enough, as soon as she answered, she heard Hayden’s tense voice. “Take her to the hospital now. I’m on my way.”

Aaron, just coming out of the kitchen, overheard and didn’t ask any questions. He immediately strode over. “I’ll drive you.” Under normal circumstances, Lena might have refused, but now wasn’t the time. She kept the phone pressed to her ear, giving instructions to Hayden while following Aaron straight to the car. The call never disconnected.

She coached Keira through breathing exercises, explaining the best position to minimize contraction pain. But no matter how much she instructed, Keira still groaned in agony all the way to the hospital. “Do all women suffer this much when giving birth?” Aaron finally asked as they arrived, having listened to Keira’s distressed cries the entire ride.

Lena looked at him. “She’s only at pain level three or four right now. When the baby actually comes out, it’ll be level ten.” Aaron fell silent for a moment, then said, “Then you shouldn’t ever go through this.” His words caught Lena completely off guard.