Lately, Matthew had been eating with Valerie, shifting his diet from low-sugar, low-fat, high-protein to high-carb. Although the nutrition was still somewhat balanced, his fat intake had noticeably increased.

After showering, Valerie went to the living room for water. She heard a treadmill running on the balcony.

The pace was quite brisk.

"Mr. Grant, your physical fitness is really good," Valerie said, silently admiring his muscular physique. She then yawned sleepily and returned to her room.

Even though her baby bump hadn't started to show, pregnancy symptoms were becoming more obvious. She was easily tired and constantly hungry or sleepy. "Maybe this baby takes after the father and has such high energy," she thought, "which is why I feel listless every day."

Before sleeping, Valerie called Katherine, feeling at ease only after confirming Katherine had calmed down.

Little did she know the balcony running lasted two hours. Matthew was serious about maintaining his physique, but had already gained two pounds in a few days. He regretted asking Valerie to cook more often, but felt he couldn't refuse his own request.

Thinking of Valerie's early morning breakfasts, Matthew woke up earlier than usual the next day. Valerie had just woken up, fed her hamster, and was about to leave for breakfast when she heard Matthew.

"Mr. Grant?" she said, surprised. She checked the time, thinking she'd gotten it wrong.

Matthew guessed her thoughts. "I have to attend to something at the office, so I have to leave early," he said. "You don't have to prepare breakfast."

"I see," Valerie replied. "Drive safely, Mr. Grant. Remember to have breakfast at the office."

"Okay," Matthew nodded, then frowned slightly. "Why do I feel relieved she suspects nothing? But as long as she believes it, that's all that matters. I no longer intend to eat those high-carb breakfasts."

He grabbed his briefcase and was about to leave when Valerie called out.

"Mr. Grant, wait," she said, handing him a food container. "I almost forgot. I made a spaghetti frittata with leftover spaghetti. It might be heavy for breakfast, but you can have it for lunch. Take care. See you."

Matthew was speechless. He carried the container and left, smiling as he descended the stairs. "Unexpectedly, I avoided breakfast, but she still prepared lunch for me!"

After Matthew left, Valerie made a simple sesame chicken lettuce wrap for breakfast. She didn't even need extra seasoning; it was just a plate of simple sesame chicken lettuce wraps. A sprinkle of white sugar could be added for sweetness.

Valerie received a phone call just as she was about to eat.

"Hello," she answered.

"Valerie, it's me. Did you forget something yesterday?"

This shocked Valerie. It was the male colleague from yesterday. After she and Matthew took Katherine back to Kranson City, she belatedly remembered forgetting to inform him of her departure; she'd left him in Vomez. She apologized profusely.

He laughed it off. "It's okay," he said. "I heard it was chaotic. It's understandable you took Katherine away early. I called about something else. Do you know something happened to Mr. Hart?"

His information was vague. Fearing the news might be incorrect, or that Dylan sought revenge, Valerie rushed to the car dealership. Ronald explained: "He drove drunk, against traffic. To avoid a truck, he made a U-turn and crashed into a guardrail. His wife was seriously injured and lost the baby. Dylan is also injured and in the hospital."