Chapter 22

At 8:30 PM, the door swung open. A group of maids entered, carrying trays of varying sizes filled with a lavish meal.

Ms. Chain, maintaining a gentle expression, said, "Madam, this is the nutritious meal Mr. Everett instructed us to prepare for you."

"I'm not eating!" Joanna seethed, lacking any appetite.

"Madam, you haven't had lunch! Skipping dinner won't help!"

"You're only one person, but you need to nourish two!"

"All of you, leave! Give me some time alone!"

The six maids stepped back, their eyes fixed on her.

Joanna fumed. Bruce had dared to restrict her freedom.

"Ms. Chain, please, let me go! I can't stay here."

Ms. Chain looked helpless. Beyond gentle persuasion, she had no authority.

"Madam, please don't worry. Mr. Everett doesn't want you to leave; it's for your well-being. Before he left, he instructed us to serve you with utmost dedication. It's evident he cares about you. Please listen."

Joanna opened her mouth to retort, but changed her mind. Pleading was pointless; they were just following orders.

"I'm not eating. I have no appetite."

Joanna returned to bed, having eaten nothing all day. Perhaps it was morning sickness; she simply wasn't hungry.

Two days passed. Joanna had been confined for forty-eight hours, under constant twenty-four-hour surveillance. The maids intervened if she attempted to harm herself, even remaining vigilant while she slept. This relentless watch severely affected her mental state. Already battling depression and reliant on daily antidepressants, her condition worsened without medication. The maids, however, remained unresponsive to her pleas.

After two days, Joanna had lost weight and become more agitated. Ms. Chain, unable to delay further, called Bruce.

"Mr. Everett, you need to come back immediately!"

"What's wrong?"

"Madam hasn't eaten or drunk anything in two days! We can't persuade her, and her mental state is extremely unstable. Last night, she was banging on the bathroom walls"

Bruce's anger and frustration surged. He hadn't recognized Joanna's stubbornness.

"Alright, I understand."

Bruce hurried back.

"How is Joanna?"

"Her mood is very poor, sir. She needs a doctor."

Bruce went upstairs. He entered quietly, the door creaking. Joanna, restless and exhausted from two days of sleeplessness, slept curled on her side, resembling a sick cat.

Bruce sat watching her frail form. He found himself entranced, noticing her for the first time in a while. He gently brushed the hair from her cheek.

Startled, Joanna opened her weary eyes.

"Bruce"

Realizing his arrival, she sat up, her energy renewed.

"Bruce, you jerk! Who gave you the right to confine me?" Joanna, near the edge of sanity, lashed out, tears streaming down her face. Her emotional stability had shattered.

Bruce remained calm, letting her vent. When she calmed slightly, he said, "Have the child. Once you've given birth, you can leave."

Joanna glared. "Are you insane? We're divorced. Why should I have your child? It's not like you haven't had children before!"

The comparison angered her. This was different; with her first child, she'd felt utterly alone. Now, burdened with problems, and with Roxanne Haynes also pregnant, she dreaded another pregnancy and the ensuing media frenzy in Greyport.

"Do the right thing and have the child."

"Bruce, it's impossible!" Joanna weakly protested.

Ignoring her, Bruce said, "Eat."

"I won't!"

"Fine!"

Bruce texted someone. The door swung open again.

"Mommy!"

Davian, Irvin, and Lilia rushed in. Joanna's heart trembled as she ran to her children, unseen for almost a month.

"Mommy, we missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Joanna embraced them, tears falling.

"Mommy, don't you want us anymore?"

"Of course not! I'll always love you." Tears choked her. They were her most precious beings, even more so than her current pregnancy.

Davian wiped her tears. Lilia cried, "Mommy, did you fight with Daddy?"

Bruce's heart ached as he listened.

"Daddy, don't fight with Mommy!" Lilia pleaded.

"We didn't fight; we were playing games!" Bruce lied, poorly.

"Mommy, we don't want to be with that mean person!"

Davian cried.

"Mommy's tired. You should go back."

"Bruce, please let me stay with the children! Don't be heartless!"

"So you can terminate your pregnancy?" Bruce challenged.

"Bruce, please! What must I do?"

"Behave and have the baby."

"Don't force me!"

"Take the children away!"

The servants forcefully took the children. Joanna was helpless to stop them.

"Bruce, I hate you! Why?"

"Eat!" Bruce commanded.

"I can't"

"You must! Be obedient, and you'll see the children tomorrow. Defy me, and they'll be sent overseas."

(The final sentence, "SEND GIFT COMMENT," appears to be unrelated and should be removed.)