The Queen's Back

Ava had already pieced it together. Even if she hadn't gotten a confirmation from Mona, she would've figured it out eventually.

Still, when Mona finally admitted she was pregnant, Ava couldn't contain her excitement.

"Mona, this is the best news! I don't even have to go through childbirth, and I'll get a little one to spoil! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone-not even Artemis and Elara. Let's see how long it takes for them to catch on."

After the call, Ava was so thrilled that she applied for leave and went straight out shopping. She was getting tired of her job anyway; her coworkers weren't exactly her favorite people, and she could afford a break.

When Mona finally got up, she walked down the thick carpet and headed to the living room. By the time Mona got downstairs, the living room looked like a baby supply store exploded. Ava was bustling around, directing shop assistants and juggling shopping bags. When she spotted Mona, she rushed over and helped her. "Mona, be careful! Come check out all the goodies I've got for your little one!"

Mona sighed as she glanced around at the piles of clothes, toys, and baby gear. Since Maxwell found out she was pregnant, he had gone all out, clearing out store shelves. Albert had also sent more baby clothes, and the Clem family dropped off a ton of toys. Now, with Ava's haul, the nursery rooms were stuffed to the brim.

Mona assumed it would take so many years to use it all, and by that time, the baby must've grown up.

"Ava, we already have so much stuff here. You think we could return a few of these?" Mona asked, trying to keep it light.

"Return them? No way! These are my gifts to the baby. You'll have plenty of use for all this," Ava said, cooing over a cute onesie. "Now, where is Hattie? She can help put these things away."

Mona just smiled, thinking of another idea. If they ended up with too much stuff, she would donate whatever they couldn't use. It was a nice way to build up some good karma for the little one. When Hattie saw Mona agree, she and the other servants began putting the clothes Ava sent into the room next to the baby's.

Once the gifts were settled, Ava pulled Mona over to the sofa in the living room and stared at her stomach. "Your belly is so flat. Are you really pregnant?" Ava asked, clearly in disbelief. She looked at Mona's slender limbs and fair face; her waist was still so tiny. 'A pregnant woman shouldn't look like this, right?" Ava thought.

Mona laughed softly, glancing at her stomach and said, "I promise I am! You'll see in a few months."

Ava seemed a bit puzzled, then she reached out and placed her hand on Mona's belly. "Wow, that's so cool."

"Ava, how are things going with you and Joseph?" Mona suddenly asked, shifting the conversation.

Ava had been with Joseph for a while, and Mona wondered if they had any marriage plans since Ava wasn't getting any

younger.

"Pretty good," Ava replied, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Just as Mona was about to dig deeper, Ava continued, "Joseph seems to want to marry me, but I'm not sure if I should say yes."

Mona raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't want to marry him?"

Ava shook her head. "No, not that. It's just that I've been on my own for so long. Having someone around feels like a big change, and I worry I might not adjust well. What if I end up needing a divorce later? It sounds like a hassle."

"Ava, I totally think you and Joseph should consider trying out marriage. Just see how it feels to have someone by your side," Mona said casually.

Ava grabbed a piece of fruit from the platter, chewing thoughtfully. "Yeah, we can think about that later. But speaking of big changes, I've been thinking about quitting my job and starting my own company. I've got some cash saved up, so why not? If it works, awesome! If not, no big deal."

Mona lit up at Ava's idea. She had been itching to find someone to help manage her own venture, and now was the perfect opportunity.

She squeezed Ava's hand, bubbling with excitement. "Ava, let's do it together! I want to start my own clothing brand. You handle the business stuff, and I'll take care of the designs. I know we can make it happen!"

Just like that, they made a plan. Ava was so pumped she decided she would resign right away-no need to wait until the end of the month.

So, it was settled. Mona would create the design drafts, they would split the funding, and Ava would handle all the management for their new design brand.

Feeling inspired, Ava was all smiles as they hit the shops together after that. And as soon as they reached the car, Bud popped up in front of her.

They hadn't crossed paths since that awkward encounter outside Ava's house. Seeing him now, Ava felt surprisingly calm. No jitters this time; she just greeted him and kept walking.

Bud watched her walk away, his gaze filled with a mix of emotions. "Ava, how have you been lately?"

After Maxwell had given him some time off, he had buried himself in work to keep his mind busy. It felt like forever since he had seen her.

"I'm good. No need to worry," she replied, keeping it casual.

Bud watched the red car drive away until it completely vanished from sight. It felt like his heart was drifting just as far from Ava-like there was no way to reach her anymore. Snapping out of his thoughts, he headed over to Mona's house to grab a document Maxwell needed.

Before five in the afternoon, Maxwell strolled home under the warm glow of the setting sun. Mona wasn't in their bedroom; instead, she was in her study, working on design drafts.

Sunlight filtered through the white screen window, casting a gentle glow on her face, making her look all warm and motherly. Maxwell found himself watching her for a while, mesmerized. Finally, he knocked on the door and walked in, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

He leaned down to peek at her design draft and asked, "Hey, it's been a while. Did you miss me? How's our little one doing today?"

Mona set her brush down and placed her hand on top of his. "Of course! The baby's been good, just super lazy. Seriously, all they want to do is sleep."

She had barely managed to read a couple of pages from her design book before drowsiness set in, making it hard for her to keep her eyes open.

"That's pretty normal. Once the baby hits three months, the sleepy phase will chill out a bit," he said, remembering what he had read recently.