The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains

"Emily, did you hear what Michael just said? From now on, you need to stay away from Michael. It's the best thing you can do, and it's for your own good!"

"Look, I'm your stepmom, and I don't want to be too harsh. You still carry the Brown family name when you're out there. A girl should have some self-respect, especially one who's been married before..." "From now on, just live well under our roof and listen to your dad. If we're in a good mood, we might even help you find a good match! Even if it's a second marriage... Emily, hello?" Before Evelyn could finish, Emily had already hung up.

Evelyn snorted, turned around, and kept eavesdropping on the conversation outside. Sophia was sweet-talking Michael. She couldn't hear Michael's responses, but Evelyn was now 100% confident. With Sophia's little tricks, marrying Michael was a done deal. As for Emily, Evelyn called just to mess with her. Whether Emily heard the rest didn't matter.

In Evelyn's mind, hearing Michael talk to Sophia was enough to break Emily's heart and end things.

Sophia said, "Michael, don't worry, I've thought it all through. Now that the rumors about Smith Corporation and you have just died down, I know you're embarrassed. I won't make things hard for you. Let's keep our relationship and the baby a secret for now until things settle."

Michael was surprised by Sophia's words. She seemed more understanding than before. He patted her head and said, "Okay, you rest at home and take care of the baby."

But Sophia wasn't satisfied with just that. The baby was a lie, and it would eventually come out. She needed to reclaim everything that was hers before the truth surfaced. Only then would her efforts and tears be worth it.

Sophia said, "Michael, even though I said that, my belly would eventually show. I can't keep going out in public. My father has a reputation to uphold. I don't mind, but I'm worried about my parents. Thinking about it makes me feel guilty." Sophia's acting was flawless. She had used it to get Michael to divorce Emily. Now, she was back, using her skills to manipulate the situation.

Seeing her big teardrops fall on his arm, Michael suddenly thought of Emily's bloodshot eyes looking at him, not with hatred, but not with love either.

Michael was dying to know what she felt for him. For days, he had Andrew trying to find Emily, looked for clues in Abigail's posts, and even checked Daniel's social media. But Emily was nowhere to be found.

Sophia said, "Michael, don't worry, I'm not pressuring you. I'm just a bit sad. It's okay, we'll manage here. It's just that this is your first child..."

Michael cut her off, "I know, I won't let the kid suffer."

He got what Sophia was hinting at. It made sense. She was carrying his child, and these worries were normal.

Michael added, "I had a rough childhood, and so did my mom... So, Sophia, don't worry. I won't let our kid go through that. I'll make sure everything's set up, and you can move into my place to take care of the baby soon." He didn't mention that his place was Emerald Lake Manor. It already had someone else's presence.

Michael had decided that if he and Emily split, he'd keep Emerald Lake Manor as a keepsake.

As for Sophia and the baby, the Smith family had plenty of properties in Emerald City. Finding another one wouldn't be an issue.

But Sophia thought he meant Emerald Lake Manor. Overjoyed, she hugged Michael's neck and kissed him.

That kiss made Michael think of Emily again. He couldn't figure out why she hated him so much. She was the one who didn't want a divorce at first, and now she was pushing for it.

She was the one who loved him deeply, yet she was also the one who wouldn't let him touch her.

How did one night with Sophia lead to a pregnancy, while three years with Emily didn't?

The thought gave Michael a headache, and he suddenly asked Sophia, "Are all women so unpredictable?"

Sophia looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

After some convincing, Michael got Sophia to go home. He had no interest in staying at the Brown Villa for dinner or dealing with Hayden and Evelyn.

Starting the car, Michael grabbed his phone from the center console. Only Ava had called. He felt a sudden jolt and called back.

Ava's excited voice came through, "Mr. Smith, you finally answered! Where are you? Come back quickly, Mrs. Smith is here! She said she's getting her things and moving out tonight. She even gave me all the keys!" "No matter what I said, she wouldn't listen. She got mad at me, and she didn't look well. This is serious! She wasn't this impulsive last time!"

Hearing this, Michael's eyelids twitched. He hung up and tossed the phone aside.

As he started the car, he glanced at the house number outside the Brown Villa.

Andrew's words echoed in his mind, "Mr. Smith, our people found that this IP address was sent from around here, but due to the weak signal, it's hard to pinpoint the mastermind." Sophia was pregnant now. Even if she was ruthless, she wouldn't destroy Smith Corporation for the sake of the baby.

Then it had to be Emily. Her strange behavior and her coldness made Michael suspect she was behind it. Maybe this was her way of playing hard to get or a strategy to get more assets. The more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to believe it. Michael clenched his teeth in anger and sped towards Emerald Lake Manor.