Chapter 106 It's a Boy

When they got to the hospital, there were a bunch of tests to go through. Lisa, who knew the hospital like the back of her hand, wheeled Isabella from one department to another.

After all the tests, there was still no sign that Isabella was ready to give birth.

"Lisa, you should take a break," Isabella said.

Lisa was busy thinking about making some nutritious soup for Isabella, figuring she might need the energy when the time came.

"I'll whip up this soup first, and then you can just focus on giving birth. The doctor said the baby's head is pretty big, so it might be tough. Have you thought about a C-section, Ms. Neville?" Lisa asked, looking worried.

"I still want to try having the baby naturally. If it doesn't work out, then I'll think about surgery," Isabella replied.

"That makes sense."

While they were waiting for contractions, there was a knock on the hospital room door.

They both looked over and saw Joshua's face. Isabella was a bit surprised. "Joshua?"

Joshua wiped the sweat off his forehead and put down the big bags he was carrying. "What a coincidence, you're having the baby today."

"You went to my house?" Isabella asked.

Joshua nodded. "You've been away from work for so long, and I wanted to check on you. Today, your neighbor told me you were at the hospital, so I quickly bought some baby stuff and came over."

Isabella glanced at the big bags. "Joshua, thank you. I'm doing okay."

"Actually, there were reasons for your leaving. Don't hold a grudge against Ray," Joshua explained.

Isabella shrugged. "It's all in the past, no point in talking about it."

"Yeah, it's all in the past," Joshua said with a smile.

Isabella raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Thanks for still thinking of me. I thought you would've forgotten about me."

"We never had any issues. I've been wanting to visit, but I've been busy," Joshua said, taking a deep breath. "But I won't be busy for much longer."

"What happened?" Isabella asked.

"Nicholas got reported and arrested for drug trafficking, bribery, money laundering, and working with organized crime. The company's a mess."

Isabella was stunned. "What about Ray? Is he involved?"

"Ray's gone back to headquarters to handle things. No one knows the full story, but besides Nicholas, a lot of people at headquarters have been arrested. Everyone's on edge," Joshua said.

This was a shock for Isabella.

Given Nicholas's power in the business world, even if he did something illegal, he should've been able to cover it up.

The quick and precise takedown meant whoever was going after Nicholas was pretty powerful too.

"If EX Corporation really goes under, what are your plans?" she asked.

Joshua hadn't had time to think about the future, but he knew he couldn't stay at EX Corporation. "I haven't thought about it yet."

"With your skills, finding another job shouldn't be a problem. Don't stress too much," Isabella said, trying to comfort him.

Joshua nodded. He wasn't worried about himself but was concerned about Ray. "If EX Corporation collapses overnight, I'm afraid Ray will get caught up in it."

After all, Ray's relationship with the Miller family was different from everyone else's.

"Let's just leave it to fate," she said.

Joshua didn't stay long; he got a call and had to leave.

Isabella spent a lot of time thinking, mostly worrying.

She was concerned that George might get dragged into this mess. She really didn't want him to get into trouble.

That evening, Isabella's contractions got more frequent, and she was rushed to the delivery room.

She was determined to have a natural birth, so Lisa had to wait outside.

Four hours later, the sound of a baby's loud cry filled the air.

Lisa, who had been on edge, finally relaxed.

The midwife brought the baby over to Isabella and said, "A beautiful baby boy."

Isabella blinked weakly.

'A baby boy. I always thought I'd have a cute little girl with pigtails and pretty dresses. Well, as long as the baby is healthy, it's all good,' she thought.

After the baby was bathed, he was brought back to Isabella's arms.

The little guy weighed 15 pounds, solid as a rock, eagerly nursing from Isabella.

The delivery room door opened, and Isabella, holding the baby, was wheeled out.

Lisa quickly stepped forward and took the wheelchair. "Ms. Neville, you were so brave."

Isabella smiled and showed the baby to Lisa. "It's a boy."

She looked at the little baby in her arms, feeling full of happiness.

With a natural birth, Isabella recovered well and went home a few days later.

Lisa made sure Isabella had plenty of nutritious food, and her breast milk was good, making the little guy chubby.

Keith came to see the baby, bringing a ton of stuff. Lisa had to go up and down the stairs four or five times to bring everything in.

"You didn't have to buy so much," Isabella said, not wanting others to spend money on her.

Keith replied, "If I skimped, he'd hold it against me when he grows up."

"Would he dare?" Isabella laughed.

Keith took the baby from Isabella's arms. The baby was asleep, occasionally sucking on his little mouth, looking adorable.

"He's a handsome baby, with hair like yours," Keith said.

"Just the hair?" Isabella asked, a bit disappointed.

From birth to discharge, the doctors and nurses had mostly commented on how the baby's hair was like hers.

"He looks like you in every way," Keith said.

"That's more like it," Isabella snorted.

"Have you named him?" Keith asked.

"Not yet. I want to choose carefully," Isabella replied.

"Just give him a nickname for now. How about Buddy?" Keith suggested.

'Buddy? Isn't that a dog's name?' she thought.

"It doesn't sound good," Isabella refused.

"Then how about Bear, Leo, Simba, any of those," Keith suggested.

Isabella held her forehead. "Let's think about it some more."

Far away in Stellar City, Elodie also heard about Isabella's delivery and called to check in. Knowing that Isabella and her baby were safe, she was relieved.

After hanging up, Elodie glanced towards the hospital room and sighed.

Brenda's illness was far more serious than expected. The risks of surgery made Elodie hesitate between surgery and conservative treatment.

On his way back from rounds, Daniel saw Elodie standing at the end of the hallway, lost in thought.

"Still worried?" Daniel walked up to Elodie.