The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 437 - 444 Emily Lopez Is Anxious

Chapter 437: Chapter 444 Emily Lopez Is Anxious

Sandra suddenly ran out again, grabbing Lucy Campbell’s arm as she sat in the living room. She asked urgently, "Sister Emily, what happened? Why are my sister and my brother-in-law having a spat?"

Lucy glanced toward the kitchen where James Brown was and smiled, "I’m not sure either. Their marital issues—how could I possibly understand? But no need to worry. Couples’ arguments are usually resolved in bed. It’s no big deal."

"No, no, my sister isn’t even living at home anymore. How can they resolve things in bed like that?"

Lucy shrugged and said, "Then it’s entirely up to them. But arguments between spouses are perfectly normal. Tell me, how many couples in this world have never quarreled?"

Lucy stole another glance at James in the kitchen, feeling a bit wistful inside. If she were together with James, what would they quarrel about? They’d never fret over mundane expenses for food and household staples. Chores? Not even an issue. Even without hiring a housekeeper, she’d willingly tidy up their home with James—something she’d genuinely enjoy, making anger seem impossible.

The issues would then stem from matters of emotion—James engaging in infidelity, for instance. But Lucy viewed such situations pragmatically. If a man sought affairs, it implied his wife hadn’t satisfied him at home or lacked in certain aspects. She was confident she could excel in those areas, making James enjoy staying home.

As she thought it over, she couldn’t identify a logical reason for James to argue with her. Wouldn’t their life then lack fun and drama? Perhaps she’d have to deliberately spar with James just to add a little zest and atmosphere to their home.

"Sister Emily, what’s wrong with you? I’m talking to you, but you’re totally spacing out!" Sandra gave Lucy a little push.

Lucy snapped back to her senses and apologized, "Sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment. What were you saying just now?"

Sandra rolled her eyes. She had been talking to Lucy when the latter zoned out. She replied helplessly, "I was asking you if there’s a chance they’d get divorced."

"No, they won’t," Lucy reassured with a shake of her head.

Sandra patted her chest in relief, "That’s good to hear. If they were to divorce, it’d be a disaster."

Lucy felt puzzled as she looked at Sandra, "You don’t even know what their conflict is about. Why are you so afraid of their divorce? If your brother-in-law did something unforgivable to your sister, wouldn’t you want them to divorce?"

"Well, he’s already doing things that betray my sister. I’ve grown used to it by now. You have no idea how much effort I put in just to get them married. I can’t let them divorce. That would make all my hard work pointless."

Sandra’s reasoning seemed compelling on the surface. However, Lucy felt something deeper wasn’t expressed and decided not to pry any further.

During dinner, Sandra kept a close eye on James Brown. He shot her a glare and said, "If you don’t eat properly, I’ll polish off everything myself."

Sandra, holding a crab, proceeded absentmindedly to twist off its claws without eating any, muttering distractedly, "Go ahead and eat. I don’t really have an appetite."

Lucy stood up at this moment and said, "Alright, I’m full. I’ll head home now."

James Brown rose to see Lucy out. As soon as he shut the door, Sandra grabbed his arm and dragged him forcibly to the sofa. She stared him down and demanded, "Spill the beans—what’s the deal with you and my sister?"

Looking into Sandra’s questioning gaze, James had the sense that this sharp sister-in-law wouldn’t be easy to fool. Moreover, winning back Gina Lopez’s favor would require Sandra’s cooperation. Resignedly, he recounted everything that had happened.

Sandra listened in shock, her jaw dropped. After a long pause, she exclaimed, "Oh my God, Emily Berns actually gave birth to your child? This feels like some absurd fairy tale. Brother-in-law, are you fantasizing?"

James replied with a weary laugh, "Do I look like I have time to fantasize about her? She’s causing me endless headaches right now."

"This situation is such a mess. If Emily Berns merely hated you, my sister wouldn’t feel so distressed. After all, this incident happened years ago, and you don’t have feelings for Emily. But now she’s gone and had a child with you—and claims to like you! That’s the part that’s breaking my sister’s heart."

Sandra, truly Gina’s twin, quickly pinpointed the exact reason for her sister’s pain.

"She may like me, but I don’t like her. Back then, we practically treated each other as enemies."

"The crux of the matter is still the child. It’s your biological child, and as the father, you can’t shirk responsibility. My sister must be grappling with this dilemma—if she stays with you, she’ll have to accept the child. And Emily Berns, as the child’s mother, also confessed her feelings for you. Wouldn’t my sister also have to make peace with Emily?"

Sandra was absolutely correct. This was precisely the point that had James feeling utterly stuck.

"Handling this is tricky. Emily Berns—how could someone as prominent as a celebrity be so reckless and have your child?" Sandra frowned, pursing her lips as she vented her frustrations.

Seeing Sandra vent non-stop, James lightly patted her leg—a gesture that could easily be seen as flirtatious under normal circumstances. But given their usual closeness, neither considered it inappropriate. James remarked, "Enough complaining. What do we do now?"

Sandra let out a startled "Ah!" and said, "Right! What do we do now? I can’t let you and my sister divorce. That would be awful for me."

"Awful for you?" James raised an eyebrow at her, puzzled.

Sandra chuckled mischievously, "I finally found a brother-in-law I approve of! If you divorce my sister, who’d pamper me like you do? Who’d rub my feet so comfortably or hang out with me when I want to chat and go out? Just imagining some other man in your place drives me crazy."

James, drenched in figurative sweat, sighed and said, "Sandra, could we not discuss this right now?"

Sandra quickly shifted gears, firmly gripping his hand as she pleaded, "Brother-in-law, please promise to stay with my sister forever. I’m begging you."

James let out a heavy sigh, "I’ll try my best. But whether your sister forgives me—I have no confidence in that."

Sandra immediately tilted her head in thought to come up with ideas. But every suggestion she offered involved deceiving Gina, and James rejected them without hesitation. Deceptions might work temporarily but couldn’t last a lifetime. Once exposed, the damage done to Gina would be far worse. Determined, James opted to face the consequences head-on.

Moreover, James was preparing to lay all the cards on the table—including Melody Yoody’s pregnancy. Emily Berns had already caused a massive problem; if Melody went ahead with childbirth, Gina likely couldn’t handle it.

That night, James slept alone in the room, feeling a peculiar emptiness—not due to a lack of female company, but because he had grown accustomed to Gina sleeping beside him. Simply hearing Gina’s breathing, or catching her scent, brought him a sense of peace. Without her in their shared bed, James felt this peace missing—an unsettling realization.

The next day, James arrived at the company and stayed in his office for a while. Sunny Nguyen called and asked him to come over, so he promptly went to her office. Passing by Gina’s office door in the hallway, he noticed it was tightly shut and couldn’t tell if she was inside.

Walking into Sunny’s office, she gave him an exasperated look and said, "Seriously, how’d you end up with a child now?"

After a night of reflecting, James felt composed and managed a faint smile, "It surprised me just as much."

Sunny handed James a cup of water and sat with him on the sofa, scolding, "Now you’ve done it. Spreading love everywhere, and now you’ve left a seed."

"I didn’t have a choice—it’s not like she consulted me beforehand. How’s Gina doing now?"

"How else? She can’t accept it, obviously. She’s been unbelievably tolerant of you so far, letting go of your past relationships without immediately forcing you to cut ties. But now there’s a child in the mix—a daughter, no less. How could she possibly accept this?"

"What did Gina say about what she wants to do?" James asked, his expression steady.

"She said she’s considering divorcing you so you can be with Emily Berns. She doesn’t want the child to grow up without a father."

"That’s it?"

"She also can’t bring herself to leave you. Although she hasn’t explicitly said so, it’s clear—that’s why she’s in such pain."

James had anticipated this response and said, "Whatever Gina decides, I’ll respect her."

Sunny frowned, "You’re not even going to fight for her? If you genuinely apologize and show remorse, Gina might forgive you."

James smiled faintly, "Of course I’ll try to win her back. But Emily Berns has my child, and Melody Yoody is pregnant. If she miscarries, she’ll never be able to conceive again, so this child must be born. Right now, I already have two children from extramarital affairs. How could I ever hope for Gina’s forgiveness?"

Sunny was dumbfounded. After a long pause, she remarked, "Well, you don’t just have two. I might have one too."

"What?" James’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Sunny.

Sunny burst out laughing, "I’m kidding! I would never be that foolish. Why would I willingly bring a child into the picture and make things harder for myself?"

James, now skittish like a startled bird, replied with mixed emotions, "Sunny, please don’t tease me. These past few days, just hearing the word ’child’ makes my heart race."

"Serves you right for sowing chaos everywhere. If you had just stayed true, none of this would’ve happened."

"True enough. Whatever’s done comes with consequences. My reckless past is finally catching up to me."

Seeing how exhausted James seemed, Sunny felt sympathy. Her teasing earlier was meant to lighten his mood, but clearly, James was under immense emotional strain. Impulsively, she hugged him and softly said, "Don’t overthink it. Just let things unfold naturally. If you’re ever feeling burnt out, come to me—I’ll make sure you don’t feel burdened."