Lilah hesitated for a moment, but to ease his worry, she nodded.

That evening, Brenda came to visit, bringing Livia along.

Since Lilah had been overwhelmed with various matters, Livia had been staying with Brenda, helping with her daily needs while spending time with her and picking up her habits. Livia now carried herself with a grace reminiscent of Brenda.

"Lilah, Gerard shared his concerns with me, and I completely understand his point of view. Your health should always come first, understand?" Brenda gently advised.

Livia chimed in, "Lilah, Aunt and Cousin are right."

Lilah knew they all had her best interests at heart and assured them she would listen to their advice.

At this moment, Brenda spoke up, "You two initially planned for the deadline to be the end of the year, but now that you're two to three months pregnant, it won't be long before it shows. Why not advance the wedding date? It might help quiet the gossip."

Lilah was taken aback, not expecting Brenda to suggest this.

She and Gerard were already living as if they were married, so the wedding seemed almost unnecessary.

"Lilah, what do you think?" Brenda held her hand gently. "Once you two are married, I can rightfully hand Brenlla over to you and have Livia help you manage it. Together, you can surely make the company flourish, can't you?"

Before Lilah could respond, a fleeting but sharp look crossed Livia's eyes.

How could this be? Brenda had clearly mentioned that there would be a competition between them before deciding on a successor.

Why this sudden decision?

Livia's mind was clouded with anger, the word "unfair" echoing relentlessly in her thoughts.

"I'll do whatever you think is best." Lilah didn't catch what Brenda said next, but the topic of marriage had indeed come up several times, and she couldn't keep avoiding it.

After leaving the Harris family home, Livia found an excuse to leave on her own.

She went to Lila's residence, intending to discuss the matter thoroughly and quickly devise a plan to change the situation.

But upon arrival, she discovered Lila bedridden, unable to get up.

"Lila, what's going on? Why didn't you tell me?" Livia was startled and rushed to take Lila to the hospital.

Lila was suffering from a recurrence of her old ailment. Her heart condition had plagued her for years, and the doctor mentioned she needed a stent for her heart attack.

Without hesitation, Livia agreed and paid for the surgery.

However, Lila seemed disinclined to undergo the procedure, as if she'd lost the will to live.

After all, the person she cared about most had grown distant, and she couldn't bear such torment any longer.

"Lila, please don't be so pessimistic. It's just a routine procedure, nothing to worry about. You really should... "