Chapter 388

"This can't go on forever. The baby will need to be registered after birth. Why don't you talk to Uncle George? He's our godfather—he wouldn't steer us wrong." Luna Whitaker gently touched her slightly rounded belly, her brow furrowed. She hated living like a fugitive, as if having a child was something to be ashamed of.

Ryan Wallace's eyes lit up, and he immediately took his wife's hand. "Leave it to me. I'll call Uncle George right away. You just focus on resting, understand?" His rough fingers brushed over Luna's knuckles, his grin stretching ear to ear.

He was finally going to be a father!

Though he had always treated Ethan, Aaron, and Samuel Jackson as his own, what man didn’t yearn for a child of his blood? That primal instinct, carved into his bones over generations, was impossible to ignore.

And at his age? Anyone who claimed they didn’t want to be a dad was lying.

Watching her husband’s barely contained joy, warmth flooded Luna’s chest. This was worlds apart from how she’d been treated back in the Jackson household—when she’d been pregnant before, the whole family had scowled at her as if she’d committed some unspeakable crime.

This was what life was supposed to be.

She often thought of her younger sister, Luna White. If not for her encouragement and Andrew Smith’s support back then, she might have surrendered to fate long ago.

"Why’s the boss so happy today?" Jack Peterson whispered from the kitchen doorway.

The entire restaurant staff had noticed something was off. Their usually stern boss was humming under his breath today, stealing glances at his wife with a sweetness that could melt sugar.

"Could Mrs. Whitaker be expecting?" the cashier, Lisa Wilson, murmured conspiratorially.

A few bold waiters exchanged knowing looks before one finally piped up, "Boss, what’s the good news?"

Ryan, wiping down the counter, burst out laughing. "Twenty-dollar bonus for everyone this month! Keep up the good work—there’s a bigger reward at year-end!"

"Wow! Long live the boss!"

Cheers erupted through the restaurant. Dishrags and aprons flew into the air as the young staff members danced with excitement. They were all kids from Six Paths Village who’d come to the city with trepidation, half-expecting wage delays.

Who’d have thought not only would they get paid on time every month, but now bonuses too?

Ryan watched their youthful energy with a swelling heart. He was going to be a father. Life, it seemed, was only getting better.