The months quickly flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve once again. A festive mood was floating in the air, and every corner of the bustling Ariosa was adorned with colorful decorations and bright lights. Families and friends from all over the country flocked together to enjoy the holiday season in the presence of their loved ones.

Unlike in the past years, the Marshall family’s old mansion was full of life and joy. The sound of cheerful voices and hearty laughter resonated throughout the halls as all the relatives gathered together to celebrate the merry occasion.

There was certainly a lot to be thankful for, most notably the two special events of the current year. First was Joseph and Ashley’s monumental marriage, and the second was the birth of their first child, which was due to happen anytime soon.

The changes in the handsome couple’s characters were remarkable. Joseph used to be cold-hearted, arrogant, and intimidating, while Ashley was known to be a reserved and uncaring woman back then.

These two different individuals who had no prior connection to each other were now living a happy married life straight from a fairytale. They were destined to be together, and the powerful love they shared solidified their union. Joseph and Ashley would remain inseparable and grow old together.

The Obrarian New Year came on an earlier date than before. At the end of January, it was time for both the New Year and Ashley’s hospital confinement in preparation for her baby’s arrival into the world. The expectant mother had mixed feelings of happiness and anxiety growing inside her chest as she counted down the days.

New Year’s Eve was now upon them. Members of the Guzman family arrived early at the Marshall residence to have an early start to the celebration and make the most of the holiday together.

Although Ashley was mentally prepared for motherhood and could still look after herself, her relatives treated her with utmost care the moment she showed up with her protruding belly. They all offered their assistance to the pregnant woman, and everyone kept a close eye on her.

It was almost the expected date of Ashley’s delivery, and all her loved ones couldn’t help but feel anxious. They were worried that something bad might happen to the baby at this critical stage. It was because Ashley looked pale and exhausted most of the time, often complaining that her body was aching all over. Fortunately, Joseph was a very caring and thoughtful husband. He even studied massage techniques on how to ease a pregnant woman’s discomfort.

Since Ashley was in the latter part of her pregnancy, she would usually sleep until noon, and today was no exception.

“Joseph, I overslept again. Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” The groggy Ashley rubbed her eyes and squinted at the young man.

Dressed handsomely in designer clothing, Joseph carefully set the beautiful outfit that he had prepared for Ashley on the table beside them. He gave her a warm smile and replied softly, “You need all the sleep you can get. I didn’t have the heart to disturb you from your slumber.”

“But we’re expecting my family in a while. As the hosts, it is our duty to entertain the guests. We need to be the ones to receive them once they come inside.” Still half asleep, Ashley slowly sat up and steadied herself with both hands. She exercised caution with every movement as her big belly was heavy and difficult to maneuver. With furrowed eyebrows, she gazed through the window at the warm sunshine in the winter. It was a chore to get out of bed at this point in her pregnancy, and the woman felt quite lazy.

Kneeling on the bed, Joseph bent down and lifted the hem of his wife’s maternity dress from the warm quilt. He gently prodded her and instructed, “Raise your arms in the air. I’ll help you change your clothes.”

“Okay.” Ashley followed her husband’s order obediently.

After months of taking care of his wife, Joseph was already adept at changing Ashley’s clothes for her. He expertly dressed her up in a clean maternity gown and assisted her towards the bathroom. The young man squeezed toothpaste on the toothbrush and ran some warm water so that the sleepy woman could freshen up. As soon as everything was in order, Joseph stepped outside and waited for Ashley to finish her morning routine.

There was a newfound tenderness in Joseph’s actions which started when they discovered that Ashley was pregnant. He became a dutiful and supportive husband, constantly checking on her and giving his wife the full attention she deserved. Although this new setup had been going on for a while now, Ashley was still unaccustomed to Joseph’s service towards her. But she greatly appreciated that he helped her at this time. It was a pleasant way to start her day.

Ashley washed up and got dressed shortly afterward. She gingerly went downstairs while clinging to Joseph’s arm for support. At this moment, the handsome pair looked like the perfect couple. They were a beautiful sight to behold.

“Ah, you’re finally awake. How are you feeling?” Simone walked up to them with a bright smile on her face and held Ashley’s other arm.

“I’m alright. There’s nothing to worry about,” Ashley replied reassuringly as she slowly sat down on the cushioned chair.

It was a brand new day, and everything about her body felt perfectly normal. Looking down at her belly in thought, Ashley presumed that her baby would most likely be born shortly after New Year’s Eve. With this in mind, she felt excited and gently stroked her protruding stomach in endearment. It seemed as if the entire room suddenly lit up with the outpour of maternal love that filled the air.

“Starting tomorrow, it will be the Obrarian New Year. It’s wonderful news that the baby’s birth will coincide with the New Year.” Sitting across the young couple, Leonard raised his cup of tea and said with a smile, “Pay close attention to the baby, everyone. My grandchild will be born soon in the coming days.”

Equally overwhelmed with anticipation, the cheerful Mike chimed in, “Well, it seems that the little ones chose the perfect time to arrive into this world. I think that the baby will love the lively spirit of this special festival.”

Before anyone else could respond to his remarks, Mike raised his finger as he had more to say. The handsome man who was sitting elegantly on the armchair turned his eyes to Joseph. “Since the baby will be born on such a festive celebration, then I guess he wouldn’t be anything like the father, right?”

It was obvious to everyone in the room what Mike had meant. Joseph was naturally cold-hearted and a recluse. Now that the baby would be born in the middle of the New Year, Mike pointed out that the child would be a complete opposite to his father’s character.

While the others were frowning and murmuring their opinions on the matter, Joseph glared at his brother-in-law and asked crossly, “What’s wrong if the baby ends up to be exactly like me?”

“Well, you are too intimidating and tend to drive people away with your callous demeanor.” The response came from Jack’s mouth as he casually swirled his cup of tea with his finger.

Sensing the heated tone of their conversation, Simone discreetly pinched Jack’s waist and waved his answer off. “It’s not a bad thing if the baby takes after Joseph. My grandchild is sure to be good-looking. If the baby turns out to be a girl and get her father’s cunning and smart attitude, then she won’t be easily fooled by men. If it’s a boy, then he should be as….as faithful as his father.”

Although Simone often acted as the family’s peacekeeper and was good at mediating, the clear hesitation in her last sentence gave her real thoughts away. It was obvious that she was sugar-coating her words for Joseph’s benefit.

“Mom is right. Whether our child is a boy or a girl, it would still be a blessing if they inherited Joseph’s attitude,” Ashley echoed earnestly, coming to the defense of her disgruntled husband.

There wasn’t anything wrong with a man being a little cold to others. It could even be considered cool in some instances. However, if he were too heartless, then women would steer clear of him. After all, it wasn’t pleasant dealing with a ruthless and arrogant person. But if a cold man were also tall, handsome, and immensely wealthy, it would be a totally different case. Every woman would chase him relentlessly, and his peers would envy him.

Joseph was a perfect example of such an individual. Cool, calculating, and brilliant, everything seemed to go well for him. Because of his distant personality, he had remained a virgin for almost thirty years. His mindset was that when he fell in love with someone, she would be the woman that he would marry and grow old with. An old-fashioned gentleman like Joseph was a rarity in today’s day and age.

If the baby was a girl, being cold and mistrustful would be for her own good. That way, she wouldn’t be taken advantage of by deceitful men. Maybe in the far future, she would replace a suitable partner who was even more withdrawn than her.

As soon as Ashley finished her words, Jack sighed regretfully and said in a wry tone, “How ironic. It seems I should have told Ashley to be cold and cautious when entering a relationship with questionable characters.”

Awkward silence suddenly filled the entire room.

No one knew how to respond to Jack’s sentiment. It was slowly becoming a tense situation.

Jack’s statement didn’t sit well with Joseph. In fact, the latter felt insulted. Had he known that he would fall madly in love with Ashley, he would have chased her a long time ago and eventually won her heart. Then he wouldn’t have to wait for thirty lonely years before finally settling down. If he were a no-good cheater that would break Ashley’s trust on a whim, then he would suffer the consequences of his foolishness. Besides, he was now a changed man. Their marriage worked wonders on his attitude.

Aside from Leonard and Simone, the majority of the group was from the younger generation. As the family patriarch, Leonard couldn’t lower his pride and praise Joseph in front of everyone. Instead, he calmly changed the topic. “By the way, have you already thought of a name for the baby?”

Naming the newborn baby was a crucial matter to be discussed by the parents with their relatives. Being one of the most powerful families in the country, the Marshall clan wanted to give the infant a name befitting a noble child.

Leonard had been browsing through books of ancient literature years ago in the eventuality that he would finally be blessed with a grandchild. He now brought this particular topic into the conversation not only to ease the tense atmosphere but also to show respect to the Guzman family and hear their thoughts.

The timing of Leonard’s question couldn’t have been better as both families began to chat animatedly with one another and racked their minds to come up with a unique suggestion. Soon enough, everyone forgot about the previously sensitive discussion.

“Hey grandpa, are there any ancestral rules or parameters for naming the baby?” Mike asked with interest.

“Of course.” Leonard nodded solemnly as he reached for his encyclopedia on the table. He looked around at his family members and said, “Let’s all put our heads together and come up with a name which we all agree upon.”

Once Mike started to brainstorm, Rosa’s name briefly popped into his mind. His jaw immediately tightened at the memory of the beautiful woman, and a flash of bitterness flickered in his eyes. But his attention was soon averted when the others had called him out to weigh in on the topic at hand.

Seeing that everyone was busy giving their suggestions, Ashley leaned in close to the pensive Joseph and whispered to his ear, “Honey, didn’t you mention before that you already had a name for our baby?”

In the early stage of her pregnancy, Ashley raised the matter to Joseph now that they were faced with this responsibility. Although it wasn’t urgent, she just wanted to hear her husband’s thoughts on the subject. To her surprise, Joseph revealed that he had already named their baby but wouldn’t disclose anything specific.

Before Joseph could even respond, a sharp cry of pain rang out amidst the noise of lively chatter. All heads instantly turned in Ashley’s direction, and they were all stunned with what they saw.

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