Chapter 362: Chapter 86 “Lucky Star” Lily

“Ahhhh!! I’m going to die! Ed! I’m going to die!” Kate screamed, her face covered in sweat beads, her eyes having lost focus, just subconsciously clutching Adrian’s hand, holding on tight without letting go.

“Breathe deeply, breathe deeply, it’s almost over, Kate, it’ll be alright soon,” Adrian, who had been with her in the delivery room the whole time, comforted her continuously, following the doctor’s instructions.

“Push, please push, I can already see the baby’s head,” the busy female doctor under the delivery gown also shouted loudly.

“I’m really going to die, Ed, I’m really going to die,” Kate sobbed towards the end, but her body was still pushing as the female doctor had instructed.

“Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen, trust me, it will be alright soon,” Adrian said, while also taking deep breaths.

Finally, after a struggle that lasted for dozens of minutes, a loud cry rose from below, strong and clearly very healthy.

“Congratulations, sir, it’s a lovely girl,” the equally sweaty female doctor said smilingly to Adrian. After handing the wrinkled bundle of a newborn to the nurse for cleaning, she then wrapped her up and handed her to his arms.

“Wow,” Adrian gazed at the little one in his arms who could not even open her eyes, a strange feeling welling up from his heart, “She’s so cute!”

In his past and present life, this was his first child. Although the body was different, the feeling of blood connection couldn’t be faked. Such a tiny bundle was now the symbol of his life’s continuation, and even having been a person in two lifetimes, Adrian could still feel that indescribable sensation.

“My child… my child…” Kate, lying on the delivery bed, exhausted, still mumbled and searched for her child, driven by maternal instinct.

“Here, the little one is here,” Adrian immediately brought the child to her face, “Look, it’s a girl, beautiful, isn’t she?”

Though just cleaned by the nurse, the newborn’s wrinkled and unopened eyes hardly counted as beautiful, but Kate, holding her in her arms, still showed a tender and moved expression.

“Yes, truly beautiful,” she murmured in a low voice, reaching out to touch the little one’s cheek but hesitating, afraid she wouldn’t like it, and her lips pursed as if she was about to cry again.

Soon, the nurse came over to temporarily take the child away; Kate was very reluctant, but eventually handed her over to the nurse, only taking her eyes back after watching the little one leave. Then, Kate, exhausted to the extreme after returning to the ward, immediately fell into a deep sleep, while Adrian also made do with lying on the couch in his clothes for the whole night.

“Look, there she is, looks like she’s waving at us,” the next morning, Adrian helped Kate to the outside of the nursery, searching for their child through the glass.

“I want to hold her,” the compliant Kate murmured as she nestled in his embrace.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be able to hold her again soon,” Adrian patted Kate’s shoulder gently, his gaze fixed unstintingly on the cradle behind the glass at the left center position.

The little one, who had been transformed since birth, looked particularly cute. Although her eyes were still closed as if she hadn’t opened them, her limbs moved around within permissible limits from time to time, a truly energetic little fellow. The doctor said she was about 8 pounds, quite healthy.

“She’s as beautiful as you,” Adrian remarked.

“Of course!” Kate said with a categorical tone, then hugged his arm tighter, a blissful expression on her face.

Soon after returning to the delivery room, a nurse brought the baby over. Although Kate had done her homework before childbirth, she still handled the baby cautiously, grateful for the nurse’s guidance.

“Hold her like this; lift your arm a little higher, no, no, no… right, just like that.” With the nurse’s help, Kate finally managed to hold her daughter properly in her arms, then the little one instinctively started to nurse eagerly. Feeling her daughter’s movement, a joyful smile once again spread across her face.

“You two have a great relationship,” the observing nurse suddenly commented, “It’s rare for a husband to stay by his wife’s side like this. Last night we suggested he could go to another room to rest, but he refused. He said that you were so tired, he had to stay by your side in case you needed someone and couldn’t find anyone. He said that even if he couldn’t help much, as long as he was here, you would feel at ease. He must love you a lot.”

Kate’s eyes dimmed for a moment, then she smiled again with a kind of resigned feeling.

“Yes, he loves me very much, and I love him too,” she nodded and said.

“Hey, has the little guy already been brought over? Why wasn’t I informed? This is really disappointing,” Adrian’s voice came somewhat exaggeratedly from the doorway.

“How exactly am I supposed to inform you? Call you?” Kate retorted instantly, humming.

The nurse, taking the hint, promptly left, and Adrian sat by the bed looking at the little one who was still eating heartily. He was joyful yet curious, then he sighed and gave Kate a teasing look, “Oh, seeing the little one like this, I suddenly feel like eating too–can I have a taste?”

“Ed!” Kate called out in displeasure, her tone carrying a trace of admonishment.

“I’m just speaking my mind,” Adrian raised his hands in defense, “It’s not like I haven’t tasted it before, but I am curious about the difference.”

Kate gave him a glare and changed the subject, “Didn’t you say you had thought of names for the baby? What is it?”

Her gaze then sharpened, “Don’t tell me, all that talk before was just to brush me off. I reminded you two months ago!”

“This…” Adrian momentarily froze, his previous statement of “having thought of a few names, for both a boy and a girl,” though not exactly evasion, was certainly not well-prepared. He was not very familiar with the considerations for naming in the West; it was all John, Sam, or Elizabeth, whatever, but he forgot that it needed Kate’s approval too.

Right! As his gaze fell on his daughter, a mischievously fun idea suddenly popped into his mind. Adrian cleared his throat, looked at Kate earnestly, and said, “You’ll definitely like this name, Lily!”

“Lily?” Kate pondered, her expression thoughtful.

“Yes, Lily, a pure lily flower, a perfect fit for our cute and beautiful daughter, isn’t it?” Adrian said with all seriousness.

Kate repeated the name silently to herself a few times, then her face lit up with joy, “Yes, I like the name, Lily!”

Of course, how could you not like the name. Adrian chuckled inwardly, his hand caressing his daughter’s little cheek as the little one, seemingly full after her meal, began to squirm restlessly in her mother’s arms.

“Lily Cowell?” Kate suddenly whispered, her head bowed and her voice soft, but Adrian heard her clearly.

“Yes, Lily Cowell,” he quickly concurred, with a definitive tone, then wrapped his arm around Kate’s shoulder, “She’s our daughter!”

Even though using his surname might attract the paparazzi’s prying eyes, it was not without a solution. With a little care, and with Adrian’s growing influence, the paparazzi, even if they found out, would likely weigh the consequences. Besides, once the 21st century arrived and all his planned arrangements fell into place, it wouldn’t be a problem even if it became public knowledge.

After recuperating for a few days, Adrian accompanied Kate as they left the hospital. Thanks to the well-executed confidentiality measures, they remained undiscovered by the paparazzi from start to finish. Thus, when they returned to Kate’s villa, the celebration was modest, with only Claude visiting promptly after hearing the news.

“Oh, it’s unbelievable, is this my goddaughter?” Standing beside the crib and observing the little one kicking her legs, Claude said in an amazed tone.

“Goddaughter? You sure?” Adrian quirked his eyebrows.

“I thought it was a given,” Claude shrugged, then poked the chubby cheek of the little one with a finger. For some reason, the baby suddenly started crying, leaving the two men bewildered and unsure what to do.

“What are you doing?!” Hearing the cries, Kate rushed in, glaring at both men with irritation, and quickly took her daughter into her arms to comfort her.

Unfortunately, the little one continued to cry incessantly until it was discovered she needed a diaper change, prompting Kate to give Adrian and Claude another glare before hurriedly changing the baby.

The two innocent men exchanged glances, shrugged at each other, and then burst into hearty laughter.

“Are you sure?” Adrian asked.

“Of course, although we’re both atheists…”

“Sorry, correction, I’m an agnostic.”

“Well, agnostic, even though there are some things we don’t care much about, it doesn’t mean I can’t do…” Claude paused before asking, “By the way, what’s her name?”

“Lily, Lily Cowell.”

“A lily flower? That’s a nice name, let me think what baptismal name would be appropriate.”

“No, no, no, Crow, her name is Lily, no baptismal name needed. This is her baptismal name, or you could say her first name.”

“Since when do parents choose baptismal names for their children…”

“You can give her a middle name.”

“Since when do godfathers give middle names to their children…”

“Alright, Claude, that’s enough!” Adrian made a pause gesture, “You want to be the little guy’s godfather? Then you’ll have to do as I say!”

Seeing him looking somewhat rascally, Claude sighed, “Alright then, it’s settled. When Lily grows up, I’ll be sure to tell her about today’s event and have her die laughing at you.”

After a pause, he looked at him somewhat playfully: “Lily Cowell? I never thought you’d take it so seriously.”

“Since she’s my child, why should I deny her?” Adrian retorted immediately.

“But you don’t plan on marrying Kate, do you?” Claude spread his hands.

“You know me, Crow.” Adrian laughed and then waved his hand, “Legitimate or not doesn’t matter, what matters is whether you acknowledge her, whether you fulfill a father’s responsibilities. I may have many flaws, but I’m confident I won’t do poorly in this regard.”

“Well, this is all your private affair,” Claude shrugged, looking off to where Kate, with the help of a maid, had already busied herself and was now cuddling the little one in her arms, “I’m glad you have a child with her.”

Claude knew Adrian had several women, but Kate was the one he took to The Godfather’s house most often–well, besides Kate, Adrian had not brought any other woman to The Godfather’s or Uncle’s house–so both The Godfather and Uncle had a fairly good impression of her, and Claude’s relationship with her was quite harmonious, otherwise he wouldn’t have come over so quickly.

“Why, with that tone, are you also thinking about getting married, wanting kids?” Adrian teased.

“Come on, Ed, I’ve got plenty of time for that, I’m at the startup phase right now, don’t have the mind to think about anything else.” Claude suddenly laughed smugly, “If you want to be my child’s godfather, you’ll have to wait quite a few years.”

“No problem, I can wait.” Adrian raised his eyebrows, smiling with a meaningful look.

You will probably have a lot of godsons and goddaughters in the future, Crow, are you ready?

“I’ve changed Lily’s diaper, but I suggest you better not disturb her now, she needs to sleep.” Kate approached with her daughter in her arms and stared at them, resembling a mother hen protecting her chick.

“Okay, no problem,” Claude responded first, “But may I hold her for a bit? Just a few minutes.”

Kate hesitated and then handed the little one over to him: “Okay, but please be careful, don’t ever…”

“Don’t ever make her cry, otherwise Kate will kill you,” Adrian interjected seriously.

“No, I won’t,” Kate snorted, “If Crow makes Lily cry, I’ll kill you, Ed!”

Claude burst out laughing, while Adrian muttered “You’re really cruel,” followed by rolling his eyes emphatically.

After playfully teasing the little guy with great patience for a few minutes, Claude handed the child back to Kate, then gestured to Adrian that they had something to discuss.

“Remember my words, Kate, these are rules that must be followed, and if you break them, I won’t be lenient,” Adrian warned repeatedly as he left.

“I know,” Kate sighed helplessly, “you’re turning into an old woman, Ed.”

“What are you talking about?” Claude asked, puzzled.

“Nothing much, just some postpartum care instructions, like not swimming or eating spicy food, etc. It’s good for recuperation,” Adrian explained briefly.

“Is this more of that witchcraft you heard from the East?” joked Claude.

“This is not witchcraft. When you’re young and healthy, you naturally don’t worry about these things, but accumulating them can lead to problems later on. It’s always good to look ahead,” Adrian said very seriously.

“All right, all right, I get it, you always think long term, let’s drop this subject,” Claude quickly raised his hands, then gave Kate a look of helpless sympathy, and she sighed again.

The two men left the baby’s bedroom and soon arrived in the study. After a servant brought in coffee, Adrian gestured to Claude to speak.

“Hopefully, it’s not another buyout failure,” he half-jokingly said.

“Of course not. If I were to be overthrown by Eisner like that, I might as well resign early. Actually, there’s no problem. I just came to see my goddaughter and to remind you that as the chairman, you must attend the signing ceremony at the end of the month,” Claude said leisurely.

“Signing ceremony?” asked Adrian, confused, but then he quickly realized and his expression turned to one of pleasant surprise, “It’s completed.”

“Just a few days ago, one of ABC’s directors, Walson Parker, sold us his shares. If nothing unforeseen like Armageddon happens, or if Eisner suddenly pulls out 20 billion, there shouldn’t be any problem,” Claude said with a smile. He sighed as if in relief, yet also seemed proud.

Adrian was stunned for a moment, then leapt up and laughed heartily, slapping Claude heavily on the shoulder: “Damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier!”

“At that time, you were busy welcoming your first child. How could I disturb you?” Claude spread his hands, “Besides, I’m here now, aren’t I?”

Then, his tone changed, “I’ve calculated it, the day Parker sold his shares to us was exactly the day Lily was born. It seems my goddaughter is our lucky star.”

“Really? That’s fantastic!” Adrian said, both excited and elated, clenching his fists tightly and swinging vigorously, then eagerly asked, “So what’s next? What about Marvel?”

“Hey, Ed, we’ve just completed the biggest acquisition since the company was founded. We need to digest it first, don’t we?” Claude sighed, “Besides, we haven’t completely grasped it yet.”

“Okay, I’m being a bit impatient,” Adrian admitted, “But now is a good opportunity if we don’t seize it now, acquiring Marvel later won’t be so easy.”

His tone became eager again, “Microsoft has just released the new Win95 operating system, and its stock price immediately surged, as did Cisco, also gaining momentum. I’m not wrong; the tide of the internet is right in front of us, and with Yahoo, our funds will be even more plentiful, and we’ll have more room to maneuver!”

“Yes, I know, Ed, I deal with this every day, and I understand it better than you do. Everything you said at the beginning is coming true,” Claude spoke with a bit of a headache, “But we have to take things step by step. We need to complete some basic internal integration before we can continue, right?”

“Um… yes, sorry, I got a bit carried away,” Adrian said, calming his emotions, “After all, it’s somewhat unbelievable that only a year after acquiring TBS, we got ABC too.”

“It’s because we have support,” Claude said softly, then raised an eyebrow, “By the way, the CEO of the brokerage firm has been saying it for several years now. Shouldn’t you settle that as well?”

“You guessed it?”

“Pretty much.”

“Soon, it won’t take until next year’s beginning.” (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (wuxiaworld.site) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)