The Queen's Back

Mona finally found the bag of sausages in the fridge, grinning when she saw they weren't expired. She held up the bag and waved it at Maxwell, who understood immediately. He rolled up his sleeves, knowing what was coming.

By the time Albert came back downstairs, freshly showered and in a set of cozy house clothes, he found himself walking into quite a scene.

Maxwell was in a yellow apron, spatula in hand, while Mona held a plate, staring intently at the sizzling pan with the happiest look on her face.

'Yep,' Albert thought, 'here I am again, third-wheeling in the worst way possible.'

But he had to admit, Maxwell was something else; he really pampered Mona. Albert found himself wondering if he would be able to treat his own future wife this well someday.

Without thinking, Haley's face flashed in his mind, and he shook his head, embarrassed. Nope, he wasn't going down that road.

Lost in thought, he did not notice Mona waving at him until he looked up. Walking over, he accepted a small sausage from

her.

"Here, try it! Maxwell's fried food is a masterpiece, don't you think?" Mona said, already holding one herself. The sausage was slathered in Maxwell's homemade sweet-and-spicy sauce, with hints of cumin and just enough chili to make it irresistible. Mona closed her eyes, savoring the taste with a big smile, then shot Maxwell a thumbs-up, pure satisfaction written all over her face.

"Delicious!" Mona exclaimed, and then, as if one word wasn't enough, she added, "It's so delicious!"

Just as she was about to take another bite, Maxwell reached over gently took the sausage from her hand, and took a bite

brush your teeth." himself. "Alright, one bite is all you get. Time to go

Immediately, an unhappy expression appeared on Mona Clem's pretty little face. His face drooped and the corners of his mouth lowered.

Mona's expression fell instantly. Her face drooped, and her lips turned down in a pout. "But I still want more," she said, sounding so pitiful it'd be hard for anyone to say no.

However, Maxwell just chuckled as he avoided eye-contact and shook his head. "Are you backing out of our deal, Mrs. Carter?" he teased, holding his ground.

Seeing this exchange, Albert wisely kept quiet, slowly finishing his own sausage. Mona, though, wasn't giving up. She tugged on Maxwell's sleeve and gave him her best doe-eyed look. "Maxwell, I can change my mind, okay? Just one more bite, pretty please." Albert couldn't resist stepping in and said, "Come on, Maxwell, one more bite can't hurt."

Mona shot Albert a grateful look. Then, finally, Maxwell sighed and let her have one last bite of the sausage she had been craving. Satisfied, she went upstairs to brush her teeth.

Once she and Maxwell returned, Albert had already polished off the last of the chicken noodle soup Hattie had made for

him.

"How has Sweet Berry been this month? Behaving well?" Albert asked, finally finding a moment to get a word in.

Mona nodded. "So well, all Sweet Berry does is eat and sleep. She grinned, though Maxwell's endless meals had become a

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Her appetite had been rocky since the start of her pregnancy, and without Maxwell cooking tasty dishes for her, she would probably have lost weight by now.

Sweet Berry had indeed been good, though. Only a few days of morning sickness, and even that has already passed. Mona's figure hadn't changed much yet, either; if it weren't for the little bump, you'd never guess she was expecting. Her figure looked no different from before. When her wrist was exposed, one could clearly see the greenish-purple tendons.

After that, she looked at Maxwell, then gestured for him to grab the ultrasound photo they had taken that morning.

Albert took it with an impressed look. "Wow... Is this the baby? Sweet Berry is really on the way."

Though the baby was still tiny and the ultrasound didn't show much, Albert felt a warmth seeing the beginnings of Sweet Berry's journey, a little awestruck.

Mona smiled and added, "This was from today. Sweet Berry is healthy, and in just eight months, we'll all finally meet." "Just over eight months? That's fast." Albert's face lit up, looking a little moved and in disbelief.

Since it was already late, Albert crashed there for the night and went home the next morning, smiling the whole time thinking about Sweet Berry's arrival.

Time passed, and Mona was fully embracing her new role as a mom-to-be. Her body started to soften, her skin glowing in that way only expectant moms seem to. She and Ava also had begun preparing their shop little by little. Early Monday morning, Maxwell was already gone for work. He had been neck-deep in work with Clem Group's market expansion, so much so that he barely stopped for coffee. Every night, after Mona fell asleep, he would sneak back to his study to tackle everything he couldn't get done during the day.

Mona was lounging on the sofa in the living room, sketching out a design. Her thick hair flowed down her shoulders, curling slightly and stopping just below her waist, framing half her fair face. She held a pen in her fingers, moving it swiftly across the paper. Then, her phone buzzed, jolting her out of her concentration. She set her sketch aside and grabbed her phone from the corner. It was Ava, so Mona picked up without thinking twice.

"Mona, are you busy?" Ava asked, her voice a bit rushed.

"Nope, just drawing at home."

"Perfect! I need your help deciding on something. I've got two locations in mind, and I can't choose. A good spot is key to bringing in customers, right?" Ava explained. "Got it. I was planning to go for a walk anyway. Just send me the address on WhatsApp, and I'll swing by."

"Awesome! Thanks!"

After hanging up, Mona quickly stashed her sketchbook and pen in the study. She tossed on a white T-shirt, paired it with some light blue jeans, and slipped into her sneakers. At a glance, she looked like a college student who had not graduated yet. Walking down the street, no one would suspect she was pregnant.

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