Chapter 200
In Dreicean, Amelia slept soundly beside Paloma. The next morning, she woke up feeling refreshed, her spirits much improved.
“You sure can sleep soundly when you’re with me,” Paloma said, looking at Amelia with gentle affection. She couldn’t help but remember her own pregnancy. If only she’d had someone kind to lend her a hand back then, maybe she wouldn’t have had to go through so much hardship.
“Sorry, was I too restless last night?” Amelia asked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Landon always said she was a restless sleeper, always ending up clinging to him in her sleep. So, she wondered if she had ended up crowding Paloma last night.
“You slept really well. But did the little one kick you at all?” Paloma asked.
“No,” Amelia replied, gently touching her belly. She let out a soft sigh. When her husband wasn’t around, even his sister could give her a sense of security. Amelia really wished she could just let herself be spoiled and soak up all the affection from Paloma.
“That’s good. Are you hungry? I had the kitchen prepare some dishes from Norava, and they made apple pie too. You need to eat more for the baby,” Paloma said with a gentle smile.
Amelia’s heart filled with warmth. She nodded vigorously. “Okay, I’ll try to eat more!” She knew that only by keeping herself strong and healthy could she make sure her baby got all the nutrition it needed. Landon would definitely be happy to see her looking so well when he came back.
“Alright, let’s head to the dining room,” Paloma said gently.
“Okay,” Amelia replied, nodding earnestly. After freshening up, Amelia followed Paloma to the dining room.
Aiden was already there, holding a few fresh roses he had picked for her. He offered them to her. “Good morning.”
Amelia gave a slight nod in response but didn’t take the flowers.
“I picked these just for you. Look, I even scratched my hands picking them for you,” Aiden said, holding out his palm. Sure enough, there were several small cuts and scratches from the rose thorns, some of them still bleeding.
Instead of feeling sorry for him, Amelia just mocked him. “You have so many gardeners at home, and yet you had to pick the flowers yourself. Serves you right!”
Aiden was speechless. He really did this from the heart, and now he got scratched up for nothing.
Paloma couldn’t help but chuckle, covering her mouth. “Aiden, don’t be so silly next time. Just let the servants handle things like this.”
Aiden smiled awkwardly. “You’re right, Paloma.” No matter what he said or did, she remained unmoved. Aiden couldn’t help but wonder what it would take to finally win her heart.
“Ms. Edwards, why don’t you try today’s dishes and see if they’re to your liking?” Paloma offered warmly, personally serving Amelia some food.
Amelia accepted with a bright smile. It only took one night for Paloma to have the chef level up his skills to match her own standards. Just a few simple dishes were enough to make Amelia feel the warmth of home again. With her appetite wide open, she really dug in and ate a lot. Paloma smiled gently, and Aiden looked pretty pleased too.
Brian always said food was fuel, and Amelia was now eating for two. She needed to eat well, more than ever. What Aiden didn’t realize was that Amelia’s appetite totally depended on her mood. Starting her morning by roasting her “enemy” had totally made her day.
The weather in Helodia was so much warmer and more pleasant than in Norava. Morning sunlight poured into the dining room, bathing the whole place in gold. Outside the big windows, everything in the garden was bursting with life under the sun. Amelia felt totally energized. As long as she handled Aiden, she could just wait for her family to come pick her up, safe and sound.
“Alright, I’m off to paint. You two have fun,” Paloma said, waving her hand. “Aiden, take Ms. Edwards for a walk. Pregnant women need some exercise.”
“Okay.” He held out his hand to Amelia in a gentlemanly way. Getting to take a stroll with the woman he liked was a wonderful thing. It looked like his romantic luck was finally blooming.
“I can walk just fine on my own,” Amelia said, rolling her eyes at Aiden before heading out the door. The morning breeze brushed against her face, and all around the villa were these exquisite gardens. Amelia felt totally at ease as she strolled through the gardens. Every now and then, she’d stop to admire the flowers and plants.
Seeing how relaxed and comfortable Amelia looked made Aiden feel a little smug. He remembered how, back when his father built this gorgeous estate just to keep his mother from leaving, he’d thought his old man was being naive. Who would’ve guessed that now, the place would actually win over someone like Amelia? He never expected that this estate would end up being something Amelia genuinely liked.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Aiden asked, seizing the chance to strike up a conversation.
“Yes,” Amelia said flatly.
Her expression stayed cool and distant–she wasn’t about to give Aiden any warmth. Aiden didn’t get upset though. He just kept smiling. “Well then, why don’t you go back to your own place tonight?”
“Okay.” She agreed without hesitation. She figured it wasn’t really right to keep staying at Paloma’s place all the time. Aiden was always so suspicious. She was pretty sure he’d been watching them last night.
“She doesn’t even take off her mask when she sleeps?” Amelia asked deliberately.
“Yeah,” Aiden nodded.
‘Good, she still hasn’t seen Paloma’s real face,‘ he thought, feeling secretly pleased.
“Isn’t she worried about ruining her skin like that?” Amelia muttered under her breath, signaling that she had lost all interest in looking at Paloma’s face.
Aiden burst out laughing. “My sister’s mask is custom-made. Wearing it actually helps nourish the skin!”
Amelia let out a cold snort. “Think money makes you special? It’s not like I’ve never seen wealth before.”
Aiden just laughed even harder, clearly in a great mood.
“What’s so funny?” Amelia rolled her eyes.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really cute?” Aiden asked.
Amelia couldn’t help but get a little wicked. “Yeah, my husband says that to me all the time.”
The smile on Aiden’s face disappeared in an instant.
After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “Amelia, don’t test my patience!”
“Then go ahead and kill me!” Amelia shot back, not scared in the slightest.
Once again, Aiden found himself completely at her mercy, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
Just as the standoff between them dragged on, the butler arrived, leading in a tall beauty with a fragile, willowy vibe.
“Mr. Kyle, this is Ms. Meyers. Dr. Shaw recommended her to personally look after Ms. Edwards and her baby,”
“Hm?” Aiden frowned, clearly caught off guard by this sudden development.
The Kyle family didn’t just have a massive estate–they owned a ton of businesses too. That’s why they always kept a personal doctor on staff, ready to serve the family at a moment’s notice. But Amelia’s pregnancy was supposed to be fine.
Amelia looked at the new doctor, blinking hard. ‘Jonas?‘
“Mr. Kyle, Dr. Shaw said it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to look after Ms. Edwards since he’s a man. Ms. Meyers may be young, but she’s a real genius when it comes to gynecology. She’ll make sure Ms. Edwards and the baby are perfectly safe,” Jack explained.
Jack was Aiden’s most trusted butler, so after thinking it over for a moment, Aiden agreed. “Take good care of her, or don’t even think about leaving here alive.”
“Yes, Mr. Kyle,” Jonas replied respectfully.
But the way she spoke–all high-pitched and affected–gave Aiden the creeps. With a voice like that, he wondered if she was really a good doctor.
Suddenly, Amelia hunched over, clutching her stomach as she retched violently. Aiden’s face changed dramatically, and he shouted urgently, “Dr. Meyers, what are you just standing there for?”
“Yes.” Jonas quickly reached out and pressed a few acupuncture points on Amelia’s wrist–no one could tell exactly which ones. Almost instantly, Amelia’s nausea stopped.
She looked at Jonas in utter amazement. “That was incredible! Dr. Meyers, how did you do that?”