Chapter 1847

Ever since he had confessed his feelings, he'd become a hermit of sorts, spending most of his days tinkering in the kitchen, crafting all manner of comfort food—from hearty meatloaf to creamy mashed potatoes—eager to please her every craving.

If he wasn't fussing over some recipe, he'd be pacing by her side, bombarding her with questions about everything and nothing at all. The only time he ever seemed to detach himself was to huddle in his home office, sifting through a pile of paperwork from the company.

Nights were another story. They were tangled in sheets, his hands wandering, as if he were trying to memorize every inch of her. And boy, did he run hot. In the chill of winter, she would often wake in a sweat, overheated from his furnace-like body.

It didn't take long for Rose to feel smothered. He was just too clingy.

In response, she threw herself into a slew of activities. Swimming lessons, which Morrison insisted on teaching himself, were a success, and within days she was cutting through water with the ease of a natural. He followed her, albeit reluctantly, to prenatal classes. They went through the motions every expectant parent did—changing clothes, swapping diapers, bathing—a whole new world for Morrison.

Initially, he felt embarrassed, but once he realized he was just one of many guys there, he relaxed. Sometimes, he'd even puff his chest out in pride when he mastered a task quicker than the others, much to Rose's bemusement. She never thought she'd see this side of Morrison, but despite sometimes feeling overwhelmed by his attentiveness, she couldn't help but be touched.d2

He was changing, all for her.

---

As her belly grew, so did the discomfort and mood swings. Morrison often found himself on the receiving end of her unpredictable temper, subjected to the silent treatment or an icy glare that seemed to come out of nowhere.

This passive-aggressive mastery was her weapon of choice.

Megan would swing by every so often, laden with nutritious treats for Rose and a good-natured scolding for Morrison. According to her, he could do no right, and Morrison, well, he just sucked it up and carried on.

One particular day, he made the mistake of leaving the bedroom window wide open, and boy, did he hear about it.

"Ventilation's all good and well," Megan lectured, "but you're practically unhinging the window. What if Rose walks in and catches a cold from this draft? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is for a pregnant woman? Do you think they're as robust as you, tumbling around like a bear?"

Rose glanced silently at Morrison, pursing her lips. A bear, really?

Morrison didn't argue with Megan. Instead, he glanced at Rose and excused himself, "I've got a pot roast in the oven. Better check on it."

His expression was unreadable, perhaps a sign he'd grown accustomed to the scolding.

When Morrison left, Molly's gaze towards him still carried a hint of pity. He'd made his bed, now he had to lie in it.

Megan and Molly kept Rose company for a while, until Rose excused herself to the restroom. When she returned, she headed straight for the kitchen.

Morrison was busy tending to his culinary creation, having just sealed the lid on a steaming pot. His cooking skills had surged in recent weeks. If there was anything he set his mind to, he'd excel at it. As Rose wrapped her arms around his waist, he knew it was her. He held her hand for a moment before turning to face her, their eyes meeting in a tender gaze.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice soft.

She smiled and leaned in for a kiss, which he deepened, taking control. After a prolonged embrace, he released her, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

"Hmm?" He groped her waist and asked her the question he had just asked.

"I just... You've been catching so much flak because of me," Rose confessed, holding onto his shirt.

"Feeling sorry for me?" Morrison raised an eyebrow.

"No, just worried you might start taking it out on me one day," she replied, half-joking.

He nodded solemnly, "Well, I'm keeping a tally. Once you give birth, I'll make sure to collect on every bit of it."

Rose's face reddened again; the shyness in his eyes, which she didn't even know she possessed, caught her off guard.

Morrison's adam's apple bobbed, and the hand on her waist tightened a bit. He leaned down to kiss her again, his voice husky. "I have to endure another three months. This is unbearable..."

Although it's permissible during pregnancy, he had been warned by the doctor during their last check-up not to overdo it. After an elaborate speech about the consequences, the doctor basically canceled his intimate privileges.

He deeply regretted not having acted sooner, and not taking full advantage of those two months after their marriage. It would have been best if he had kept her beneath him night and day, indulging in the ecstasy of love.

His words sent Rose's heart pounding wildly. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, her heart skipping a beat at his words. "You... you're always so restless."

"Who else but you stirs me up?" he countered, his touch sending shivers down her spine. "Maybe I should stay away from you more, then you wouldn't be thinking about these things all the time."

He bit her lip playfully, "I won't allow it. Wherever you go, I go. Can't be away from you, not even a step."

She laughed softly, her hands unconsciously smoothing over his shirt.

"You weren't this horny before."

"Before, you were out of reach. Out of sight, out of mind."

And then she had ensnared him completely, leaving him without a shred of self-control. How could he resist when she was there, in front of him, every day?

They were interrupted by the delightful aroma wafting from the pot. "What's cooking?" she asked, leaning closer.

"Rib stew. You'll love it," he assured her.

She inhaled the scent and nodded eagerly. "When will it be ready? I can hardly wait."

"Just give it five more minutes," he said, wrapping his arms around her as they stood together, watching the pot simmer.

Suddenly, Rose's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no. Megan and Molly, I forgot they were still here."

"Stay here, no need to come out. We won't disturb your lovey-dovey time." Molly teased from the doorway, her voice tinged with affection.

Both of them turned around to see Megan and Molly standing at the kitchen entrance, eyes fixed on them.

“Megan, Mom, what brings you down here?”

“Couldn't stand being cooped up upstairs any longer. You two carry on. Just be careful, you don't want an accident happening at a time like this.”

Rose’s cheeks turned a fiery red.

“Did you hear that? You rascal. Keep it in your pants.” Megan, of course, couldn’t bear to scold Rose, so she turned and gave Morrison a piece of her mind.

Morrison pressed his lips together, feeling a shade embarrassed. “Got it.”

He really didn’t feel like arguing with them now. Once they started, there was no end to it. He just hoped they would leave soon.

Megan seemed satisfied with his compliant attitude, “Well, it's only three more months at most. It'll fly by in the blink of an eye. You've made it through all these years, and you can handle three more months.”

Megan never missed a chance to rib Morrison. She shot him a chilly glance, her eyes filled with warning.

After seeing Megan and Molly out, Rose could finally indulge in a nutritious and delicious bowl of stew. Then she settled on the living room couch, full and content, scrolling through her phone.

Morrison finished tidying up and sat beside her, catching a glimpse of the phone screen.

The same four dudes of that game of hers again. He didn’t know how many times he’d expressed his displeasure about this, but Rose hadn’t given up.

“Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Loving you has nothing to do with them. Behave, will ya? Stop fussing.”

Look at that, how whipped did he have to be for her to say something like that?

After that comment, he couldn’t very well keep complaining. And he didn’t dare upset her. After all, she was his little queen. She said to stop fussing, so he would. At least she took the time to explain things to him.

He watched her play on her phone for a while, but he couldn’t stand it. Those guys, so nauseatingly cheesy, didn’t they have anything better to do than spew sleazy sweet nothings and flirt shamelessly?

It was downright immoral. Wasn’t this fraud, messing with a woman’s feelings without taking responsibility? He was going to report them.

“That voice, it could lull someone to death. Criminal.” Rose murmured under her breath, her eyes glued to the screen, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

The voice?

Morrison immediately perked up his ears, and it took a while before he heard a man's voice from the phone. “No matter the past or future, I want your time to stand still just for me.”

Morrison turned abruptly to look at Rose, who was still fixated on her phone. It wasn’t his imagination; her ears were indeed turning red.

With that smile of hers, she was clearly smitten.

Morrison opened his mouth to say something, but he feared upsetting Rose. After a moment's thought, he simply lay down with his head on Rose’s lap, rolling his head over her round belly.

Rose paused, lifted her phone higher, and looked down at Morrison. “What are you doing?”

Morrison looked up at Rose, finally drawing her attention. He flipped over, pressing his ear against her swollen belly. “I’m listening to what our son is up to.”

Rose’s expression softened, and she set her phone aside, looking down at him as he earnestly listened to her belly. The scene touched her heart, and she smiled, gently caressing her belly. “He must be waking up from a nap. I just felt some movement.”

At her words, Morrison pressed closer.

Rose chuckled, running her fingers through Morrison’s hair as he intently listened for any movement inside.

Now, she could clearly feel the little one inside her. Sometimes he was quiet, while other times he frolicked restlessly in her womb. Like now, while she had been playing her game, she had felt the long-still belly suddenly stir.

Since the first flutters of movement, she'd gone from startled to accustomed in no time at all, but now that Morrison suddenly showed interest in their baby, she was overjoyed.

And just in time, it seemed the little one had woken up.

“I can hear his heartbeat,” Morrison suddenly whispered, taking a few seconds before propping himself up and lifting Rose’s maternity blouse.

Her taut, round belly was exposed before him.

He blinked, touched it gently, and then gave it a soft pat, “Little guy, be good in there, okay? And hey, maybe consider coming out early to see the world.”

Rose couldn’t help but smile, but in a few seconds, her belly rippled with movement. Like a wave, it passed swiftly.

She gasped, and Morrison immediately reached out to feel the spot. Then another movement popped up elsewhere. It went on a few times before calming down.

Rose was stunned, and seeing Morrison’s equally dumbfounded face, she burst into laughter. “Maybe he’s protesting against you?”

Morrison stared at her belly for a while longer before finally looking up at her. He was dazed for a few seconds before regaining his composure. “Protesting against me? That little rascal, wait till he gets out, I’ll show him!”

Rose smiled, lips pursed, “But he’s your son. Can you really bear to be tough on him?”

“A son needs to be raised right.”

“Woof, woof, woof.”

Little Moon must have wandered over at some point and started barking out of the blue.

Rose laughed even harder, “See, Little Moon won’t let you bully your son.”

Morrison glanced at Little Moon, who had grown remarkably in just a few months, now almost taller than the couch. “You think I’m scared of it?”

Rose raised an eyebrow, “Anyway, I won’t let you bully your son as well.”

Morrison fell silent. Rose chuckled, finding this man clingy, yet adorable.

“Alright, enough of that. Chloe’s been having a tough time lately. I’ll check in on her.”

Morrison stood up as Rose picked up her phone again, exited the game, and dialed Chloe on video call.

The call connected, and Chloe’s makeup-free face appeared on the screen, seemingly in motion with a shaky camera.

“Rose, how are you?” Chloe started, smiling into the camera.

“I’m fine, of course. How are you feeling today?”

Chloe nodded with a weary smile, "I'm holding up. I underestimated those two little rascals' energy —taking turns causing mischief. Sometimes I swear they're in cahoots; other times they're both at it, feels like they're wrestling inside.”

Her complexion was a shade paler than usual, betraying her fatigue. Carrying twins was like enduring twice the toil of a regular pregnancy, if not more. Exhaustion was inevitable.

Yet, the joy that radiated from her face was something no amount of tiredness could conceal.

"You should take it easy. Don't walk around too much, or you'll get swollen ankles, and that's even more uncomfortable."

Chloe nodded, "I won't push myself. Don't worry. And you too, take care. The weather is so unpredictable, don't catch a cold. And when you're out and about, be extra careful. Morrison is sticking to you like glue, and as much as he might be a pain, it's crucial at a time like this. Having him by your side makes me feel a bit more at ease."

Rose nodded, her lips quivering slightly as she sniffled, "Chloe, I miss you. Maybe I should come to see you. We could go through this together, hand in hand."

Chloe chuckled softly, "I miss you too, and I'd love that, but would Morrison agree? And I bet Molly and Megan would worry, right?"

"You're always the one to think things through. In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you do anything rash. Don't suppress your feelings too much, it's not good for your health."

Chloe let out a gentle laugh, "Who says I've never been reckless? If I hadn't been, I wouldn't be where I am today."

After all, it was in a moment of impulse, fresh from heartbreak, that she had opened her heart to Damon. Had she relied solely on reason, she doubted she could have accepted him.

Rose seemed to understand what Chloe meant and could only let out a sigh. "Even though I'm worried about you, I trust that your CEO will take good care of you. And don't you worry about me, I'll be super careful."

"I trust Morrison too. He'll look after you."

Chloe knew about Morrison's feelings for Rose. He was a man she could rely on.

"Why would you trust him? What's so trustworthy about that guy?" Damon's deep voice suddenly filled the room as he supported Chloe's waist, guiding her to the couch and propping a cushion behind her.

After Chloe had settled in, she said, "Morrison's been good to Rose lately."

"That doesn't mean he can erase the past. Fools can repeat their mistakes. But as long as the fool isn't messing with you, it's all good. Are you done chatting? Hang up if you are. The soup's ready, have some to warm up."

Damon was calm and collected, managing the situation with ease. Meanwhile, Morrison, on the other end of the call, was practically headbutting Rose's camera, eager to get a word in.

But as soon as Damon finished speaking, he took the phone from Chloe's hand and ended the call. They were on the phone all the time; he wondered what they had to talk about for so long.

Morrison, having been bad-mouthed behind his back and without a chance to retaliate, was left staring at the ended call in frustration.

Rose quietly put her phone away and gave him a look that was anything but cheerful. "Why are you so angry? Damon isn't wrong, can you deny your past?"

Morrison choked, "No, I can't. But he can't say for sure I'll make the same mistake again."

Rose nodded, "Show me you've changed, and maybe I'll have a word with him for you."

Morrison raised an eyebrow, "You'd do that?"

Rose lifted her chin proudly, "You're my man. How could I let someone else put you down?"

Morrison chuckled, "That's my wife. I'll be waiting to see you defend me."

"Of course."

Rose patted her round belly and let out a sly chuckle. "Actually, we don't have to do anything. Just wait for our son to sweep Little Moon off her feet, and that'll be enough."

Morrison paused, then gave a thumbs up, "My brilliant wife."

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