The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1848

Chapter 1848

With a smug smile, Rose arched her eyebrows and patted her rounded belly, “We’ll just have to see how our son turns out. I just hope he doesn’t inherit your emotional intelligence and end up driving his future wife away.”

“If that ever happens, it won't just be about getting back at him for your sake, we’ll be lucky if we can even keep our son around.”

As she spoke, Rose suddenly shivered.

“I have no idea if Damon will spoil his daughter. What am I thinking... Of course, he will. I can't even begin to imagine how far he’ll go. If our son ever crosses his little princess, I dread to think what kind of crazed things he might do.”

Morrison frowned, torn between which matter to address first. Should he comment on her dig about his emotional intelligence, or Damon’s potential for madness?

But before he could get a word in, Rose had already taken a deep breath and continued. “Anyway, it’s their own business. If our boy really does end up hurting Little Moon’s feelings and gets a taste of his own medicine, he’ll have it coming, right?”d2

She turned her gaze to Morrison with a swift shift in tone.

Morrison’s scalp tingled, “Why do I feel like there’s a hidden message in what you’re saying?”

Rose chuckled, “Oh no, you’re just overthinking it. So, do you agree with me?” That smile seemed eerily mischievous.

Morrison chuckled nervously, “Whatever you say is right, dear.”

Rose looked pleased, “Mm-hmm.”

--

Carrying twins was proving to be quite the challenge for Chloe. At eight months, Damon had flown in the best doctors from overseas and had Jane on a 24-hour watch by Chloe’s side.

In truth, Chloe was faring better than many other women expecting twins, but when had Damon ever paid attention to the pregnancies of others?

He attended all of Chloe's appointments, which were private, and he had only seen a few other expectant mothers, all with single pregnancies. Next to Chloe's belly, they seemed to have it easy, making Damon even more cautious.

By the eighth month, walking had indeed become a struggle. Chloe graciously accepted all the help she was given. There was no point in putting on a brave face now.

Everyone around her was on edge, fearing any possible mishap, and to ease their minds—and her own—she let them fuss over her.

Thankfully, she had daily visits from friends and family, so loneliness never had a chance to set in.

Even Stanley would pop in now and then, sometimes disappearing for lengths of time, and at other times appearing almost every day.

Damon had tried every trick in the book to keep Stanley at bay, and while occasionally successful, Stanley had started to openly engage in a battle of wits with him.

At home, Damon spent his spare moments strategizing how to handle Stanley. At first, Chloe was concerned, but as it became apparent that their antics were harmless, she relaxed and let them have their open confrontations.

Both Damon and Stanley could tell Chloe was worried, so they kept their rivalry in check so as not to truly alarm her.

Lately, though, it seemed Damon had found an effective way to manage things.

--

Yulia arrived with Anya to visit Chloe, and as soon as they entered, Anya scampered over to hug Chloe's legs.

“Chloe, how are my little cousins doing?”

With motherhood on the horizon, Chloe saw Anya with newfound affection, almost seeing her as a daughter. “They’re doing just fine, thank you for asking, Anya,” she replied, her voice tender.

Anya’s big, round eyes fixed on Chloe’s belly, and after a moment of wonder, she placed her chubby, delicate hand gently on it, patting softly. Then she exclaimed with surprise, “They are my little cousins, so it’s only right for Anya to care about them. I promise I’ll always protect them.”

Chloe smiled, “That’s very sweet of you, Anya. They might be quite mischievous, though. Will you be okay with that?”

Anya shook her head confidently, “It’s okay. They’re little, so a bit of mischief is forgivable. I will try my best to keep them from being too naughty.”

Her childlike voice was soft and endearing, trying so hard to sound “grown-up”. The sight was utterly adorable. The thought of her children being pampered by such a cute little aunt made Chloe’s heart swell with warmth.

As Yulia hung up her coat and joined them, she couldn't help but smile at the exchange between Anya and Chloe, though her expression was a mix of amusement and resignation.

"Anya, be careful not to bump into Chloe, okay?"

"I am being careful," Anya replied, then turned back to Chloe’s belly. "Are they sleeping or playing now? Are they being naughty?"

Chloe chuckled, shaking her head, "They're being good. Probably sleeping."

"I see."

Anya seemed a tad disappointed, probably eager to play with them. She then climbed onto the nearby sofa, swinging her legs as she kept her eyes on Chloe's belly. "I'll just wait quietly for them to wake up and then we can play."

Yulia let out a resigned laugh and said to Chloe, “Ever since she saw them move that one time, she’s been obsessed with coming over.”

“She’s welcome anytime. I get bored at home, and Anya is such a good girl. I really like having her around.”

“Still, she’s young. You never know when she might accidentally cause trouble.”

Chloe smiled softly, changing the subject, “Did Nathan bring you guys over?”

Yulia’s smile faded slightly, “No, he’s been tied up lately.”

The change in her demeanor was noticeable.

Anya, who had stopped swinging her legs, chimed in, “Yeah, Nathan’s busy. He’s always going to see pretty ladies now.”

Chloe’s brows knitted together, noticing Yulia’s discomfort, and directed her attention to Anya. “Do you know this pretty lady?”

Anya shook her head, “I don’t. But I know that each time, the pretty lady is different.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow, “Different?”

The conversation had taken an unexpected turn, one that seemed to carry the weight of grown-up troubles, even in the innocent setting of a child’s observation.

"Mmm, yeah, I've seen them, just yesterday afternoon Nathan took me to meet them. Uh..."

Anya clapped a hand over her mouth mid-sentence, her wide eyes darting between Yulia and Chloe, regretting her slip of the tongue.

Yulia, sensing something amiss, asked sternly, "Yesterday afternoon? Where did you guys go?"

Anya shook her head.

Yulia didn't say another word, but her face was a clear shade of angry.

Hesitating, Anya finally lowered her hand, her voice tiny, "I don't know the place, just that it was full of these really pretty ladies. Nathan and I were sitting in this room, and a bunch of them were standing in front of us, all quiet-like, wearing hardly anything."

Chloe's mind reeled. What in the world was Nathan up to?

Yulia's expression was sour, and Chloe cast a worried glance at Yulia. Though she was now Nathan's sister-in-law, she couldn't find any excuse to defend him.

Anya might be young, but her description was clear enough to hint at where they had been.

A married man still playing the field was unacceptable. And to take Anya along? Was he out of his mind?

"Anya, what happened next?"

Chloe asked, certain that with Anya in tow, Nathan wouldn't have done anything reckless. Sure enough, Anya said, "After that, he got all those pretty ladies' numbers, and then he took me out for ice cream. Nathan told me not to tell Yulipop. He'd get mad."

Chloe let out a sigh of relief.

Yulia's face softened somewhat, then she instructed Anya firmly. "You are not allowed to go places like that again, got it? Doesn't matter who takes you."

Anya nodded vigorously, "Won't happen again."

Yulia smiled and patted Anya's head, "That's my girl."

Chloe looked at Yulia, "Is that all you're upset about?"

"Hmm?"

Yulia looked puzzled for a moment, then realization dawned, "It was a bit much for him to take her there, given her age."

"So you're just upset about Nathan taking Anya to that kind of place, not that he went there himself to find women?"

Yulia paused, her smile fading a touch, "Where he goes is his business. I can't be too controlling."

"You are his wife," Chloe stated emphatically, reminding her of the fact.

Yulia locked eyes with Chloe for a moment, then let out a sigh, "Chloe, you know as well as I do, my marriage to Nathan isn't what it seems to everyone else."

Chloe went silent.

"You and Damon both know this. You're all so sharp, I never thought I could keep it from you. Still, thanks for playing along all this time. It feels better to have it out in the open."

Yulia's voice was lighter, her mood seemingly lifted.

Chloe stared at her, then said, "I could guess there was something more behind your marriage to Nathan, but we didn't bring it up, not to play along with some act but because I thought, you two could genuinely come together.

“I've always hoped you'd naturally grow closer, that even a sham could turn into something real. Since it's turned out just as we thought, there was no point in exposing anything."

Yulia admired the woman before her, truly intelligent. Some things, Chloe had her own unique understanding, and she could make everyone see her point.

"Who knows what the future holds, right? I never expected to confess today, but after so long, it's a relief to get it out."

Chloe smiled, glancing at Anya. "Now that you've decided to come clean today, you might as well clear up my doubts about Anya as well."

Yulia's face froze. Her gaze drifted involuntarily to Anya, who blinked back with innocent confusion, catching her name but not understanding their conversation.

Yulia remained silent. Clearly, she wasn't ready to disclose Anya's identity.

Seeing this, Chloe simply smiled, "You and Nathan seem to get along well now, don't you? He's been quite the ladies' man in the tabloids, but how much truth those stories hold, you must have some idea."

"It's not about the truth or lies in those stories, we're just..." Yulia trailed off, her face twisted with conflict, "Whoever takes our current relationship seriously loses. Besides, I can't take that step forward."

Chloe frowned, unable to grasp the intricacies of love. She'd been lucky with Damon, finding a man who was straightforward and genuine, without any confusing twists and turns.

Understanding love between people like Rose and Morrison was one thing. Chloe had spent time at school and knew Morrison well enough, but she was practically a novice when it came to matters of the heart.

What kept Nathan and Yulia from a simple relationship? What stood between them that they couldn't be just an ordinary husband and wife?

"I don't understand what's holding you two apart. If you just changed your approach, you could be a regular couple."

Yulia laughed helplessly, "I don't understand either."

"And Nathan looking for other women doesn't bother you?"

Yulia smoothed her dress, "Thinking too much can drive you crazy, better not to think at all."

Chloe was truly baffled. "Have you never thought about making an effort to maintain your marriage with Anya?"

Yulia paused. "Keeping things steady is my way of holding our marriage together."

Chloe fell silent.

The room fell into a momentary silence, punctuated only by the sound of a car engine starting up below. It wasn't long before Nathan's voice echoed from downstairs.

"Bro! I've brought everyone over. Come down and take a look."

Anya leapt off the couch instantly, "Nathan's here!"

With that, she dashed downstairs, and Chloe too slid off the bed. "Let's go down and see what's up."

Yulia nodded.

They had barely stepped out when Damon's figure vanished at the top of the staircase, moving with surprising speed. By the time they reached the bottom, the sight of a dozen distinctively stylish women standing at the door made their brains freeze for a second.

Nathan was nursing a bruise on his face, looking utterly pitiful as he protested. "You asked me to find them, and now I get punched for doing my job? Isn't that a bit much?"

Chloe's face darkened instantly, and she turned to glare at Damon.

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