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Pregnant by the Billionaire Heir I Married Him to Survive,Now I’m His War
NovelShort
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Everyone in Northport's socialite circle said the same thing: sure, Stanley Dudley—heir to the Dudley empire—was devastatingly handsome and obscenely rich, but he was cold-blooded, morally bankrup...
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第1章
Everyone in Northport's socialite circle said the same thing: sure, Stanley Dudley—heir to the Dudley empire—was devastatingly handsome and obscenely rich, but he was cold-blooded, morally bankrupt, and for any woman looking for love, the worst possible choice.
Chloe Quinn didn't believe it. People weren't born heartless. He couldn't be that bad.
It wasn't until he had her strapped to an operating table, ready to terminate the baby inside her, that she finally admitted how naive she'd been.
After the divorce, Chloe turned toward the man who had always waited for her with quiet patience.
And the wolf she'd left behind? His eyes went red.
At a gala, Stanley shattered her suitor's leg in front of everyone.
Chloe finally snapped. "Stanley, how long are you going to keep this up?"
The violence drained from his face. His finger curled gently around hers. "Until you're willing to take my hand and lead me home."
Later, the tabloids captured a photo that stunned the entire city.
In the hallway outside Chloe's apartment building, the most powerful man in the Dudley family sat on the floor next to a stray dog.
"They really do look alike," the security guard muttered before he could stop himself.
Stanley didn't bother looking up. "Please. That mutt wishes it were as cute as me."
Chloe lowered herself onto the waterbed. The mattress swayed beneath her, rippling like disturbed water.
Her eyes drifted to the display case nearby. The adult toys arranged inside—their shapes explicit, their purposes unmistakable—made her fingers twitch. Her pulse quickened.
She was pregnant. Just past three months. To be safe, they still shouldn't be doing anything.
While her mind wandered, a hand wearing a wedding band pressed down on her shoulder, guiding her onto her back.
His lips found the curve of her neck.
The kiss sent electricity shooting through her limbs. Her lashes fluttered wildly. From the corner of her eye, she caught his profile.
An impossibly perfect face. The line from his brow to the tip of his nose, the clean arc of his jaw—every angle looked sculpted, almost too beautiful to be real.
But the mermaid skull tattooed behind his ear ruined the illusion. It was a reminder of exactly who this man was.
The most reckless soul in Northport. A circle of friends as depraved as they came. The city's number-one playboy wastrel.
Stanley Dudley.
"Honey." She pushed at him lightly. "Let me use the bathroom."
Stanley lifted his head. His narrow eyes swept upward at the corners, vulpine and hypnotic—like a fox spirit who'd learned to wear a man's skin.
"Running away again?" His hand slid slowly to her belly. "It's been three months. The doctor said we could."
Chloe pressed her lips together. A dull ache throbbed in her chest.
That afternoon, she'd accidentally overheard Stanley on the phone with one of his lowlife friends: "Fucking annoying. Turns out it's a girl. If it's not the old man's grandson, it's completely useless. I can't exactly drag her to the clinic, so how the hell do I get rid of it?"
She and Stanley had met—and conceived this child—by pure accident.
Three months ago, she'd been walking home through an alley after working late. A drunk's slurred obscenities sent her bolting in panic, straight into a private room near the elevator of an upscale club.
A woman inside asked who she was looking for. Chloe explained what happened, and the woman let her stay, promising to have someone drive her home after their gathering ended.
As the evening wore on and she relaxed around the group, she'd had a few drinks.
Then she went to the bathroom—and found Stanley slumped against the wall, eyes unfocused, breathing hard.
Catching him in such a vulnerable state, she'd asked out of politeness if he was alright.
He pinned her to the wall.
And just like that, she lost her virginity.
The experience had been terrifying, yes, but also strangely disorienting—shot through with a pleasure she couldn't name. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was because Stanley was so absurdly beautiful that her brain short-circuited.
That night, she hadn't exactly resisted. It wasn't force.
By the time she sobered up, regret was pointless. She told herself to treat it as a drunken one-night stand with a gorgeous stranger and move on.
Two weeks later, her whole body felt wrong. Her mother took her to the hospital.
She was pregnant.
She had to tell her mother about that night. Her mother did some digging, discovered Stanley was the young master of the Dudley family, and went to their estate alone. What exactly her mother negotiated, Chloe never learned.
But whatever was said, the Dudleys made Stanley marry her.
Now the baby was three months along. She and Stanley had been married for two.
During those two months, Stanley had treated her well. He took her traveling across the country, introduced her to his friends. Anything she glanced at twice, he bought without hesitation. He called her "honey" and "wife" constantly.
Sure, after she'd gotten to know him, people warned her he wasn't a good man.
But a handsome villain who'd never actually killed or robbed anyone—who just indulged in every pleasure money could buy—had a certain dangerous charm.
Chloe had been single her entire life. She never stood a chance against Stanley's relentless affection.
Feelings had a way of growing on their own. Somewhere along the way, she'd fallen for him.
A week ago, she'd even thought: maybe their story started absurdly, but they could still be happy together.
That day, the temperature in Northport had dropped. When they stepped outside and she rubbed her hands together, Stanley immediately grabbed them and said, "Honey, it's getting cold here. Let's spend a few days in Harborcrest—it's warmer there."
She'd agreed happily.
Until that phone call this afternoon shattered everything.
The trip to Harborcrest wasn't about showing her a good time.
He'd brought her here to get the baby's blood tested. To find out if it was a boy or a girl.
When the clinic confirmed it was a girl, Stanley had wrapped his arm around her and cooed about how wonderful daughters were, how she'd be his little princess.
Then he turned around and showed his true face to his friends.
Chloe's thoughts snapped back to the present. She forced a small smile, turning her head to dodge his kiss while pressing both palms firmly against his chest.
"The doctor may have said it's okay, but every situation is different. My stomach's been bothering me. What if we hurt the baby?"
Stanley froze. His eyes narrowed sharply.
Chloe swallowed, careful not to let it show. He knew what she was thinking.
But she hadn't confronted him directly. Even if he'd guessed, so what?
Stanley's lips curled into a wicked smile.
His thumb traced up to her throat, settling over her pulse. The pressure slowly increased.
His expression made it look like he was just initiating some rough foreplay—but the tightening grip sent genuine panic flooding through her. At the same time, his other hand yanked at her blouse. Buttons popped and scattered.
"How could we possibly hurt the baby? Your husband knows what he's doing. Be good..."
His mouth sealed over hers before she could respond.
She made sounds against his lips, but he ignored them completely. His large hand, all sharp knuckles and long fingers, slid down to her waist.
第2章
Just then, the black phone lying beside her buzzed.
Stanley's phone.
He paused, his hand releasing her neck.
She quietly let out a breath of relief.
If she wasn't mistaken, whoever was calling him at this hour had to be his childhood sweetheart—the one he'd loved but could never have—Northport's rising star, Kira Vale.
A month ago, Chloe had met Kira in person and added her on social media.
But that meeting had left a bad taste in her mouth. She'd gotten a clear sense of exactly what kind of person Kira was.
That day, Kira had put on a warm, friendly act, claiming she wanted to share stories about Stanley's past so that Chloe, as his wife, could understand her husband better. In reality, every story was about how good Stanley had been to her, and all the wonderful memories they had shared together.
Chloe had felt uncomfortable listening, wondering if she was just being petty. Then Kira dropped this line: "Chloe, I hope telling you all this doesn't make you suspicious about me and Stanley. You're not mad, are you?"
Chloe had laughed.
And then, today.
Ten minutes ago.
She'd posted something sweet about her marriage on social media—visible only to Kira.
Stanley hesitated for a split second, then reached for his phone and got out of bed to take the call.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even though he'd lowered his voice, she caught every word Kira said.
"Stanley, you have to come help me! Some stalker fans have cornered me!"
The desire that had clouded his face moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by sharp concern. "Where are you?"
"I've had some free time lately, and I was worried you weren't taking good care of Chloe, so I came to Harborcrest today. I didn't expect those crazy fans to recognize me—they've got me trapped and won't let me into the hotel!"
His brow furrowed deeper. "I'm on my way."
He hung up and turned to Chloe, his tone suddenly serious. "A friend ran into some trouble. I need to step out. Get some sleep."
Chloe sat up. "What friend? It's so late..."
Stanley's eyes curved slightly as he pinched her cheek. "Just someone I'm close with. When a friend's in trouble, you help."
Chloe nodded like the understanding wife she was supposed to be, but grabbed his hand. "Promise you'll come back early? I'm scared being alone in the hotel."
"I will."
His voice was lazy, but his hands moved fast—he nearly put his T-shirt on inside out.
Chloe watched in silence, a dull ache spreading through her chest.
Rationally, she knew she'd used Kira as a tool to protect the baby growing inside her.
Emotionally, seeing how fast Stanley moved for another woman... that first flutter of feeling she'd had for him curdled into something sour and disappointed.
After he left, she let herself relax for a while and scrolled through her phone.
Sleep wouldn't come.
Half an hour later, she refreshed her social feed and saw Kira's new post.
With you, I feel safe.
The photo was a selfie taken inside a car. But in the bottom right corner, plain as day, was a man's hand holding a bottle of water.
Stanley's hand was easy to recognize—he had a heartbeat line tattooed on his ring finger, and he was wearing his wedding band.
Several mutual friends had already commented.
Damn, Stanley really does drop everything for you.
Kira had replied with a playful slap emoji.
It's the middle of the night and you're with Stanley? What are you, the other woman?
Kira's reply: Get lost!
These were all Stanley's close friends commenting.
But one comment at the bottom caught Chloe's attention.
Professor Dudley: You're with Stanley?
Professor Dudley.
Full name: Ervin Dudley. Her graduate advisor.
Back at school, she'd only heard rumors that Professor Dudley came from money and was the unattainable crush of every rich girl on campus.
It wasn't until before her wedding, when she saw the Dudley family portrait, that she realized Ervin was actually a Dudley heir—Stanley's cousin. Among their generation, he ranked third.
Kira had replied to Ervin too. Twice, even.
Of course not! He came to Harborcrest with Chloe. Besides, Ervin, she can see your comment—don't make her overthink things, okay?
Also, why are you still up so late?
Everyone else kept replying to Kira, but Ervin didn't respond.
Chloe narrowed her eyes, thought for a moment, then replied to the earlier comments: Not overthinking anything.
The second she posted, a new message popped up.
Ervin Dudley: You're still awake?
第3章
The cold glow of the phone screen lit up Chloe's face. She instinctively straightened her spine.
Even though she'd graduated—even though she was married now—the name Ervin Dudley still carried weight. Like a thesis defense title flashing on a projector screen, it made her tense up out of reflex. He was a senior she deeply respected.
"Yeah, I slept too much during the day," she typed quickly, then added a cute cat sticker.
Ervin: You're pregnant. You should be resting properly. Where's Stanley? Out drinking again?
She sent another sticker before replying: I don't think he's drinking. He said a friend needed help with something, so he went out.
What about you? Why are you still up?
About a minute passed before Ervin's next message came through.
He sent a location pin—a hotel in downtown Harborcrest.
What a coincidence. I'm here on business. Just got to the hotel.
A coincidence indeed. Everyone seemed to be converging on Harborcrest today.
While she was lost in thought, another message popped up: Get some sleep.
But Chloe couldn't sleep.
Her heart was a mess.
When Stanley left, she felt awful. If he came back, she'd feel just as troubled.
She'd already figured it out. Stanley couldn't just drag her to a hospital for an abortion. Bringing her to a couple-themed hotel tonight—he probably planned to cause a miscarriage through sex.
A cruel, underhanded move.
But knowing it was cruel didn't change how she felt. Emotions didn't listen to reason.
She would work on pulling back the feelings she'd only just started to let grow. But she wasn't there yet. Stanley still affected her.
She clenched her fist and sent Ervin a message: Is there any way, without hurting the baby, to give me some kind of virus? Something that'll make me sick for a week or two? Preferably contagious.
A second later, Ervin's video call request popped up.
The ringtone startled her so badly she nearly dropped her phone.
The moment she answered, the man on the other end was removing his glasses. Light caught the delicate chain, glinting off the bridge of his nose.
His features resembled Stanley's, but there was something entirely different about him—colder, more severe.
"Ervin..." She raised the phone to eye level instinctively, like she was holding an imperial decree.
His voice was calm, but she caught a hint of gentleness underneath. "What's going on?"
Chloe's ears burned. The words she couldn't bring herself to say rolled around in her throat several times before finally tumbling out. "It's just—it's that... Stanley wants to—to do that with me. But I'm worried it'll hurt the baby. I said no, but he won't listen. It's really hard to deal with. You're a doctor—can you help me think of something?"
Ervin's gaze froze. His expression turned grim.
Chloe bit her lip and lowered her eyes, her thoughts racing.
It was embarrassing. But she genuinely needed help.
After a long pause, Ervin spoke. "Where are you? I'm coming."
"Not far! I'm in the city center too!"
She sent him her location.
About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.
She got up to answer it. Ervin stood in the doorway—white shirt, dark slacks, handsome and refined. Mature.
She let him in awkwardly and stood in front of the cabinet displaying adult products, twisting her fingers. "Ervin."
She'd tried to block his view, but he'd already seen.
His brow furrowed. "Don't stay here tonight. Come to my hotel."
Chloe blinked. "Huh?"
His tone was firm. "Get your coat. We're leaving now."
"But—"
"Don't worry," he cut in. "I'll call Stanley later and tell him you had stomach pains. That Grandfather sent me to get you."
第4章
Chloe thought for a moment. "Okay."
She had just turned toward the closet when a cool grip closed around her wrist. Ervin was staring at the bruise on her elbow. "What happened here?"
Chloe glanced down at it. "Stanley took me to get a blood test today. To check the baby's sex. The nurse who drew my blood was an intern—she left a bruise."
"A blood test to check the baby's sex?" A cold light flickered in Ervin's eyes. "What is he planning?"
Before Chloe could answer, Ervin scanned the room, his expression darkening further. "It's a girl?"
Chloe stared at him, stunned. "How did you know?"
Ervin closed his eyes briefly, releasing her arm. A smile crossed his face—one Chloe couldn't quite read. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "Get dressed and come with me. As your teacher, and as your brother now, I'll protect you."
Chloe froze for a moment before it clicked. Ervin must have guessed what Stanley was planning to do.
Genuine emotion welled up in her chest. Her eyes reddened. "Thank you."
In a hotel across Harborfront Bay, Stanley sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows, a long cigarette burning between his fingers as he gazed out at the night skyline.
He lifted the cigarette to his lips and checked his watch. "It's getting late. I'll leave after I finish this."
The dark glass reflected his tall silhouette—and behind him, Kira Vale.
She wasn't short, about five-foot-eight, wearing a strapless gown. But the dress didn't look sexy on her. She was rail-thin, almost malnourished.
Though that kind of frame photographed well.
She frowned. "Fine. Do whatever you want. I'm going to take off my makeup."
Stanley turned to look at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Sure."
Kira smiled back. "You've already got a wife as pretty as Chloe. Why are you still looking at me like that?"
Stanley paused. He'd simply turned around to speak to her.
He didn't bother explaining. "You're pretty too. Go get ready for bed."
"I'm... also... pretty. Also." Kira walked over and stood beside him. "Chloe's not here now. Tell me—who's prettier? Me or her?"
Stanley's brow furrowed slightly.
The answer came to him immediately.
Chloe was prettier.
He still remembered the first time he saw her. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming—that he'd conjured up the image of a flawless woman.
Her face was bare of makeup, yet there wasn't a single imperfection. Her lashes were so thick and dark they looked like other women's after eyeliner and false lashes. Her lips were soft pink like strawberries, her face round and delicate.
Under the club's cold white lights, her pale skin seemed to shimmer with a subtle glow. The fitted white t-shirt and tiny shorts outlined a figure that was full but never heavy.
Five words summed up his first impression: Ripe for the picking.
Mouth-watering.
It had driven him to do something reckless—something that nearly got him a free meal and a place to stay.
His silence stretched on. Kira's expression turned wounded. "Our feelings have faded, haven't they? You've forgotten everything we went through together."
Only then did Stanley speak, his voice flat. "No. I was just about to say—you're the prettiest."
Kira pouted. "I don't believe you."
"It's true. I'm not lying."
"I won't believe it unless you stay here with me tonight."
Stanley crushed out his cigarette, his expression darkening.
He reached out and lifted a strand of her long hair, his tone coaxing. "You promised me. Once I become the Dudley heir and divorce Chloe, you'll go public with our relationship. Marry me."
"So tonight, I have something important to do with Chloe. Something that'll help me become the heir sooner. Let me go back, okay?"
第5章
"No."
Kira pursed her lips, looking aggrieved. "You can't leave."
Stanley's slender fingers paused. "Kira..."
"You really can't. You're someone else's husband now. I don't feel secure. You spend every day with another woman—she's even carrying your child. If we're not together often, what happens when our feelings fade? What if you fall in love with Chloe?"
"Stanley, you're so eager to go back to her. Have you started to... like her?"
Stanley looked at the unease in Kira's eyes, and a mocking curve tugged at the corner of his lips.
Like.
Love.
In the world he'd grown up in, those words were nothing but arsenic wrapped in sugar coating.
His parents had played the loving couple in public for over thirty years, but their marriage had only survived on reputation and mutual benefit.
His father, who marketed himself as whipped by his wife, kept a rotating lineup of mistresses—some younger than Stanley himself.
His mother, who marketed herself as the perfect wife and devoted parent, had been caught during his teenage years with multiple muscular young men in their own home...
Love and affection were just fig leaves draped over disgusting animal urges.
Too fake.
Only feelings that had weathered the test of time, along with the sense of responsibility that grew from them—those were the real thing.
Like what he had with Kira.
They shared twenty years of history. Even as a teenager, he couldn't bear to see her living alone and had wanted to take responsibility for her entire life. That hadn't changed.
He would never use possessiveness, control, or lust to trap her, restrain her, or interfere with her choices.
He wanted her to be free forever.
He wanted a marriage completely different from his parents'—one untainted by self-interest, built only on pure emotion and responsibility.
Stanley let go of Chloe's hair, patted the top of her head, and said indulgently, "Silly girl."
Talking about love and affection—how naive.
"I already gave her a wedding. Until the divorce, I'll transfer her monthly allowance on the fifteenth like I'm supposed to. I won't take on any other responsibility for her... Don't you want to marry me sooner?"
"I'm scared!" Tears welled up in Kira's eyes. "We've barely even hugged a few times, but you and her already have a child on the way. Every night you spend with her, I can't sleep. I keep thinking, over and over, I can't stop..."
"Thinking about whether you've held her in your arms, kissed her, taken off her clothes, lost yourself in her body!"
Stanley's throat bobbed. His pupils contracted sharply.
Kira.
Had hit the mark.
Since meeting Chloe, because of her pregnancy, he hadn't gone further than that. But kissing—that happened almost every day.
Chloe seemed to possess some kind of muse's magic, violently dragging his base urges and worst instincts out from the depths of his soul.
When he was being tender with her, he couldn't think of Kira. He'd even abandon work. Like an addict too far gone to save.
Responsibility, reason, reality—he threw them all away. All he wanted was to drown in her, to chase that indescribable pleasure and release.
Like a thief with a guilty conscience, he gave in to Kira. "Fine. I'll text her. I'll stay with you tonight."
Kira's face immediately lit up, and she reached out to wrap her arms around Stanley's.
But the man pulling out his phone instinctively moved away from her.
Kira froze. "Stanley?"
He hadn't even noticed what he'd just done. "What?"
Kira's delicate brows furrowed. "Why did you pull away from me?"
Stanley blinked, startled. Then a flicker of confusion crossed his face.
He'd pulled away from Kira?
Before he could think it through, his phone buzzed.
Chloe was calling.
He gathered himself and answered. Before she could speak, he said, "Babe, I'm not coming home tonight."
The moment Kira heard "babe," her gaze sharpened. A sour expression crossed her face, and she pinched his arm hard.
"Ss—" Stanley hissed in pain and turned to look at her, but there wasn't a trace of anger on his face.
"You called her 'babe'... right in front of me..." Kira said.
Stanley's pupils contracted. He quickly reached out to cover Kira's mouth, terrified Chloe might hear.
But Chloe had already heard.
And she wasn't the only one. Ervin had heard too.
When Chloe made that call to Stanley, she'd put it on speaker.
第6章
She'd meant to tell Stanley that she was going to stay at Ervin's place. But now the words caught in her throat before she could speak them.
Her chest already felt tight. Now her heartbeat turned sluggish and heavy, pressing down until she could barely breathe.
Two seconds passed before she managed to speak. "You're not coming back?"
"No. A friend ran into some trouble. I'm staying with her tonight. Get some rest—I'll see you tomorrow."
The line went dead the moment the words left his mouth.
Even with Chloe, he'd felt the panic of a guilty conscience.
Meanwhile.
Chloe stared at the ended call, her body rigid, unable to react.
Ervin's expression darkened as he pulled out his phone.
He'd just tapped on Stanley's contact when Chloe turned around.
"Ervin," she said quietly, "let's go. Don't tell him I'm staying at your place."
He paused, sliding the phone back into his pocket. "Why not?"
"There's no point. He probably won't be back by morning anyway. I'll leave early."
He wouldn't care even if I told him. So why bother?
She turned and began gathering her things.
Ervin watched her slim figure from behind, a flicker of melancholy passing through his dark eyes.
No one would guess Chloe was an expectant mother. Her waist was still so slender.
But three months ago, when that ultrasound report—black text on white paper—had been placed before the entire Dudley family, it had struck him like a thunderclap. Even now, he still felt dazed. He told himself he'd accepted reality, yet confusion lingered. His heart ached whenever he saw her, beating too fast, refusing to let go.
When Chloe reached for the oversized tote bag stuffed with her belongings, Ervin snapped out of his thoughts and stepped forward, taking it from her hands. "Let me carry that."
Chloe froze for a moment, touched. "Thank you."
Ervin smiled gently. "Make sure you haven't left anything behind."
Chloe shook her head. "I've got everything."
"Good. Let's go."
Chloe glanced back one last time at the room thick with its suggestive atmosphere. Her eyes stung.
She couldn't stop her mind from spiraling. What are Stanley and Kira doing right now?
The suffocating weight of that thought made her stomach churn.
"Chloe?" Ervin's voice cut through.
She blinked, forced a small smile at him, and walked out.
A black SUV waited outside the hotel. She followed Ervin inside.
Once seated, the silence between them felt awkward. She had no idea what to say to him, so she pulled out her phone.
The moment she opened WeChat, she saw Kira had posted again.
Sweet dreams guaranteed tonight.
Below the caption: a man's arm resting on a pillow.
The arm was unmistakable—covered in tattoos.
No likes. No comments.
Chloe's hands went ice-cold. Her lips trembled.
This post was meant for me alone.
She hated herself for being so weak. One post, and her mood had crashed completely. Her chest felt like someone had clamped a hand over her nose and mouth, cutting off all air.
She sat frozen for several long seconds before finally opening her mouth and forcing out a breath.
Then she set down her phone, pretended to adjust her collar, and pinched her own flesh—hard.
Don't get angry.
Don't be sad.
Don't let it hurt.
She repeated the words in her mind as the pain shot through her.
So what if Stanley slept with Kira?
At least he's not wasting himself on me.
From now on—stay away from Stanley.
Starting tonight, let go of these feelings before they've even taken root.
Starting tonight, refuse any intimacy with him.
Her pupils dilated. She stared blankly at the Harborcrest night skyline outside the window, pinching herself over and over until a vivid red mark appeared near her collarbone.
Only then—through the pain in her body—did she finally manage to suppress the pain in her heart.
At Kira's place.
Stanley sat propped against the headboard, turning a lighter over in his hands, his expression unreadable.
A moment later, Kira emerged in a white dress. "Stanley, what do you think of this dress for tomorrow?"
He didn't seem to hear her. No reaction at all.
"Stanley!"
He slowly turned his head. "Hm?"
"What are you thinking about?"
He tossed the lighter aside and closed his eyes. "Nothing."
The delight drained from Kira's face. "You're thinking about Chloe, aren't you?"
第7章
Stanley opened his eyes and turned to look at the familiar face beside him.
The woman hadn't removed her makeup yet. Her face was as flawless as a doll's, but compared to Chloe, whom he'd left behind at the hotel, she really fell short.
He was looking right at Kira's face, yet all he could think about was the smooth, bouncy feel of Chloe's skin—soft as jelly beneath his fingers.
Kira was perceptive. At the very least, she'd guessed right—he had been thinking about Chloe just now.
In the three months since marrying Chloe, he'd come to understand one thing clearly: he craved her body.
But because she was pregnant, the doctor had advised avoiding intimacy for the first trimester.
With various busybodies watching his every move, he'd had no choice but to follow that advice. Yet his desire for Chloe only grew stronger by the day.
In the two months since the wedding, they'd kissed every single day.
Every. Single. Day.
Her lips were soft, with a sweetness he couldn't quite describe. The curve of her chest, her waist—they fit his hands perfectly.
When his blood ran hot and his heart pounded to its limit, the rush was better than any extreme sport.
And there was something else—maybe it was the pregnancy—but she carried this subtle, distinctive sweetness. Holding her while he slept, he always slept well.
He used to stay up until the early hours, his schedule completely inverted. Lately, that had improved.
These past weeks, he'd grown used to having Chloe beside him at night. Now, lying in a bed saturated with Kira's scent, an inexplicable unease crept through him.
He turned his head again and stared at the ornate chandelier on the ceiling.
The light had been dimmed to a warm, intimate amber, casting the entire room in a hazy glow.
But his mind was full of Chloe.
His throat bobbed slightly. "Just thinking about human nature."
Kira paused. "Human nature?"
"What about it?"
He was thinking about how pathetic his own nature was.
For years, he'd wanted to give Kira a lifetime of stability and commitment. Yet in just a few short months, he'd become hopelessly fixated on Chloe—a woman he'd looked down on, whose only redeeming quality was her beauty.
Kira was too close. That artificial fragrance of hers made him uncomfortable now.
He grabbed his lighter and sat up on the bed. "Get some sleep. I'm going to play some games outside."
Kira frowned. As Stanley lit his cigarette, a smile crept onto her face. Her voice turned soft and coaxing. "Stanley, let's cuddle."
Stanley turned, looking at her with some surprise.
Kira sat down on the edge of the bed. The strap on her right shoulder slipped down, exposing the smooth curve of her shoulder.
A hint of seduction colored her expression.
Stanley's eyes darkened, his emotions impossible to read.
He took a drag from his cigarette and spoke in a teasing tone. "You wouldn't even let me hold your hand before. What's with the sudden need for cuddles tonight?"
"Before, I thought I valued your feelings for me more. I figured hand-holding, hugging, kissing—all of that could wait until after we were married. After all, once we tied the knot, we'd have a lifetime together. But now..."
She paused, looking up at him with pitiful eyes. "Legally, you're someone else's husband. I'm really scared of losing you forever."
"Do you remember when we were kids?" Kira turned her head, running her fingers over her own shoulder, her voice trembling slightly. "Everyone looked down on us. Bullied us. All we had was each other..."
Stanley's expression darkened, as if her words had stirred up old memories.
His lips pressed into a thin line. He stubbed out the freshly lit cigarette in the nearest ashtray. "Come here."
But Kira let out a soft laugh and pulled the blanket over herself.
Stanley froze, his brow furrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"No cuddles for you."
第8章
Stanley withdrew his arm, his eyes cold as the midnight sea.
He stared at Kira, his voice low. "You played me?"
Kira threw off the covers and planted her bare feet on the carpet, standing tall.
She lifted her chin, defiance flashing in her eyes. "I didn't play you. I just wanted you to understand who matters more—me or Chloe."
The air froze. Even their breathing seemed loud.
After a moment, Stanley's hard expression finally softened, a hint of helpless tenderness surfacing between his brows. "You, of course."
He turned and picked up his cigarettes and lighter, exhaustion bleeding into his voice. "Get some sleep. I'll be in the living room playing games."
Kira's eyes flickered. Something else occurred to her, and she stepped forward quickly, grabbing his arm. "Wait—you brought Chloe to Harborcrest to find out the baby's sex, right? Did you get the results? Boy or girl?"
Stanley's back visibly stiffened.
Silence stretched between them. Finally, he spoke, barely above a whisper. "Girl."
"A girl..."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Kira's face, quickly replaced by a tender smile. "A girl is wonderful too. They say daughters take after their fathers—she'll definitely look like you."
She moved closer, standing behind him, her voice sweet. "Actually, I'm grateful Chloe got pregnant with your child. I'm scared of pain, too afraid to give birth myself. Once she has the baby and you two divorce, after we get married—even though she'll be the birth mother and I'll be the stepmother—I get to be a mom without the pain. It's honestly the best thing ever. I'll love that child like my own."
She saw nothing wrong with what she was saying.
After all, in their circles, plenty of women feared losing their figures, didn't want to endure the pain of childbirth, refused to have children themselves. They went overseas.
Surrogacy.
She had a friend who'd just gotten twins that way—a boy and a girl. Stanley knew about these things too.
But.
Birth mother. Stepmother. Those two words sent a tremor through him.
Suddenly, an image surfaced in his mind—Chloe holding that ultrasound printout.
Her eyes had been impossibly bright, the corners of her lips curved upward, as if she were cradling the most precious thing in the world.
That smile had been beautiful.
At least beautiful enough that he hadn't looked away.
Even a dog walking by could have seen from her expression just how much she loved this child, barely formed inside her.
Stanley's throat worked, his Adam's apple bobbing hard. In the end, he simply pulled free of Kira's grip and said gently, "It's late. Get some sleep. I'm going to play for a bit."
Kira's mood lifted. "Okay, but no sneaking off."
Stanley nodded, walked out quickly, and pulled the door shut behind him.
In the living room, the wave of scented air hit him and made him frown.
Some cloying woody fragrance, laced with the sharpness of synthetic perfume. His temples began to throb.
These past weeks with Chloe, her pregnancy had made her crave light, clean scents—citrus, jasmine. Their room always carried hints of orange or white flowers, fresh and calming.
Just tonight, when they'd first arrived at the hotel, the first thing Chloe had done was remove the diffuser and open the windows.
Now this smell was making him faintly nauseous.
He rubbed his brow in irritation. He didn't touch the games. He just dropped heavily onto the sofa.
Drowsiness washed over him like a tide. He closed his eyes, trying to sink into sleep.
Half an hour later, he sat up abruptly. Irritated, he grabbed the cigarettes from the table and lit one.
The smoke rolled through his lungs. The nicotine sharpened his mind slightly, and with it, his desires became clear.
The night had grown too deep. He wanted to go back to Chloe's side and get some real sleep.
A moment later, he stood and pushed open the bedroom door. "Kira."
Water pattered from the bathroom. She was in the shower.
Stanley's eyes darkened. Without hesitation, he shut the door, his fingers flying across his phone screen to call a car.
The night breeze was cool. Neon lights outside the window blurred into streaks of color.
In less than fifteen minutes, he was back.
He swiped his keycard and pushed open the door, his tone light. "Hey, I'm back."
Silence.
He frowned and reached for the light switch. The moment it clicked on, he froze.
Where was Chloe?