Chapter 56: Are You Already Pregnant?

"Help me put on the apron, so the oil stains don't ruin my white shirt," Silas Vance said in a thoroughly solemn manner.

Vivian Hale: "..."

Seeing her silence, Silas raised his eyebrows and looked over, "What's wrong? Can't you even manage a tiny favor like this?"

The corners of Vivian's mouth twitched.

Knowing perfectly well that he was doing this on purpose, she nonetheless walked over and picked up the dark-colored apron.

Then, under the man's spread arms and the intense watch of his profoundly deep gaze, she pressed her lips together and stepped forward. Tipping her toes, she looped the apron over his head, her arms reaching around his waist to tie the straps behind his back.

This posture resembled an absolute embrace.

The crisp, clear cedar scent from the man's body, intermingled with the aroma of food, virtually enveloped her entire form.

When she lifted her head, her strands of hair inadvertently brushed across his jawline.

Their twin eyes met, and even the surrounding air appeared to turn heavily viscous, warm, and lingering.

Even though they had already engaged in far more intimate acts, the absolute roots of Vivian's ears still couldn't restrain a wave of flushing red.

By the time she finally finished tying it and intended to retreat backward, Silas firmly encircled her waist, his thin lips virtually pressing against her earlobe, "Thank you, Vivian."

Vivian felt goosebumps bursting out across her entire body, hurriedly pushing the person away.

"The food is on the verge of being scorched."

Having finished her frantic remark, she turned her body and marched straight out of the kitchen, the temperature across her face gradually returning to normal.

Half an hour later, the meal was fully arranged onto the dining table.

Plum sweet-and-sour pork ribs, stir-fried greens, and a fish soup—every single one happened to be the dishes she typically loved to consume.

Vivian was somewhat surprised.

Clearly, the number of times they had interacted could be counted onto a single hand's fingers, yet he had actually observed her with this level of meticulous precision.

Conversely, Adrian Cross remained entirely unaware to this day that she loved to consume anything. It had consistently been her trailing behind his form, exhausting every possible scheme to prepare the dishes he liked just to make him happy.

Possessing a stark contrast of this caliber, she increasingly felt that her past relationship was farcical to the absolute limit.

She had initially assumed that the issue only erupted over this past year, but in reality, the problem had already been generated before marriage. It was merely that the spectator sees clearly while the player is blind; deeply drowning inside, she had blindly ignored those details, desperately craving a family's warmth and happiness.

Looking upon it right now, when confronted with a wrong choice, one must refrain from being reluctant to abandon the sunk cost.

The more reluctant one remained, the more tragically magnificent the absolute end would turn out.

Right at this exact millisecond, Silas suddenly picked up the red wine from one side to pour a glass for her benefit.

"To celebrate today's successful bidding, let's raise a toast."

Vivian was startled. The exact moment her mind thought of the child inside her abdomen, she hurriedly declined.

"No, thank you. I have abstained from alcohol."

Silas froze upon hearing this, a trace of a thoughtful look passing through his eyes.

Perceiving that his gaze had landed onto her form, Vivian added another line, "Principally because my stomach hasn't been very excellent recently, has it? Alcohol is inherently far from ideal after all."

This sounded even more like an absolute cover-up.

Silas, however, nodded his head in validation, "Fine, abstaining from alcohol is an excellent thing. Let us switch to beverages instead."

He refrained from pushing with redundant inquiries, and Vivian surreptitiously let out a sigh of relief.

This entire meal was consumed in total trepidation. She was terrified that a pregnancy reaction would strike midway through, and a sudden wave of dry-heaving would completely unmask the truth.

However, perhaps because Silas's culinary preparations perfectly aligned with her appetite, she actually managed to consume every single shred within her bowl without experiencing a single fraction of discomfort.

After the meal, taking advantage of the man heading off to wash the dishes, Vivian began surreptitiously looking for a place to reside.

Fortunately, when she rented properties previously, she had added the contact information of several agents.

She desired to locate a place that was quiet, possessed an excellent environment, and naturally, the security facilities must be top-tier as well.

She dispatched her itemized requirements over to the agent, Sister Xu.

Sister Xu rapidly returned several images: "Miss Hale, these are several residences selected strictly based on your requirements. You can review them first, and if you are satisfied with one of the suites, we can head out to inspect the property personally tomorrow."

Vivian tapped open the images to inspect them. Before a long moment passed, she cast her eyes upon one of the suites, establishing an appointment with Sister Xu to inspect the property tomorrow morning.

Having processed this matter, the heavy burden nestled onto her heart lightened by a few traces.

Stretching her waist, she rose her body to return to the bedroom. The exact millisecond she flipped on the light, she suddenly heard a loud thud of a commotion drifting abruptly from the bathroom.

Vivian was given a sudden start, assuming some sort of an accident had erupted.

Hurriedly stepping over to push open the bathroom door, the result...

Amid the dense, swirling water vapor, the man stood completely naked beneath the running shower.

His soaked black hair rested messily against his brow line, streams of water rolling all the way down along the contours of his body.

The muscles of his broad back were subtly tightened, and upon a form profoundly filled with a sense of raw power, his pectoral and abdominal muscles looked exceptionally attractive and rock-solid.

His entire being emitted a primitive and powerfully intense wave of pheromones.

Directing her line of vision further down, Vivian’s breathing suffered a sudden halt, her heartbeat violent.

Although they had already climbed into bed a good number of times, her consciousness during those periods had mostly been hazy, and she had rarely confronted his physical form directly like this.

This brought a powerful wave of impact onto her form.

"My apologies, I... I am departing immediately..."

Having finished her embarrassed words, she spun on her heel to walk away.

Right at this exact millisecond, the sound of the running shower halted.

A warm hand drenched in moisture extended over, drawing her straight into an embrace from behind, his voice low, baritone, and alluring: "Why on earth are you running? It's not as if you haven't looked upon it before. Since you've arrived, let's wash together."

Without a single fraction of thought, Vivian declined directly: "No need, thank you. I am a bit exhausted today and wish to return to my room to sleep."

Silas's movements froze completely.

Lowering his eyes to gaze deeply at the woman before him, he suddenly opened his mouth: "Are you already pregnant?"

After all, previously, for the sake of securing a child, she would virtually never decline his form.

Yet over these past few times, he could glaringly perceive that something was amiss with her.

Vivian’s heartbeat virtually ground to a complete halt at this exact millisecond.

"I am not!"

Her countenance was panicked, her tone delivering a resolute denial.

In the very next second, as if it remained insufficient, she violently spun her head back, her expression freezing cold and sharp: "Silas Vance, I am warning you—even if I possess a child, that belongs strictly to me alone, and carries absolutely zero connection to your person!

You had best recognize this point with absolute clarity, otherwise even our relationship as friends with benefits won't be able to be maintained."

She spoke with absolute heartlessness, yet Silas could clearly discern the tension and fragile vulnerability gleaming within her twin eyes.

Having experienced that past relationship, she had erected a rigid defense line against the entire world, packaging herself into a common porcupine, as though wanting to pierce and harm every single person, yet in reality it was merely executed to protect her own self.

Thinking up to this point, a wave of intense heartache rippled through Silas. Taking a sudden step forward, he drew her firmly into his embrace.

"Do not fear."

The man's voice was low and baritone, yet it carried an flavor that stabilized one's soul: "Right before my face, you can completely lower your guard and abandon your forced bravado. I will grant you absolute respect, nor will I ever snatch your child away. I know exactly how critical that matter is to your form. I merely hope that within an atmosphere you are capable of accepting, you will permit me to love you, alright?"

Vivian’s twin eyes widened slowly, her heartbeat skipping half a beat nonetheless.

Clearly, these were words of an absolute confession, yet she conversely caught a shred of humility and pleading from Silas's tone.

A man of this caliber who stood high up in a supreme position, possessed a distinguished identity, and ruled as the chief executive of a massive conglomerate, would actually go to this absolute length for her benefit...

Vivian’s heart was filled to the brim with a powerful wave of shock—there was bewilderment, intense emotion, alongside a wave of an indescribable, bitter ache surging onto her heart.

He appeared to have seen completely through her form.

Cradling every shred of her vulnerability; right before his face, perhaps she truly could relax completely.

Yet the exact millisecond this line of thought was generated within her heart, she snapped back into total clarity right away.

Twelve years of affection and three years of marriage had ultimately transformed into a complete pile of chicken feathers, filled to the brim with betrayal and absolute harm.

On what grounds should she place her trust onto the fact that a childhood playmate’s reunion after the passing of so many years—how long could this affection possibly be maintained?

Perhaps Silas merely harbored a type of absolute obsession toward her form.

Because he had failed to secure that affection in the past, he pursued it continuously, yet once it landed in his hands, he wouldn't care about it that intensely anymore.

She didn't wish to wager, nor did she dare to wager.

"My apologies."

She slowly retreated out from the man's embrace, delivering a brutal rejection, "Between you and me, it is completely impossible for all eternity. Stop remaining stubbornly attached to my form."

With that, she silently spun around to return to her room.

Failing to witness that behind her form, the gaze in Silas's eyes turned thoroughly desolated and wounded, as though he had been completely abandoned by the entire world, halting right on that spot in total solitude for a remarkably long while.