The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1793

"I'm beat. You can go and do whatever you want."

She didn't want to say too much to him because over the past few days, she had noticed that Morrison never had anything positive to say to her. Every sentence seemed to carry a cutting edge, stabbing at her heart. She didn't want to engage with someone who made her feel so uncomfortable. Moreover, she knew full well that with all the drama that had unfolded today, he was probably harboring a lot of pent-up anger.

She slipped under the covers and turned to her side. Morrison stood at the doorway, unable to decide whether to enter or leave.

Each encounter with her was met with an increasing coldness. The words spoken by that man at the hospital buzzed around in his head like a swarm of flies. Did she really think she could find another man be their baby’s stepfather?

Preposterous. He would like to see who was bald enough to be his baby’s stepfather.

A wave of anger rose within him, but the image of Rose standing at the restaurant entrance, coupled with what the doctor had said earlier, gave him a sense of unease.d2

Eyeing the lump under the covers, Morrison squinted and eventually decided to leave the room.

He went downstairs and pulled out a cigarette, heading for the balcony. However, a young dog’s bark interrupted his peace.

He glanced at the golden retriever puppy, lit his cigarette, and kicked the pup aside.

"Woof, woof, woof."

The puppy started barking again. Morrison frowned and looked back towards the upstairs. After taking a deep drag from his cigarette, he stared down the puppy. "If you keep barking, I might butcher you."

"Woof, woof, woof."

Morrison crouched down, fixating his gaze on the seemingly innocent retriever. He muttered, "The woman's resting upstairs, are you sure you want to keep this up?"

Intimidated by Morrison's sudden display of authority, the puppy retreated and reduced its barking to a whimper.

Morrison chuckled, "Coward."

He then realized his petty behavior and glanced at the dog food bowl, water dish, and his other slipper in the dog bed. His expression darkened. He reached into the dog bed, retrieved his slipper, and tossed it in front of the puppy. "Stop barking. Everything you eat, drink, and play with belongs to me. Get real! Behave, and I might consider keeping you around."

The puppy whimpered and took the "toy slipper" into its bed. It seemed to have calmed down.

Morrison watched as the puppy retreated into its bed, gnawing at his slipper, his mood inexplicably sour.

Rose had heard the puppy's barking from upstairs. She wanted to check on the situation but didn't want to give Morrison an opportunity to pick a fight. She was still worried about the potential for a full-blown confrontation between the two.

"Pff."

The thought amused her. A standoff between Morrison and the little pup? The puppy would likely be defeated.

Downstairs on the balcony, Morrison stood by the window, his cigarette replaced by a fresh one.

Recently, Rose’s cold demeanor reminded him of when they were in school together. She had always carried herself like a princess, flaunting her pride and vibrant charisma. Wherever she went, all eyes followed her. Boys tried to win her over in various ways, but she was too proud to give them a second look.

And him, he had seen plenty of these so-called "princesses". Elegant and beautiful on the surface, but pompous and domineering underneath. Born into wealthy families, they were innately hypocritical, and it seemed that bullying the weak was almost ingrained in their nature. There was no exception.

His family had always preached about marrying within the same social class. There was no freedom in marriage, their lives destined to be a sacrifice for their families. So, he was expected to marry a hypocritical, pretentious princess?

His ingrained resentment had already become a part of him. And Rose, from the moment he met her, he had been certain that she was his kryptonite. If there was one woman he would never marry in this lifetime, Rose would be on top of his blacklist.

However, the woman who was supposed to be out of his life after graduation ended up as his wife. It was amusing and ironic.

He knew the baby in her womb was his, but to say that it was an unintended consequence of his actions... Yes, and no.

The few encounters they had had over the past couple of days, the uncontrollable physical reactions he had whenever he saw her, and the thoughts that ensued, all made it difficult for him to face the reality.

This had never happened before. He had never felt this way about any woman. Well, except when he was in school.

But now that he thought about it, the only woman who had ever sparked such a rare feeling in him was this woman. He had thought it was a normal feeling that all men experienced during their impulsive years. The only thing to blame was Rose's good looks, her nice figure, and the fact that she knew how to dress and bring out the best in herself. She indeed seemed to know how to highlight her best features. It made sense why so many boys were drawn to her.

So, it was her fault. She was too attractive, and she unknowingly flaunted it in front of him every day. Like a butterfly, she fluttered in his presence, leaving traces of her pollen on him before fluttering away. It seemed intentional and unintentional at the same time.

That was why he had chosen a woman who was completely different from Rose to be his girlfriend. He had picked Mona, an ordinary-looking girl from a modest background, as his partner.

The guys around him switched girlfriends one after the other. He thought that as long as she wasn't one of those so-called heiress, or as long as she wasn't Rose, it would be fine. After all, they were all women.

His girlfriend? It was merely a title.

Rose's presence in his life had become less noticeable. Yet, while he had Mona by his side, he still felt an inexplicable urge towards Rose. Her existence was something he couldn't ignore.

He had agreed to attend the school reunion.

He heard that Mona, who was vehemently opposed by her grandmother and forced to leave back then, would be there.

And Rose would also be there. He didn't expect to postpone business to fly from the R City to the P City to see Rose, alluringly dressed, holding the arm of the international movie star.

He had indeed had too much to drink that day. However, having been in the business world for so many years, he had seen all kinds of people, and there were countless who tried to win his favor. How could he possibly leave a loophole for someone to exploit or give any woman the chance to entwine herself with him?

Rose's unexpected intrusion into his room was a clear mistake that he consciously let slide. The image of her with Winston was too glaring for him to ignore.

And there she was, always around him, so close yet untouchable, planting a seed that kept sprouting within him.

His secret desires, nurtured over the years, finally found an outlet when she mistakenly entered his room during the school reunion. He hadn't thought about the consequences at the time. All he knew was that Rose was wrapped around him too tight, and the unprecedented feelings she stirred up in him didn't allow him to think further.

He got the girl. When he opened his eyes the next day and saw her, that was the first thought that came to his mind. However, Rose's initial surprise and her eagerness to clear herself of any association with him instantly killed that thought.

"We're both adults, and it's normal to indulge in a bit of fun. You don't need to feel burdened."

Her words were cold and too realistic, making him feel like he was the woman in the situation.

She had initially cleared herself of any obligation, acting magnanimously and understandingly, but soon after, she cleverly used the baby as a pretext to marry him. Now, she felt wronged and pitiful, and he became the heartless villain.