Chapter 639 Whimsical
As Victoria returned home, the rain had begun to fall harder, drumming steadily against the windows.
She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, watching the curtain of rain. Her mood started to darken. She remembered the last time she was this hopeful, and the way things had turned out.
She thought, 'Can history be repeating itself?
'No, it can't be.
'Even if she were pregnant, I'm surrounded by bodyguards. No one can harm me or my baby.'
Victoria's fingers tightened around her handbag strap as unsettling memories of the accident resurfaced. Victoria saw that girl from the night, her body mangled and unrecognizable.
Her heart tightened uncontrollably.
In her mind, she tried to reassure herself that it was just rain.
She had always liked rain as a child.
There shouldn't be any danger this time. She needed to stop overthinking.
Victoria made her way back to the sofa, set her bag down, and sat.
Jenny brought her a cup of coffee. Glancing at it, Victoria recalled Olivia's comment that pregnant women shouldn't drink coffee. She said softly, "Jenny, could you get me a glass of water instead?"
"Of course," Jenny replied, taking the coffee away and bringing back a glass of water.
Victoria intended to retrieve the pregnancy test from her bag but was distracted by the "Encyclopedia of Pregnancy" lying on the table. Without thinking, she reached for the book and began to read it.
She sank into the sofa and lost track of time, reading until it was dark outside.
She wondered if she was losing her mind. She thought, 'How can I think I might be pregnant?
'What if it is just a digestive issue?
'Even though they hadn't always used protection, getting pregnant isn't as simple as flipping a switch.
'I've already spent an afternoon engrossed in a pregnancy book without even being sure I'm pregnant. If word got out…'
Victoria quickly hid the book behind the cushions.
Jenny came back with a fruit platter and asked, "Mrs. Harrington, will Mr. Harrington be joining us for dinner tonight?"
"He should be. Prepare dinner for two," Victoria decided quickly.
She thought, 'Despite our recent emotional distance, it is clear that Alexander comes home every evening after work.
'Maybe, over time, we've gotten used to this routine.
'We've become each other's most important person.
'Could it be that, without realizing it, we've both come to mean so much to each other? That I am only now seeing how important he is to me?'
Victoria was wary of overthinking. But in movies and novels, these late-blooming romances were common.
She thought, 'Why can't it be the same for us?
'Why can't I indulge in a little hope?
'I still do.
'People's minds tend to wander, imagining unrealistic and whimsical things about love.'
Victoria allowed herself to be soft and a bit whimsical. She wanted to dream.
It had been a long time since she'd dared to think like this.
Before long, Mason Alfred's voice drifted in, faintly saying, "Mr. Harrington's back. Quick, grab an umbrella."
Then came the hurried sounds of footsteps.
Victoria seemed caught in a dream, hearing the frantic activity around her.
"Mr. Harrington, you're here. Mrs. Harrington insisted on preparing dinner for you," someone said.
"Where's Victoria?"
It felt like an eternity since she last asked him to come home, as if it were from another lifetime.
Alexander fought to keep his composure, but inside, he was a storm of emotions.
Everyone seemed to sense his uplifted mood as he walked in, almost as if he was floating on air.
Jenny gestured towards the sofa, and Alexander made his way there with purposeful strides.
The TV was off. Victoria was lying on the sofa, lost in a book.
Unable to resist, Alexander approached her from behind the sofa, leaning on the armrest to peer at her beautiful face. "What are you reading?"
Victoria snapped back to reality, her heart racing.
She thought, 'This isn't a hallucination, is it?
'He really is back?'
Victoria sprang to her feet, but in her haste, she bumped her forehead against his brow.
"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?"
Victoria, clutching her head, looked at Alexander, who was wincing and holding one eye.
"I think you've blinded me in one eye."
"What?"
"Do you still want me?"
Victoria's heart raced. Her concern was immediate and genuine.
She thought, 'How can I ever not want him?'
"Of course, I don't."
Her words were harsh, but her eyes revealed nothing but worry.
Alexander released his eye, which was slightly reddened and tearful.
His playful demeanor had turned serious in an instant.
Victoria's book had fallen to the side, and Alexander noticed it.
The "Encyclopedia of Pregnancy."
He recognized the book, remembering there was another one, both brought by Olivia.
He had flipped through a few pages out of boredom before, thinking it might come in handy someday.
He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but her sudden call for him to come home made him reconsider everything.
As he thought about their time together, his expression grew even more serious.
Victoria quickly grabbed a cushion to hide the book, her face showing a hint of panic. "I was just flipping through it for fun," she explained, a bit flustered.
Hearing her reaction and seeing her nervousness, Alexander couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I never said it was anything else."
She thought, 'So, am I overreacting?'
Victoria, feeling awkward, lowered her gaze. Alexander watched her for a moment before settling onto the sofa, his voice gentle. "Did you need to tell me something if I came home early?"
He continued to look at her intently.
For some reason, he found himself hoping she had discovered she was pregnant.
Victoria, head down, nervously fiddled with her engagement ring. "I… I think I forgot."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Alexander's face before he focused on her with even more seriousness.
Victoria looked up at him. "I really forgot."
Her smile was tinged with uncertainty.
When she saw the disappointment in his eyes, her heart ached.
She thought, 'But what if I am not pregnant?
'I can bear the disappointment alone, but do I want to drag him into it too? No!
'Maybe I should take a test first, and if it is positive, then tell him.'
"Forget it for now," she said, trying to brush it off. "Anyway…"
"Anyway, what?"
Alexander's curiosity was piqued.
"I was just planning to come home from work anyway," he said with a warm smile.
Victoria felt a sudden pang in her nose at his words.
"Will you still get upset and leave in the future?"
Instinctively, Victoria raised her hand to cover her mouth.
She thought, 'What have I just said?
'Is he going to think I'm overstepping?'
"If you're unhappy, why didn't you just stop me?"
Alexander's question was almost a rare moment of vulnerability from him, a sign of honesty that only emerged because Victoria had spoken her mind.
It was unintentional on her part, she hadn't meant to voice her feelings so openly.
She wasn't the impulsive type."How was I supposed to know if you'd stay?"
She thought, 'What if no matter how hard I try, I can't keep him? Won't that make me seem even more desperate?'
Victoria didn't want to be one of those pitiful women, begging without self-respect.
"How about we make a pact?" Alexander proposed in his smooth, soothing voice.
Victoria gazed at him, intrigued. "What kind of pact?"
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