Chapter 707 Suspecting That She's Pregnant
"It’s hot," Oliver declared, his refusal obvious.
Natalie glanced at his smooth muscles and rubbed her temples, plagued by a headache. Perhaps it was due to Cocker’s suggestive remark earlier, her mind was filled with inappropriate thoughts, making her feel guilty.
“Fine,” Natalie responded, changing the topic, “I’m not done cooking, but it won’t take long. I cooked your favorite food. Can you wait in the dining room?”
Oliver raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased by her words. He nodded and took the initiative to fetch the bowls and cutleries, placing them on the table himself.
Under normal circumstances, there were no servants in the villa. Servants would only come to clean when both Natalie and Oliver were at work.
During their stay at Maple Forest Estate, there were no servants, and Oliver personally took on the simple tasks of fetching bowls and serving food. Initially, the sophisticated Mr. Windsor found these tasks challenging and even broke a few bowls.
Natalie cooked just the right amount for two people; she preferred to cook just enough to avoid leftovers. She emerged from the kitchen, serving the food.
Faced with his favorite food, Oliver crossed his arms instead of picking up the cutleries. He looked at her and asked, “What is it that you want?”
"To make you happy," Natalie answered sincerely.
Oliver looked at Natalie before he began to eat.
Natalie secretly let out a sigh of relief, feeling as though she had narrowly avoided something.
‘It seems like he’s not going to question me…’
Natalie then turned her attention to her food.
"Have you been eating more?” Oliver asked after observing the amount of food in Natalie's bowl.
Typically, she would consume only about half of what she was having today. She maintained healthy eating habits and rarely left food uneaten.
"Oh, it seems I’ve been eating a bit more lately," Natalie replied without much concern, "Fortunately, I don’t gain weight easily... What’s the matter?"
Natalie noticed Oliver looking at her, his gaze filled with curiosity and an indescribable emotion. She glared at him, feeling slightly offended as she asked, "Do you think I eat too much?"
No woman would be pleased if someone suggested she ate a lot. Especially not someone she had feelings for.
"No," Oliver replied calmly, "In fact, I still think you’re eating too little."
"... Why do I feel as though you’re mocking me?" Natalie narrowed her eyes.
It was not that she was overanalyzing the situation, but Oliver's expression and words made her feel like he was teasing her. Moreover, objectively, among her fellow models, her appetite was indeed bigger. She at least included rice, vegetables, and meat in her daily diet, whereas most models restricted themselves to vegetable salads and boiled chicken breasts to maintain their figures.
Oliver stated, "You’re thinking too much."
Natalie chose not to respond. Feeling too lazy to continue the conversation, she ate while pondering over her sudden increase in appetite. She failed to notice the subtle gleam in the man's eyes as he observed her, reminiscent of a restrained, eager, and curious creature, hesitant to advance.
Oliver sat there, observing Natalie as she ate in tranquility. When she finished her meal, he finally asked, “Coax me?”
Natalie was perplexed. ‘Why is he so random? Why do I have to coax you now?’
Just as she was pondering this, she heard him propose, "Mrs. Windsor, I would be happier if you gave yourself to me."
At this time, Natalie recalled that she had cooked his favorite food to make him happy.
‘Why did he bring this up again after the meal? Is he planning to settle the scores with me now that he’s done eating?’
Feeling a flush of embarrassment, Natalie revisited the earlier conversation, saying, "Coker was blunt with her words earlier, and I merely listened without much thought. Please don’t take it seriously. Don’t be upset, okay?"
She added, “I can’t not listen to her, right? It’d be rude.”
Oliver never cared about politeness or propriety. He said, “I vaguely remember her telling you to please me, right? I think it’s an excellent suggestion…”
As he spoke, Oliver leaned back in his chair with an air of someone resigned to his fate, gesturing for her to approach. “Come on then.”
‘Huh? What is it that he expects me to do? What the hell does he want me to do?’
"I... I'll pass," Natalie managed a strained smile, her expression awkward as she said, "Oliver, how about we go for a walk? It's good to digest after eating so much. You saw, I had quite a bit tonight."
Oliver cast a brief glance at the empty bowl and then subtly eyed Natalie's stomach, his thoughts unreadable. After a moment, his lips curved into a smile, and he said, "That sounds wonderful. I’m in the mood to exercise."
‘... The kind of exercise I'm suggesting is wholesome, beneficial, and not at all what you might be thinking!’
Before Natalie could clarify, she suddenly felt weightless as Oliver lifted her off the ground. Striding upstairs with her in his arms, his long legs covered the distance quickly.
"Ah—Oliver!" Natalie protested, "Put me down! I... I haven't even cleaned up the dishes yet!"
The man laughed. "Then release your hold on me; let go."
His voice was light and teasing.
Natalie felt herself suffocating from anger when she heard this.
"You don't have to worry about household chores. You’re my wife, not a maid I've employed," Oliver remarked as he activated the sensor of the master bedroom door, which swung open automatically.
The room was equipped with the latest smart home technology.
"I... I need to take a shower," Natalie found herself on the bed, pushing against his chest and saying, "I've been out all day, I really should take a shower."
Just as Oliver was about to speak, Natalie quickly interjected, "I’ll shower on my own, I don’t need your help! The more you help, the bigger mess you create!”
“Hmm, what do you mean by that?” Oliver asked with interest.
“Nothing!”
‘What nonsense!’
Natalie pushed his face away.
This time, Oliver yielded, moving aside to watch as she made her way briskly toward the bathroom.
The layout of this room was unlike that of Rosewood Estate. The master bedroom spanned over 100 square feet.
Oliver helpfully pointed out, "The bathroom is to the right."
Natalie glanced back, noting Oliver’s mischievous gaze.
‘How exasperating!’
"Be careful in the shower; don’t slip."
"I know! I’m not stupid!"
As Natalie entered the bathroom, the sound of running water soon filled the air.
Oliver, containing his amusement, walked out to the balcony to make a phone call to Lilian.
"Hello! Are you going to invite me to stay with the both of you?” Lilian answered the call, brimming with enthusiasm.
Oliver paused momentarily before asking, "What’s going on in your head?"
This time, Lilian quickly caught on. "Why are you scolding me? I’ll tell Natalie about this!”
‘Natalie is really useful in times like this!’
"I have a question for you," Oliver did not waste time on trivial chatter with Lilian and asked bluntly, "Did Natalie have her period last month?"
"How would I know that?" Lilian responded with a mix of confusion and confidence, "You’re her husband. Why are you asking me?"
Oliver reminded his oblivious cousin, “She’s not with me every day.”
Natalie's menstrual cycle was irregular. The previous month had been hectic for her, juggling work, time with her so-called goddaughter, and legal proceedings. Oliver was preoccupied with his own responsibilities as well.
Moreover, Natalie's reserved nature meant that unless he observed it himself, she was unlikely to inform him about such personal matters.
"Oh," Lilian pondered briefly before saying, "She likely did. When I suggested we go shopping earlier, she declined to eat ice cream. Even on warm days, she refused ice cream! Hey, why are women here so fussy? I eat anything and everything."
Oliver remained expressionless. "That’s precisely why you’re stupid."
It was because she indulged in everything and overate, she was foolish.
Lilian felt slighted but given the daily critiques from her brilliant cousin and outspoken boyfriend, she found it hard to contest. Compared to these two and Natalie, she indeed seemed less intelligent, despite holding a prestigious dual degree.
Oliver ended the call, momentarily uncertain of his feelings. He had harbored suspicions that Natalie might be pregnant, given her increased appetite. If she were, he had no intentions of being intimate with her that night. He would not act so recklessly, even considering the possibility. But Lilian's comments suggested he might be overanalyzing the situation. Yet, he could not help but wonder if, despite all precautions, there was a flaw in their method.
Mr. Windsor was caught in a whirlpool of self-doubt.
Natalie emerged from the shower to find Oliver seated on the couch, phone in hand, wearing a look of deep contemplation as if grappling with a weighty dilemma. She asked as she towel-dried her hair, "What's wrong? Did something occur at work?"
Oliver approached, gently took the towel from her, and began drying her hair with practiced ease, all the while silent. His eyes occasionally drifted toward Natalie's abdomen, seemingly deep in thought.
"Why are you behaving so oddly?" Natalie grasped Oliver's hand, turning to face him with a look of concern.
Without a word, Oliver continued until her hair was nearly dry, then he stood up to fetch the hairdryer.
"It's too warm for that. I prefer not to use the hairdryer in summer. My hair dries fast enough," Natalie protested, as she typically avoided blow-drying during the warmer months.
"Then, I'll shower first," Oliver stated, then retreated to the bathroom.
Natalie was left puzzled, a flurry of questions swirling in her mind.
‘Is he really bothered by Cocker's words? But it’s clear she was not being serious. Should I reassure him? No, Oliver isn’t so easily unsettled…’
Men often showered with efficiency, and true to form, Oliver returned in less than five minutes. He was met with the sight of Natalie clad in a black slip dress edged with lace, modest yet undeniably captivating. He narrowed his eyes, and he felt his throat growing dry.
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