Chapter 165 Alexander's Surprise
The car headed south, leaving the city behind.
"Where are we going? We've been driving forever," Lillian asked.
Alexander smirked, "What's the matter? Scared I might hurt you?"
"You wouldn't. I'm carrying your baby. You wouldn't dare, right?" Lillian replied.
"I could never hurt you or the baby. All I want is to love and protect you," Alexander said, unusually sweet.
Lillian blushed, turning to look out the window with a secret smile.
After another half hour, the car stopped in front of a seaside villa.
"We're here." Alexander unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned in, whispering, "Lily, time to get out."
Lillian, who had been dozing off, opened her eyes and asked, "Are we there?"
"Yep." He helped her with her seatbelt. "Wake up."
Lillian looked outside, excited. "It's by the sea, and there's a house. Is it yours?"
"Yeah, it's mine. Come on," Alexander said.
It was mid-March, and the weather was pleasantly warm. The sea breeze felt cool and refreshing.
Lillian followed Alexander into the villa, which was simply decorated and very clean.
"This place is huge," Lillian said, looking around. "Do you come here often?"
"I come here when I need to clear my head." Alexander looked around, lost in thought. "I watch the sea and the sunrise. It helps."
"This place is beautiful." Lillian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the sea.
Alexander joined her, whispering, "I moved here when I was five. Samantha loved the sea, so Quinn bought this villa for her. Those were happy times." He trailed off, and Lillian understood why.
"So, is this your secret hideaway?" She asked, tilting her head.
Alexander chuckled. "Sort of. I brought you here to relax, enjoy the sea, and watch the sunrise tomorrow. Since you're pregnant and can't go out much, I thought this would keep you entertained."
Lillian looked at him gratefully. "Alexander, you're so good to me."
Alexander ruffled her hair. "Of course, I am. Not just because you're pregnant."
Lillian smiled. "I know, don't worry."
"I wouldn't dare make you mad now. I have to pamper you," Alexander said with a grin.
Lillian felt a warm happiness. This kind of closeness was heartwarming.
"Let's take a walk by the sea. When we get back, I'll make dinner," Alexander suggested.
"Do we have ingredients?" Lillian asked curiously.
"I had them delivered on our way here." Alexander took her hand and led her outside.
The sea breeze blew gently, the waves rolled in, and the sound of seabirds filled the air. They walked slowly along the beach, sometimes whispering, sometimes laughing loudly, looking like a happy couple.
When they got back, Lillian was a bit tired. Alexander said, "Take a nap. Dinner will be ready when you wake up."
"Can you really cook?" Lillian asked skeptically as she watched him pull out vegetables and meat from the fridge.
Alexander glanced at her. "You'll find out when you wake up."
"You're not gonna have someone help you while I'm asleep, are you?" she asked, curious.
"Do you think I'd do that?" Alexander shot back.
"You probably wouldn't stoop that low." Lillian headed to the bedroom while Alexander got busy in the kitchen.
As the sun set, the villa lit up like a beacon on an island.
Alexander walked into the bedroom and saw Lillian still sleeping. He gently sat on the edge of the bed. "Lily, dinner's ready."
Lillian mumbled and turned over.
"Dinner's ready. Get up and taste my cooking," Alexander repeated.
Lillian slowly opened her eyes, blinked, and asked, "Did you finish cooking?"
"There's beef, your favorite. Come on, get up," Alexander said, helping her up.
They went to the dining room, where the table was set with delicious-looking dishes.
Lillian was stunned. "Did you make all this?"
"Of course. I can cook a feast," Alexander teased, serving her a bowl of soup first. "Tomato bisque."
Lillian took a sip. The taste was so good she couldn't help but exclaim, "Alexander, your cooking is amazing!"
Alexander sat across from her. "Try the steak. Medium-rare. See if you like it."
"It's delicious. I haven't had steak in so long. It's so good," she said, cutting more pieces.
Seeing her enjoy it, Alexander was pleased. "Don't just eat the meat. Have some veggies too."
With her mouth full, Lillian could only nod.
After a while, Lillian was almost full. She held her soup bowl and asked, "How did you learn to cook?"
"It's not that hard," Alexander said, eating.
"You're so busy with work. When did you have time to learn? Or did you learn in school?" Lillian asked. "I learned to cook during school breaks when no one was home."
"Pretty much the same for me," Alexander said, changing the subject. "As long as you like it. I didn't exaggerate, did I?"
Lillian smiled. "Alexander, what other surprises do you have that I don't know about?"
Alexander was slightly taken aback, then laughed with her.
After dinner, Alexander washed the fruit for Lillian and cleaned up the kitchen himself.
"You're so good at housework. Were you trained?" Lillian teased.
Alexander caught the underlying meaning. "I'm not an animal. How can you say trained? When two people live together, whoever has time does the work."
Lillian realized he was indirectly admitting he had lived with an ex. She felt a bit uncomfortable.
After cleaning up, Alexander noticed her mood change and asked, "What's wrong? Are you upset? It's all in the past. It's not worth getting angry over."
