Chapter 117 Alaric, Do You Not Like Red?
The woman standing beside him listened to Alaric's comment and immediately pouted. "What do you mean? It looks perfectly fine, doesn't it?"
She looked at Cordelia with admiration and tugged on Alaric's arm, as if acting cute.
"Alaric, I want to try on a bright red dress too."
Earlier upstairs, she had picked out a bright red gown, but Alaric had directly said it wouldn't look good.
Now seeing how stunning the bright red dress looked on Cordelia, she wanted to try it too.
Alaric's eyes darkened slightly as he walked toward the store exit. "Whatever you want."
The woman huffed in dissatisfaction and hurried to follow him.
"Alaric, do you not like red?"
Alaric didn't answer her question, and the two walked further and further away.
Evelyn's eyes turned cold. Cordelia had completely lost her mood to try on dresses. She asked the sales assistant to draw the curtain, then went back into the fitting room to change out of the gown.
After changing, Cordelia came out and looked at Evelyn, saying softly, "Just pick any dress. I'm only wearing it for the ball anyway."
Evelyn knew Cordelia wasn't in the mood anymore and nodded. "Okay, you look good in any style anyway."
Cordelia was never picky about clothes and had a perfect figure.
After this unpleasant little incident, Cordelia and Evelyn went home early.
That evening, Evelyn kept thinking about how good Cordelia looked in that red dress, and how the style matched well with Amber's dress, so she called the brand again.
"The dress Cordelia tried on this afternoon - please alter it to her size and send it over."
The brand representative sounded embarrassed.
"That dress is no longer in the store, and we can't produce that style anymore. A customer has already bought the copyright to that design."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, thinking of how Alaric looked when he left, and laughed.
"Don't tell me Alaric bought it?"
The brand representative hesitated for a few seconds, then said softly, "I'm sorry, Ms. Stone, we can't disclose customer information."
From the representative's tone, Evelyn immediately understood.
She smiled and said, "It's fine."
"I already know."
After hanging up, she couldn't help but think to herself that Alaric really said one thing but meant another.
The next day, Cordelia went to work at the hospital as usual.
Alaric had been discharged and didn't need to continue coming to the hospital for IV treatments.
But when Cordelia went to the cafeteria for lunch, Alaric still came to the hospital.
She had just sat down with her tray when Alaric walked over and sat across from her, just like he had been doing recently.
Cordelia hid her surprise and ate quietly.
The cafeteria manager had figured out Alaric's schedule by now, so he prepared lunch in advance and could serve it as soon as he arrived.
After serving Alaric his food, the cafeteria manager felt he couldn't neglect Cordelia, so he said ingratiatingly.
"Dr. Stone, I've added some dishes for you. Just wait a moment, it'll be ready soon."
Cordelia pulled out a tissue to wipe her lips and politely declined with a smile. "No need, I haven't had much appetite lately."
Alaric looked up at her. "If you have no appetite, you should eat things that are good for your stomach. If you keep eating greasy and spicy food every day, of course you'll lose your appetite."
During their three years of marriage, Cordelia's taste had always been quite mild. Alaric had thought her preferences were the same as his.
Three years ago, after their divorce, Alaric learned that Cordelia had just been accommodating him, constantly suppressing her own food preferences.
"Thanks for your concern, Mr. Hughes. But maybe I just have no appetite because I see you?"
Her voice was light, as if she were just joking.
Alaric's face immediately darkened.
Cordelia got up from her seat and left the cafeteria.
Robert sat quietly nearby, not daring to make a sound as he watched Alaric's gloomy expression.
Alaric had spent a fortune to buy the copyright to that brand's dress design, so that only Cordelia could wear that style from now on.
But before he could even give it to her, Cordelia had already left.
Robert remembered what Alaric had said last time about how Cordelia shouldn't have come back, and now he felt this was karma.
Cordelia returned to her department and threw herself into work. After work, she went back to The Stone Manor.
Evelyn and Bruce had social engagements tonight and weren't home.
As Cordelia walked to the living room entrance, she saw Amber sitting beside Alaric, looking very well-behaved.
Amber was holding a freshly peeled orange, while Alaric sat next to her, holding an orange and peeling it for her.
Cordelia was visually shocked by this scene.
Her steps couldn't help but pause slightly.
Seeing Cordelia return, Alaric put the orange in his hand onto the fruit plate.
"You're back?"
He spoke naturally, like the man of the house.
Cordelia nodded slightly, suppressing the complex emotions in her heart. She glanced at Alaric and put down her handbag.
Amber climbed down from the sofa with her little legs and ran to Cordelia's side. "Mommy."
She was holding an orange and, worried about getting Cordelia's clothes dirty, didn't ask to be picked up. She just looked up at Cordelia with such an innocent and adorable expression that it made you want to kiss her.
Cordelia reached out and picked her up.
Amber immediately popped an orange segment into her mouth.
Allegra brought tissues to wipe Amber's fingers.
After swallowing the orange, Amber grinned. "Mr. Hughes brought the oranges. They're very sweet."
Receiving Amber's praise, Alaric felt an inexplicable joy in his heart.
Cordelia looked at Amber and smiled slightly, reaching out to ruffle her hair and saying softly.
"No matter how sweet they are, they're not as sweet as you. You're my honey."
Amber giggled and, after wiping her fingers clean, hugged Cordelia's neck tightly and nuzzled against her.
Watching Amber like this, Alaric thought about how Bruce had been able to hold her for photos.
When he first entered the house, Amber had been playing with toys with Donald.
Seeing him come in, Amber immediately raised her hand, pointed at Alaric, and said to Donald.
"Grandpa, it's Mr. Hughes."
When Donald saw Alaric, his expression was quite complex, but he still controlled his emotions and greeted Alaric proactively.
It just so happened that he had gone fishing early that morning, and since Alaric didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon, Donald decided to cook himself.
Alaric didn't refuse.
He really did miss Donald's cooking.
During the three years they were apart, Alaric would occasionally remember the times he had stayed over at The Stone Manor.
Everything at The Stone Manor was the same as three years ago, except there was now a child.
Looking at the adorable Amber, Alaric couldn't tell if what he felt was melancholy or regret.