Chapter 96 Alaric Encounters Cordelia During Her Prenatal Checkup
Alaric handed Robert's phone back, his face unreadable.
Robert nervously glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Alaric staring out the window, deep in thought. The cold, inscrutable look on Alaric's face made Robert realize he needed to tread carefully today.
He parked the car in the garage.
Alaric stepped out of the car without a word.
Robert followed closely behind, pausing to take a call from a client just as they were about to get on the elevator.
Alaric got on the elevator alone.
When Robert finished the call, he noticed Cordelia's social media feed still open on his phone. Remembering Alaric's earlier mood, he quickly surmised that Cordelia must have blocked Alaric.
That woman, even after the divorce, was as cold and ruthless as ever.
At the Stone Manor
Cordelia came downstairs after getting ready, feeling good. She went to the backyard to cut a few roses to put in a vase.
Donald took on the role of photographer, snapping several pictures of Cordelia.
Lately, Donald had become completely engrossed in a short video app developed by Stone Group, turning into a middle-aged social media enthusiast. He filmed cooking videos and posted pictures of Cordelia, quickly amassing a large following.
After Donald posted a video, Cordelia peeked over his shoulder. She saw that his video had just gone live and was already getting likes, saves, and plenty of comments. Most of them were jokingly asking if they could become his son-in-law.
Donald grinned widely at the comments.
Cordelia, noticing how much better his spirits had been lately, smiled softly. "Send me those photos you just took, will you?"
She hadn't updated her status in a while. Although she was divorced, she still embraced life with enthusiasm.
Donald nodded and sent the pictures to Cordelia immediately. "I need to go to Stone Group later to learn how to manage my video account."
Cordelia raised an eyebrow, seeing how seriously he was taking this. She smiled slightly. "Sure, I'll go with you. I could use something to do."
Donald nodded in agreement.
At the Hughes Group
As soon as Cordelia posted her update, Robert saw it. He hesitated, wondering if he should show it to Alaric. Since the divorce, Cordelia seemed different, her smile softer, almost like a young girl in her twenties.
Alaric noticed Robert staring at his phone and walked over, placing a problematic document on his desk. Robert, startled, dropped his phone on the desk.
Alaric glanced down and saw Cordelia's photo on the screen. His expression turned cold.
Robert, feeling like he was being eyed by a jealous lover, quickly explained, "Mr. Hughes, don't misunderstand. I just saw Ms. Stone's update and was about to tell you."
Alaric's gaze remained icy. "Tell me what?"
Robert felt awkward. He couldn't very well tell Alaric that Cordelia had blocked him. Alaric looked at Robert's phone, which had locked itself. He picked it up. "Unlock it."
Robert quickly unlocked the phone and handed it back. Alaric scrolled through Cordelia's photos as he walked out of Robert's office.
Robert watched Alaric leave with his phone, feeling like he was about to cry. Without his phone, he couldn't slack off at work. This was going to be a rough day.
After dealing with the problematic document, Robert brought it to Alaric's office. Alaric was still holding Robert's phone. Only when the phone's battery was nearly dead did Alaric return it.
Robert took his phone back like it was a treasure and quickly went to charge it.
A client sent a dinner invitation to Alaric, which Robert forwarded. When he opened Alaric's chat, he saw that Alaric had forwarded all of Cordelia's posts to himself. Their chat was now filled with Cordelia's photos, both recent and old.
Robert glanced at Alaric, who was staring at his phone intently, as if wanting to pull Cordelia out of the screen. It was clear to Robert that Alaric was deeply in love.
At the end of the workday, Alaric walked out of his office. Robert approached him. "Mr. Hughes, are we going to Stone Manor today?"
Alaric hesitated before replying, "No."
Robert was taken aback. What was going on now?
Cordelia hadn't gone for her check-up with Hannah last night. Tonight, Hannah had swapped shifts with a colleague, so Cordelia headed to Sunrise Valley Hospital as soon as it got dark. She didn't see Alaric, who had just gotten out of his car around the corner.
Alaric saw Cordelia leave in the Stone family's car. Sighing, he got back in his own car and followed them to the hospital. He watched as Cordelia got out and quickly entered the hospital.
Inside, Cordelia went to Hannah's office, and they headed to the obstetrics exam room together. Hannah checked the baby's development. "Everything looks good."
Cordelia nodded, looking at the ultrasound image. "If everything's stable, I plan to fly to Astoria in three days."
Hannah nodded. "No problem. Are you sure you want to go?"
Cordelia nodded. "Yes, I've delayed this long enough."
As they spoke, Hannah's phone rang. "Dr. Lewis, there's a patient with severe post-op reactions."
"I have to go," Hannah said, quickly leaving. Cordelia nodded and tidied up before leaving the exam room.
As she stepped out, she saw Alaric walking quickly down the hall. Seeing Hannah rush out, Alaric feared something had happened to Cordelia and hurried toward the exam room.
Cordelia froze, her mind racing and heart pounding as she watched him approach.