Chapter 256 Feeding Her Shrimp

David smiled slightly and started peeling the shrimp.

With his long, strong fingers, he picked up a bright red shrimp, pinched the head, and with a quick twist, pulled it off cleanly to reveal the tender meat inside. Then, using his thumb, he deftly split the shell down the middle, his movements smooth and efficient, like he'd done this a thousand times before.

He placed the peeled shrimp into Sophia's bowl with a casual precision. Each time he peeled one, his fingers worked methodically, the shell coming away in one piece to reveal the plump, white meat underneath.

Although Sophia had been determined not to engage with David or accept the shrimp he was peeling, she found her eyes drawn to his hands.

Those hands, with their defined knuckles and confident movements, somehow made even the mundane task of peeling shrimp look impressive.

"Here, eat up."

David nudged Sophia's bowl towards her when he saw she wasn't moving.

"Thanks, Mr. Jones, but I can peel them myself."

Sophia pushed the bowl full of shrimp back to David and swapped it with his empty one. They were divorced; there was no need to pretend to be a loving couple anymore. She looked at the glistening shrimp with disdain, even though her stomach was growling and her mouth was watering. Being pregnant made controlling her appetite a real challenge.

Sophia had always been a bit of a foodie, and her pregnancy had only increased her cravings. Seeing her favorite shrimp, she struggled to resist.

Despite her verbal refusal, her eyes kept darting to the shrimp in David's bowl.

David noticed and decided to tease her. He picked up a peeled shrimp and held it to her lips.

"Come on, open up."

David's voice was unusually gentle.

Sophia looked down at the shrimp, then up at David, hardly believing what he was doing.

Was he feeding her?

Even at the Wesley's, where they had to maintain appearances, this seemed unnecessary.

Sophia thought, 'David, you are so fake.'

She shook her head coldly, her lips tightly closed, making her refusal clear.

"I personally peeled all these shrimp for you."

David persisted, and Sophia saw a hint of indulgence in his eyes.

"I can do it myself."

Sophia even leaned back, trying to put some distance between them. But David shamelessly moved closer. He remembered Lucas once saying that to get close to a girl, you had to be shameless.

Though Lucas hadn't succeeded with that girl, David had remembered his advice.

Deciding to follow Lucas's lead, David leaned in, almost hugging Sophia, and said in a nearly pleading tone, "This is my first time peeling shrimp for someone. Give me a break and try it?"

At that moment, Wesley, Alison, and Daisy were all watching Sophia. She felt their gazes piercing through her. David was shameless, but she couldn't match that.

Sophia sighed in resignation, thinking, 'Why is he so persistent?' But faced with David's expectant look, she finally gave in. She slowly opened her mouth and accepted the shrimp.

The shrimp was tender and delicious, and Sophia couldn't help but smile in surprise.

It was really good! Her mood lifted, and a smile spread across her face.

"How is it? Tasty, right?" David asked, a hint of pride in his eyes.

"It's okay," Sophia replied reluctantly.

David seemed to find joy in feeding her, peeling and offering her several more shrimp. His long fingers made the shrimp look even more tempting.

After a few shrimp, Sophia suddenly caught a whiff of something fishy and felt a wave of nausea.

"What's wrong? Did you eat too fast?" David asked with concern.

"No, I'm just a bit full," Sophia quickly denied it.

"Something's been off with you lately," David said seriously. "Are you pregnant?"

"Mr. Jones, do you really want your ex-wife to be pregnant?" Sophia couldn't help but raise her voice. He kept asking, over and over! If they weren't at Wesley's, she would have stormed out by now. Her anger was so convincing that no one realized she was bluffing.

David reined in his emotions. "If you don't want to tell me, I won't ask."

Sophia breathed a sigh of relief, glad he didn't press further.

She thought her expression was inconspicuous, but David noticed. He didn't know what Sophia was hiding, but he was sure she was lying.

David's gaze fell casually on Sophia's stomach. Her waist did seem thicker than before, and she always got angry when he mentioned her gaining weight.

Could Sophia be sick?

"I'll schedule a check-up for you," David said.

"What? No need!" Sophia panicked. Why was David bringing up a check-up? Did he suspect something? Or did he know something?

But that couldn't be. The only ones who knew were Joseph and Alan.

Sophia trusted them completely; they would never betray her. So what did David know?

"If the shrimp doesn't sit well, have some soup." David gently ladled some soup into a bowl, the aroma wafting up. He took a sip to check the flavor and temperature.

"Here, have some soup." David offered her the bowl. "I tried it; it's not too hot or fishy."

Sophia was taken aback, not expecting him to serve her soup.

She hesitated, then saw David scoop a spoonful and bring it to her lips. Her heart raced, a mix of resistance and confusion, but under his expectant gaze, she instinctively opened her mouth and drank the soup.

The soup was delicious, the warm liquid soothing her throat.

David's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she drank, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Sophia's acting like a little kid now!" Daisy clapped her hands and laughed. "Even I could feed myself when I was in preschool!"