Chapter 314: Chapter 314 Full body checkup
He didn’t answer. He just stared for a long moment, his eyes unreadable. In his mind, however, everything was clear. He didn’t trust her. Not anymore. He couldn’t.
Archer turned away, pretending to busy himself with the magazine. His voice came out quieter this time, almost detached. "Eat your fruit. You and the baby need it."
Alexa’s lip trembled, but she forced a shaky smile. "Of course," she murmured, trying to sound calm. "I’ll be careful. I promise."
He said nothing, but the silence between them grew heavy...so heavy that even her fake smile began to fade. She knew that silence too well. It wasn’t forgiveness. It was warning.
Inside, Archer’s thoughts were darker. I can’t risk her around my child once it’s born. He had already decided. Once the baby came, he would send Alexa away. He would find an excuse, arrange everything quietly. She didn’t have a mother’s heart. He could see that now. She didn’t even care for her own blood; she only cared about herself.
When he glanced at her again, she was sitting stiffly on the couch, her hands resting protectively on her belly. Her lashes trembled as she sniffled softly, and though it looked like guilt, Archer knew better. That wasn’t remorse; it was performance.
Still, he said nothing. He simply picked up his jacket from the chair and slipped it on, his movements calm and composed, but every step carried quiet disgust.
"I’ll be at the office," he said finally, his tone clipped. "Don’t bother calling unless it’s about the baby."
Alexa stood quickly, voice shaking. "Archer, please don’t leave like this. Why do you need work at night? I—"
But the door closed before she could finish.
Her smile vanished instantly. The softness on her face melted into a cold, furious scowl. She kicked the small stool near the table, the sound sharp against the marble. "End me?" she muttered bitterly, her hands curling into fists. "You’d never dare. You need me."
She turned to the window, staring at his car as it drove away. Her reflection glared back at her in the glass—beautiful, flawless, angry.
"I’ll make you regret talking to me like that," she whispered, her voice dripping with venom. Then her eyes softened, her hand moving back to her belly. "Don’t worry, baby," she murmured sweetly. "Mama always wins."
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A few days passed like this, quiet and strangely peaceful. For once, everything in Leonardo’s world seemed to move the way he wanted—smoothly, efficiently, and without resistance. It was as if the entire city had finally fallen into rhythm with his will.
Ever since Bella started working at his company, things had shifted almost magically. Projects that had been delayed for months were suddenly progressing; systems that once lagged now ran flawlessly. And after blowing up Pablo’s secret bases, Leonardo felt a satisfaction that words could barely touch. It wasn’t just victory; it was relief, a deep, heavy satisfaction in his chest that made him feel lighter than air.
It was a clear morning, sunlight spilling softly through the wide glass windows of his home. Everyone was gathered inside today—Lina, Alessandro, and Nonna. The quiet hum of conversation filled the hall, mixed with the faint rustling of papers and the occasional beep of medical equipment. The family doctor had brought a full team to conduct detailed checkups. Leonardo’s house had its own medical emergency room on the lower floor. He believed in being prepared for every possibility.
He stood near the hallway, hands tucked in his pockets, watching as the doctors moved between rooms with calm professionalism. Nonna, of course, wasn’t cooperating. "I’m perfectly healthy!" she complained loudly from the sofa as one of the nurses tried to check her blood pressure. "The only sickness I have is dealing with this stubborn grandson of mine!"
Alessandro chuckled quietly from across the room while Lina sat nearby, reading the latest report the doctors had handed her. "Nonna, it’s just a regular checkup," Lina said gently. "You’ll be done in ten minutes."
"Hmph. Last time they said ten minutes, they made me sit with needles for half an hour!" Nonna huffed, but the nurse’s patient smile didn’t falter.
Leonardo leaned against the wall, arms crossed loosely, a faint hint of amusement playing at the corner of his lips as he watched the chaos of the medical team moving through his home. The sound of Nonna complaining about her blood pressure test and Alessandro teasing her from the sofa created a kind of noise he didn’t mind—warm, domestic, and oddly comforting.
Then he heard it—light footsteps, quick and soft, coming from the hallway. He didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
Bella appeared a moment later, emerging from the kitchen with a little pout on her face, her expression a mix of hunger and rebellion. She was in her soft lavender home dress, her hair slightly messy from being tied up all morning. Her cheeks were puffed adorably as she held her stomach like a starving child.
She stopped in front of him and tilted her head up, eyes big and pleading. "Leo," she muttered, her voice almost sulky, "can I do my checkup later? Please? I want to eat pancakes."
Leonardo blinked once, trying not to laugh. The doctor had clearly told everyone to fast before their full-body tests, but his little bunny looked seconds away from declaring a rebellion.
"You can’t," he said calmly, though his tone was softer than usual. "The test won’t be accurate if you eat before it."
"But I’m hungry," she said, drawing out the word dramatically, her lower lip jutting forward. "And the pancakes smell so good, Leo. You’re not hungry?"
He almost smiled. Almost. "I’m fine," he said, leaning closer so only she could hear. "But someone is acting very spoiled today."
"I’m not spoiled!" Bella protested, stamping her foot lightly on the floor. "You don’t understand how it feels to wait when pancakes are right there. The doctor doesn’t know what hunger is!"
Leonardo chuckled under his breath and reached out, his hand brushing against her cheek before tapping the tip of her nose. "If you behave," he murmured, "I’ll make you pancakes myself after the checkup."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You?"