Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237
Bane was a sensible person. He had only stayed for one night yesterday and had not
mentioned staying any longer tonight. Before leaving, he told Victoria, “I’ll bring
breakfast tomorrow morning and come to pick you up.”
She paused for a moment and nodded. “Okay.”
Seeing that she no longer rejected him, he reached out and ruffled her hair. “Finally,
no more rejections. That’s a good sign for me. Keep it up.”
Victoria looked at Bane but hesitated to speak.
“Don’t overthink it.” He seemed to have seen through her thoughts and addressed
them directly. “Actually, I never had the chance to tell you when we were abroad.
And now, despite the timing not being ideal, I believe this is an opportunity to
express myself. Victoria, I want you to know I’ll be a good father if you choose me. I’ll
treat Nicole and Nathan as my own, and I can assure you that we won’t have any
more children besides them.”
She was taken aback by his heartfelt words, especially because she had been
contemplating these very thoughts earlier in the day, and he happened to say them.
After a brief contemplation, she replied, “This isn’t right. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
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“Fair?” Bane chuckled softly. “Victoria, fairness is a rare concept in relationships.
Everyone has different desires and expectations. I don’t need to compare myself to
others. As long as you’re willing to give me a second glance, that’s a response.”
She did not respond.
“Even if you’re using me, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re by my side.”
In the end, she felt a slight bitterness in her throat and bit her lower lip. “Why do you
have to do this?”
Seeing her expression, Bane touched the tip of her nose. “I don’t mean to upset you
by saying these. My intention is for you to consider me more seriously. After all,
Nicole and Nathan have reached an age where they can comprehend things. I also
wish to shield them and spare them from any school gossip or rumors.”
“How… How did you know about this?”
At the mention of this matter, the smile at the corner of his lips faded slightly. “On
the day I went to pick them up, I happened to overhear a few kids gossiping nearby.”
I didn’t expect him to encounter it too. It must’ve been serious.
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Victoria’s lower lip trembled as she contemplated the challenges she endured while
being raised in a single-parent family. She knew all too well the challenges it
brought. Now, she questioned whether she would allow her children to endure the
same difficulties.
“But you don’t have to worry too much. I’ll go and pick up the kids whenever I have
the chance. Even if you don’t accept me, I believe they won’t be subject to gossip
anymore.”
She remained silent for a while before saying reluctantly, “Thank you. I’ll carefully
consider everything you’ve said.”
As Bane heard this, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. “Good.”
Has she finally taken a significant step forward? In the past, she had been
particularly evasive with me. Today is the first time she has sincerely expressed her
willingness to consider it. In other words, she genuinely cares about my pursuit of
her.
He knew many things would be beyond his control once he returned to Jasea.
Nonetheless, if he could expedite Victoria’s emotional bond with the children and
alleviate her anxieties, ultimately guiding her to rely on him, it would bring him great
satisfaction.
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Chapter 237 A Glance Is a Response
After seeing him off, she returned to the living room and fell into deep
contemplation.
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While lost in her thoughts, the children approached her. “Mommy, we looked at the
phone today and learned everyone misses us. Can we start live streaming this
week?”
She had nearly forgotten about the live streaming. It was put on hold when they
were preparing to return to Jasea. Due to various factors, they had not announced a
resumption date for the live stream. Meanwhile, she had been preoccupied with
other matters and had not given them much attention.
With the children mentioning it, Victoria finally took out her phone to check the
comments. To her surprise, the latest video she had posted on TikTok had a***d
tens of thousands of comments over more than half a month.
Among these comments, the most common question was about the resumption
date of the live stream. Interestingly, one particular comment expressing a strong
desire to see her children received the highest number of likes.
She pondered for a moment. “Considering your current schoolwork, we can
consider resuming the live streaming. However, we’ll need to reduce the frequency
and shift our focus to participating in more outdoor activities in the future.”
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Hearing this, Nicole shook her little head. “Mommy, you can film videos while doing
outdoor activities.”
That suggestion sounded appealing to her, as she had planned to spend quality
time with her children. Therefore, it would be a good idea to do so. “Okay. Since
both are on board with the idea, let’s do it that way.”
you
Around 9.00PM, Alaric’s phone buzzed with a notification. After a shower, he picked
up his phone and noticed that the only TikTok account he followed had uploaded a
new video.
New upload from the kids? He clicked on the video and saw the scene of the two
children sitting side by side at the desk, wearing identical outfits.
The video was silent and captured the scene of the two studying without any
commentary from the cameraman. Amid the video, Nicole-the little girl sitting in
the corner-suddenly turned her head toward the camera. “Mommy, I can’t find my
textbook.”
In the next moment, the camera angle shifted, and the little girl had already found
her textbook and was studying diligently.
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Alaric’s gaze flickered. Seems like a part in the middle has been edited out.
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However, he did not dwell on this minor incident as he had no interest in pursuing a
married woman with two children.
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He was solely curious about the parenting style and discipline that shaped these
well-behaved children. Moreover, he could not help but wonder about the couple’s
appearance. However, his curiosity did not extend beyond that.
The video was accompanied by a caption.
‘I’ve been occupied with preparations for our return to my home country, including
moving, job hunting, and searching for schools for the children. Things have
recently settled down, and we’ll soon resume live streaming. However, the
streaming schedule is uncertain. Thank you all for your support and understanding.
We wish you all a happy life!’
The streaming schedule is uncertain? Looks like they had a lot to deal with after
returning to their home country.
As it was a video, Alaric could not send any tips and could only watch it repeatedly
several times. However, even after he watched the video numerous times and set
aside his phone to prepare for rest, Victoria’s heartless expression at Villower Group
during the day involuntarily flashed in his mind.
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Her cold words pierced his heart like needles, word by word. As my childhood friend,
she knows exactly where my pain lies and doesn’t hesitate to strike where it hurts.
Even with his eyes closed, the words she spoke continued to echo in his ears,
repeating relentlessly. In the end, he grew frustrated and resorted to replaying the
kids’ old videos on his phone.
Initially, it did not have much impact, but as he continued listening until the end, the
voices in his mind gradually gave way to the kids’ soft and adorable voices.
Eventually, he drifted off to sleep.