Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 297

Chapter 297
“What about my proposal…”
“It’s approved,” Alaric said.
“Approved? So, you mean it’s now in effect?”
“Yes.”
So, he pointed out my minor flaws because he found the proposal acceptable after the
initial review? If I consider it from that perspective, it’s not entirely unreasonable, is it?
“Since it’s approved, I-” Before Victoria could finish her sentence, Alaric had already
stood up with the car keys in his hand.
“Let’s go. I’ll drive you back.”
Hearing this, she instinctively declined. “Don’t bother. I came here by driving myself. I
can go back on my own.”
Besides, she came here to deliver the proposal, not to engage in any further
interactions with him. How could she agree to let him take her back?
Chapter 297 In the Pocket
With this in mind, Victoria swiftly grabbed her bag to leave.
After a few steps, Alaric grabbed her wrist. “Denied cheating on the driver theory test,
huh?”
She was taken aback by his sudden question.
He added, “Are you not aware of the prohibition on fatigued driving?”
“I just yawned a few times. How does that count as fatigued driving? It’s different.”
However, Victoria did not expect Alaric to directly refute her, “You’re obviously
exhausted. Stop making excuses. Let’s go.”
“I am not yawning anymor-” Before she could finish her sentence, she involuntarily
yawned again.
Her yawn rendered her speechless.
Alaric sneered. “And you say you’re not tired?”
Now she had no way to argue back.
As Victoria did not want him to escort her, she tried to find a compromise. She said,
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“Alright, I won’t drive. I’ll call a designated driver to pick me up, okay?”
With that, she took out her phone to call for a designated driver but was stopped by
him.
She looked up and unexpectedly met Alaric’s pitch-black eyes. “Are you that repulsed
by me?”
Startled, she quickly averted her gaze to avoid his intense stare. “Mr. Cadogan, you
must be joking. We are business partners. There is no reason for me to have any
aversion toward you.”
“Is that so? Since that’s not it, what’s wrong with letting a business partner give you a
ride? Or are you intentionally avoiding me, afraid that I’ll discover something?”
He deliberately provoked her with his final remark.
Victoria’s gaze flickered slightly. I just want to maintain a boundary with him, but it
doesn’t mean I’m intentionally avoiding him. However… I can’t disregard the possibility
that he may perceive it that way. Perhaps being more accommodating will alleviate
some of his concerns.
With this in mind, she turned her head back. “You really insist on accompanying me
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back, don’t you?”
Before Alaric could answer, a set of car keys flew out of her hand. They gracefully
arched through the air before landing securely in his palm.
He glanced down at the car keys resting in his hand. Attached to them was a keychain,
and it appeared to be newly purchased.
Lifting his eyes, he found Victoria looking at him provocatively with a faint superficial
smile.
“Well then, I appreciate you being my designated driver today, Mr. Cadogan.”
He withdrew his gaze and replied with a deep voice, “Okay.”
With that, he left the office first and led the way.
Victoria’s suggestion for Alaric to drive her was actually intentional. Given his position
as the president of Cadogan Group, she anticipated that he would not willingly agree to
it. However, to her surprise, he agreed.
Biting her lower lip, she followed him reluctantly.
The two entered the elevator and stepped out as it reached the parking lot. Before
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them was her modest car, worth less than 30 thousand dollars. She chuckled lightly.
“Mr. Cadogan, I apologize for the humble sight. My car isn’t anything impressive. I doubt
you’ve ever driven a car worth less than 750 thousand, right? The handling isn’t great.
So, perhaps you should-
Before she could finish her sentence, Alaric swiftly opened the car door and settled
himself inside.
As he fastened his seatbelt, Victoria remained there in stunned silence.
Seeing her reluctant and astonished expression, he felt a secret satisfaction. He smiled
mischievously and reminded her. “What are you waiting for? Or are you perhaps too
exhausted to get in?”
Victoria gritted her teeth and entered the car. Instead of taking the passenger seat, she
sat in the backseat to treat him as the driver.
Once settled in the backseat, she glanced at Alaric’s face through the rearview mirror
and was surprised to notice that he was not angry at all for being treated as a driver.
After a while, the car drove out of the company.
While the car was inexpensive by his standards, his driving skills were excellent. He did
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not mind the car’s value as long as it was in working condition.
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Victoria leaned back in the back seat with her arms crossed. She originally thought he
would retort a few words, but he drove in silence as if his sole purpose was to send her
home.
The car was quiet.
After approximately two minutes, the car merged onto the highway, and the ride
became much smoother.
Alaric glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“Take a rest if you’re tired.”
Victoria pursed her lips and averted her gaze to ignore him.
It would take approximately 20 minutes to return to the company, and she was starting
to feel a bit sleepy.
Maybe I can take a short nap? Nah, don’t want him to think I feel safe sleeping while
he’s driving. We’ll reach the company soon anyway. Besides, the proposal is settled, and
there isn’t much to do in the afternoon. I can rest later.
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As much as she entertained this thought, the car ride was incredibly smooth. Her mind
was too relaxed from the previous intense focus that she felt exhausted now. In the
end, she leaned against the seat and unconsciously drifted to sleep.
Hearing the steady sound of breathing, Alaric glanced in the rearview mirror and
noticed she had fallen asleep. He subtly slowed down the car and looked ahead at the
road. After a brief thought, he decided to make a detour.
Victoria was awakened by the sound of a ringing phone. When she woke up, she
instinctively checked the time and realized she had dozed off for over twenty minutes.
Looking out the window, she found they were still on the road. Haven’t we arrived yet?
As the phone in the front row continued to ring, Victoria glanced at Alaric. Their
met just as he turned to look at her.
eyes
“Did I wake you up? I forgot to put the phone on silent.”
She rubbed her eyes and looked away. “It’s okay.”
Afterward, she ignored him.
As the phone persisted in ringing, Victoria noticed Alaric driving calmly with no
intention of answering the call. It’s not my business anyway if it’s something important.
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She could not be bothered to care about him and leaned against the window to silently
watch the scenery outside.
The phone rang for a while and stopped briefly before resuming its persistent noise.
The loudness annoyed Victoria and caused her to frown. Unable to ignore it any longer,
she could not help but look at Alaric. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”
“Are you sure you didn’t cheat on the theory test? You shouldn’t make phone calls while
driving.”
She replied, “Just put your phone on silent, can you?”
“My hands are full.”
Victoria was rendered speechless.
Alaric raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. “If it bothers you, help me put it on
silence.”
She crossed her arms. “It’s okay. I can just ignore it.”
However, the phone continued to ring several times. Unable to tolerate the noise
anymore, she sat up and leaned her hand on the backrest. “Where is your phone?”
Chapter 297 in the Pocket
Alaric glanced at her coldly and said calmly. “In my pocket.”