Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 336

Chapter 336
As soon as the question was asked, both of them fell silent.
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Victoria’s silence was due to the recall of the incident back at the L’Indigo Country Club
when Claudia’s friends took her phone and sent prank messages to herself; similarly,
Alaric’s expression also indicated that he had thought of the same thing as Victoria.
Both of them were thinking along the same lines at the moment.
After a long pause, Alaric looked at Victoria and said, “Perhaps the phone really isn’t
with me?”
Victoria pursed her lips and remained silent.
Alaric seized this glimmer of hope as he immediately pressed the issue, “Victoria, if the
phone really wasn’t with me when you told me about the incident, resulting in the
following events, would you still blame me?”
Victoria had no idea what to think.
“If the phone isn’t with you, then who would it be with?” Victoria looked at him intently.
“Your phone is always with you, isn’t it? If it truly isn’t, then it has to be with someone
important to you. What does it matter even if you didn’t see it?”
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Besides, she didn’t even know if what he said was true. Is he intentionally trying to
confuse me with this approach? In any case, I won’t easily believe him until everything
is thoroughly investigated.
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Her words, too, plunged Alaric into silence. He pursed his thin lips together, intending to
explain further when Victoria yawned in front of him.
“I’m a bit tired. Can I rest? Instead of asking me so many questions, why don’t you think
to find out what really happened back then if you truly didn’t receive that text
of a way
message?”
After a long while, Alaric nodded. “Alright, rest. I will investigate this matter thoroughly
and present the evidence to you when the time comes. I’ll make sure you’ll believe me
by then.”
“Mhm, whatever.” Victoria paid him no heed and responded absentmindedly while
turning her face to the other side.
Her demeanor once again stung Alaric, whose hand clenched into a tight fist by his
side, but eventually relaxed as he covered her with the blanket. Simultaneously, Victoria
shut her eyes as Alaric got closer, fearing he might try to initiate another conversation.
Alaric didn’t want to disturb her further, so he stopped meddling after tucking her in and
Chapter 336 It’s Not With Me
walked to the window to ponder over things.
Text message?
E
As long as the phone is with me, I’d rarely miss any messages sent by Victoria. If I really
did, it’s either that I didn’t see it, or I mistakenly treated it as a junk message. But how
could I mistake her saved contact as a junk message?
Considering this, Alaric quickly took out his phone to check.
His expression instantly revealed a hint of frustration as he scrolled through the
messages.
It had been five years…
He had changed his phone long ago, and the messages from back then were all gone.
So, what could he find now?
While he hastily swiped through the phone screen with his delicate fingers, his mind
raced with fleeting thoughts that were too fast for him to grasp. In the end, all he could
do was slump against the wall defeated with furrowed brows.
It was only after a few minutes that Alaric left the hospital room and called Terrance.
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Chapter 336 It’s Not With Me
Terrance had actually been outside for a long time. Just as he was getting under the
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covers after returning home and taking a hot bath, he sulked to himself, “The weather is
freezing cold. Being Mr. Cadogan’s assistant is so difficult. Fortunately, I came back
early. Time to sleep!”
So, he turned off the lights and lay down immediately. Alas, just as he was falling into a
drowsy state, his phone vibrated again.
Due to his position as an on-call assistant, Terrance’s phone remained on round the
clock.
When the phone rang, he already knew who was calling. However, he was currently
enveloped in the warm sanctuary of his bed during this frigid cold weather, making him
reluctant to get up.
The phone continued to ring persistently, so he had no choice but to force himself to
answer the call.
“Mr. Cadogan?”
Alaric disclosed a date, followed by a request. “Find a way to help me investigate all the
text messages received on the phone during that period.”
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Chapter 336 It’s Not With Me
Terrance fell silent.
Once the realization of the date imparted by Alaric sank in, Terrance was utterly
bewildered.
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“But, Mr. Cadogan… It has been so long since that date. How can I possibly investigate
it?”
“You’re my assistant, figure it out. Investigate everything thoroughly, including junk
messages.”
Before Terrance could say anything else, Alaric ended the call, leaving Terrance with a
cacophony of bustling curses in his mind as the dial tone persistently reminded him.
that his boss had once again decided that he was a robot instead of a man. Thus, he
could only clutch onto his phone as he curled into himself in resignation that his plans
had gone down the drain again.
After a few hours of sleep, Victoria faintly heard the murmur of a child, mingling with
the unfamiliar voice of a masculine whisper; there was even a gentle touch that grazed
her forehead in the end as if her wound was being examined.
Her consciousness wavered within the mists, and she succumbed once more to her
Chapter 336 It’s Not With Me
slumber.
It was a pair of hands gently shaking her that caused her to rise from her slumber.
Victoria opened her eyes and noticed Alaric’s worried expression.
“Are you okay? You’ve been sleeping for a long time.”
The sight of him confused Victoria slightly.
“What time is it?”
“It’s already morning.”
“Morning? I think I heard the doctor come in?”
“Mhm.” Alaric nodded. “The doctor told me to seek him when you’ve awakened. Do your
feel any discomfort?”
Victoria shook her head solemnly. “No, I’m just tired.”
She was indeed just tired. Lately, her unease stemmed from the fear of him sn****g
their child away, leaving her in a perpetual state of heightened tension. Though she
appeared unchanged during the day, in truth, she had been plagued by insomnia for
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Chapter 336 It’s Not With Me
countless nights.
She could only grasp a few fleeting hours of slumber each night previously. Yet now,
whether due to her injury or the reassurance of the recorded proof that he wouldn’t
s****h their child away, she finally found solace in sleep.
“Just tired?” Regardless, Alaric’s brow furrowed, concern etching his features. “Being
tired at a time like this makes me worried. Stay awake, I’ll fetch the doctor.”
Alaric released her and turned to leave almost immediately.
As soon as he departed, two little bundles closed in on her.
“Mommy.”
“Mommy, you’re awake.”
It was then Victoria noticed Nicole and Nathan, who had been hiding behind Alaric
earlier.
“Nathan, Nicole, you’re here too.”
“Mommy, what’s wrong? Does it still hurt?”
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Chapter 336 It’s Not With Me
Nicole leaned in, extending her hand to touch her forehead, only to have Nathan grab
her arm from behind.
“Nicole, don’t touch! Mommy’s wound hasn’t healed.”
Nicole hastily withdrew her hand upon hearing his warning, then timidly mumbled,
“Nicole won’t touch Mommy. But does Mommy feel any pain? How about I soothe your
wound?”
Nicole immediately propped herself up with her little legs and climbed onto the bed
with her brother’s assistance.
The actions of the two little ones evoked a bittersweet smile from Victoria as she lay in
bed. Before she could react, Nicole had nestled close to her face, gently blowing
against Victoria’s forehead.
“Mommy, huff.”