Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 354

Chapter 354 

Picking up the wine glass on the table, Claudia finished what was left in it and 

then refilled it in front of Alaric. Then, she held it in her hand and swirled it 

gently. “Just take it as honoring me one last time for the sake that I once 

saved your life. Let’s part on good terms, okay?” 

Alaric’s thin lips almost compressed into a thin line. His eyes were cold, but 

eventually, he sat down in front of her. “Is drinking with you considered 

parting on good terms? Are the double shares I’m giving you not a nice 

enough way of ending things amicably?” 

Claudia’s face twisted into a mournful smile. “I just knew you’d think that way. 

But Alaric, my love for you is genuine. Even if you weren’t a company 

president but just an ordinary person today, I’d still love you. Why do you think 

I asked for the five percent of shares? It’s totally because you won’t have 

peace of mind as long as you’re indebted to someone. If I didn’t ask anything 

of you, you wouldn’t even think that I sincerely wanted to make a clean break 

with you. Well, it’s good the way it is now. Now that I’ve accepted your 

company’s shares, you won’t feel indebted to me anymore, no?” she said 

before raising her wine glass. “It’s been so many years now. Here’s a toast to 

wish you happiness.” 

Chapter 354 He’s Gone 

She raised her wine glass in mid–air, but she never got a response. Still, 

despite her aching arm, she continued to hold her glass of wine up high and 

waited, unwilling to give up. Finally, just when she thought she wouldn’t. 

succeed tonight, Alaric lifted his glass of wine and impatiently clinked it 

against hers before taking a few sips from it. “Is that enough honor for you?” 

He placed his glass back on the table with a slight clatter. 

2/7 

Claudia’s heart thumped wildly as she made sure the man had swallowed 

what he had drunk; even her hand tightened on her glass of wine. Did he 

drink it? I did it at last! 

Alaric had only taken a few sips of his drink, but she had long prepared for 

this. To prevent him from overdrinking or drinking only one sip just for show, 

she had prepared plenty of the stuff. Just one sip of it was enough to take 

effect on the man, and besides, he had drunk more than that. 

All I have to do next is stay here long enough. At the thought of this, Claudia 

drank up all the wine left in the glass. The wine was cold, and it cooled her 

stomach as she drank it. The effects should kick in in about 20 minutes. Once 

he comes under its influence, I’ll have to sleep with him a few more times 

instead of just once; it’s best to make sure I’ll get pregnant. Taking a deep 

breath, she stood up and said to the man, “I need to use the bathroom.” 

Chapter 354 He’s Gone 

Alaric watched with a frown as she entered the bathroom. He wondered if he 

was imagining things, but he couldn’t help feeling that something was odd. 

about Claudia today. Perhaps because her change was so drastic, he felt 

there was more to it than it seemed, but then, some of his misgivings were 

dispelled when she asked for the five percent of shares. Instead of thinking 

more about it, he merely sent a text message urging his attorney to hurry up 

before calling Terrance to come over immediately. His relationship with 

Victoria wasn’t getting anywhere at the moment, and he wasn’t sure at all 

whether he could get back together with her. That being said, now that he 

had the idea of courting her again, he couldn’t be alone with another girl like 

this anymore. 

After making the phone call, he went out and stood alone outside the room. 

The cold wind greeted him, taking away some of his heat. It would take about 

ten minutes for Terrance to arrive, and he decided to stand outside for a 

while before going back in. 

After standing for a long time, he heard light footsteps from behind, followed 

by Claudia’s voice. “Al, why are you standing here?” Her voice quavered a 

little, and there was a look of panic in her eyes, which gradually disappeared 

after she saw him. 

23 Gore 

Claudia freaked out the moment she came out and saw that Alaric was 

gone. It took her a while of searching to find the man, whom she thought had 

gone out to see someone else. Of course, what she feared most was that he 

had gone to Victoria. Won’t I be playing into Victoria’s hands if he goes to her? 

No, I won’t let this kind of thing happen. She stepped forward and persuaded 

in a soft voice, “It’s chilly out here, and you’re not dressed warmly enough. It’s 

better to get back inside.” 

Seeing her approaching, Alaric subconsciously took a couple of steps back to 

keep his distance from her, and his bushy eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

Whether it was because Claudia had been bothering him the whole time or 

because Terrance had yet to show up after a long time, he actually felt 

extremely restless deep down; even his body felt irritably hot. In addition to 

the coolness, the night breeze actually made him feel a bit comfortable. 

All at once, he was alerted by this strange feeling. Seeing the panicked look in 

Claudia’s eyes, he recalled the drink he had consumed just now. If possible, 

he really didn’t want to suspect the woman in front of him; she had risked her 

life to save him back then, after all. However, the heat in his body reminded 

him that everything tonight smelled fishy. For no apparent reason, she came 

over saying she was going to leave; then she asked for shares and drinks 

and said yes to everything I said. At the thought of this, he strode outside 

Chapter 354 He’s Gone 

immediately. 

At the sight of this, Claudia was startled, and she quickly caught up with him. 

“Al, what’s wrong with you?” 

Alaric stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her with gloomy eyes. “What 

do you think?” 

Fixed by his penetrating gaze, which seemed to be able to see into people’s 

hearts, Claudia felt as though she had nowhere to hide. Sheepishly, she 

averted her eyes, saying, “I–I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

However, Alaric let out a sneer before turning around to leave at once. 

At the sight of this, Claudia anxiously tried to catch up with him, but the man 

strode so fast that she couldn’t keep pace with him at all. In just a moment, 

she lost him right away; not only that, she didn’t even know where she was. 

She pulled her coat together and shivered as she walked on, not because of 

the chill but because the drink she had consumed just now was starting to