Mr Billionaire's Regret Chasing His Irresistible Wife (Jared and Arielle) novel Chapter 14

(ARIELLE'S POV)

I was roused from sleep by a gentle tap. My eyes fluttered open and I saw Jared peering down at me.

"Dinner is served, Mrs. Smith," he said, his voice warm and teasing as he pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

"Dinner? I was startled and sat up. "What time is it?" I inquired, looking at the window, and I realized outside looked dark, but the room was illuminated by the bedside lamp.

Jared chuckled. "You have been sleeping for four hours. Come to think of it, you never slept this much. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I quickly replied and got off the bed. I was sure my recent weakness and proclivity for sleep was because of the pregnancy, but I was not about to admit that to Jared.

"Alright," Jared said with a nod. "Shall we?"

I nodded back, and we both walked out of the bedroom. As we strolled to the dining room, I asked, "So, what's for dinner?"

"Roasted potatoes, broccoli, and chicken," Jared replied with a smile.

I stopped to stare at him in surprise. "How come? You can barely boil water, let alone cook a complex meal like that."

Jared paused, then gave me a smile. "Sofia helped," he said, his tone a bit too casual.

A sharp pang of jealousy stabbed through me, quick and unexpected. I imagined Jared and Sofia in the kitchen, laughing together, working as a team. It was a foolish thought, I knew. They were both adults—exes, even—and I trusted him. But that didn’t make the jealousy any easier to swallow.

I shook my head, pushing the thought aside as we entered the dining room. The table was set, and Sofia was seated, waiting. I took my seat, and Jared followed suit.

Jared cleared his throat and spoke, "Sofia has something to tell you, Arielle."

Sofia turned to him sharply, a questioning look in her eyes, but Jared nudged her slightly.

"Go on," he encouraged.

Sofia gave him a death glare before turning to me with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Arielle, I wanted to apologize for my slightly irrational behavior lately," she began. "I've been having mood swings, and in case you don't know, since you've never been pregnant before, mood swings are a part of every pregnant woman's pregnancy journey."

I stopped myself from scoffing at her words. Was this an apology or a subtle shade? At the same time, I wanted to laugh at her words about my never being pregnant before. If only she knew, but then, some things were better left unsaid.

"Additionally, I want to thank you for letting me stay under your roof," Sofia continued. "Jared informed me that you gave your consent. I promise to be quiet and stay out of your way. You won't even know I exist."

I nodded. "It's fine, Sofia. Thank you for apologizing, and you're welcome."

"Alright!" Sofia exclaimed. "Now that the queen is here and I've tendered my apology to her, can we eat?"

I smiled, the underlying sarcasm in her tone unmistakable. It might be to Jared, but not to me. Indeed Sofia was unrepentant, and I will have to deal with it.

"Sure," I said, and we began eating.

A few minutes into dinner, Sofia was back to her usual annoying self, dominating every conversation and subtly flirting with Jared. She rambled about their past –how they used to have breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner at each other's place, making me question her table etiquette.

"Remember that day I invited you over for lunch because I made pancakes?" Sofia asked Jared, in her usual hyperactive voice.