After All the Hurt, She Chose Herself novel Chapter 138

“That's enough,” Aldous Evernight said, glancing at Eveline. “I’m the head of this household.”

Eveline sullenly fell silent.

Gideon’s expression shifted. He stood up and sat down next to Aria, his body pressing against hers.

Aria, not wanting to be close to him, shifted slightly toward Raphael.

Gideon put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear. “Your husband is right here. The father of your child is right here.”

It made her stomach turn.

“Talk, don’t touch.”

Aria pushed his hand away and lowered her head to eat.

Perhaps because she hadn’t rested all night and had used up a lot of energy, Aria ate quite a bit.

Aldous Evernight watched her, genuinely pleased.

It was good that she was eating well. A healthy appetite was a good sign. This way, the baby wouldn’t be deprived of nutrients, despite how thin she was.

Aldous Evernight’s expression grew increasingly fond as he looked at Aria.

But Aria was oblivious.

After she finished eating, she excused herself to Aldous Evernight and went straight to her room to rest.

She had to attend Helena’s eightieth birthday banquet later, which would be another significant drain on her energy.

The main reason Aria had agreed to go to the Brent family's event was for Rufus.

If Charles could truly treat Rufus well, perhaps Aria would be willing to let go. But if Rufus was still not being treated well, she would do whatever it took to take him away.

***

She fell into a heavy, restless sleep, her mind weighed down with so many thoughts she didn’t even realize when she drifted off.

Gideon pushed open the door and came in.

He saw Aria curled up under the covers like a kitten. The warmth had brought a healthy blush to her usually pale face, making her look incredibly cute.

Gideon swallowed hard. He quietly sat beside her and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek.

If only Aria could always be this docile and leave Lilith alone…

Roxanne was right. Lilith was in this state because of Aria.

She was guilty. Saving Lilith would be her redemption.

If she was willing to give him Dawn’s contact information, Gideon would ensure Aria carried the baby to term safely.

Aria’s brow furrowed.

As expected. Nothing good ever came of Gideon seeking her out.

“No,” Aria refused without hesitation. “I will not give you any contact information for Dawn. Give up on that idea!”

If Gideon had listened to her, if Lilith had undergone another bone marrow aspiration instead of using experimental drugs, her condition would never have deteriorated this far.

And Lilith… she hadn’t trusted her either.

Then she had it coming.

They had already blamed her for this. If she actually arranged for Lilith’s treatment and it didn’t meet Gideon’s expectations, they’d probably pin some other fabricated blame on her.

Aria had to protect herself.