Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 254

The gaze he directed at Ivy was visibly softer.

He didn't reject her offer.

After slipping on his clothes, he stood before her, waiting for her to loop the fabric around his collar.

Ivy was so petite that she looked incredibly fragile standing in front of him; he had to lower his chin just to look at her.

But a girl like her undeniably triggered a man's protective instincts. She was soft and smelled intoxicatingly sweet.

Even if he did nothing but hold her, it guaranteed a perfect night's sleep.

Alaric genuinely felt he had slept wonderfully the night before.

Ivy was fully concentrated on knotting the tie.

Once she finished, she beamed with a sense of accomplishment, tilting her head up to ask,

"How does it look? Does it pass?"

Alaric glanced down and offered a stingy two-word response, "It's average."

He turned and walked out of the room.

Ivy followed right behind him, unable to stop herself from muttering, "Would it kill you to give a compliment?"

Though she mumbled it under her breath, Alaric heard every word.

He couldn't help but think: a girl her age was essentially still a child, craving validation and praise.

He made a mental note of it.

After breakfast, Ivy was fully prepared to take Stella to preschool herself.

But Alaric offered to drive them both.

Buckled into her car seat in the back, Stella cheered happily.

"I'm so happy today! Mommy and Daddy are both taking me to school. Daddy, can you both come pick me up this afternoon too?"

Spending so much time with Ivy had truly transformed Stella into an optimistic, outgoing child.

Alaric could clearly see that his daughter only acted this bright and lively when she was around Ivy.

When she was stuck with Elena, she rarely uttered more than a few words.

He blamed himself for being so blind as to keep such a toxic woman in their lives.

"Of course! I'll be there right on time to pick you up."

After making her promise, Ivy glanced at the man behind the wheel, testing the waters. "Darling, do you have time later? Should we wait for you at the gates?"

Knowing that he hadn't caved to Elena's demands and had instead chosen to live with them—even driving them to school this morning—proved a lot.

Calling him 'Mr. Foster' felt entirely too formal.

Yet, they had already shared every level of intimacy.

They even slept holding each other at night. What difference was there between them and a normal married couple?

Using his first name felt too distant to her.

'Darling' was the only title that felt right.

Alaric kept his eyes fixed on the road, driving attentively, but he patiently replied, "Yes."

Seeing him agree yet again, a rush of sweetness bloomed in Ivy's chest.

Especially when they finally arrived at the hospital.

Before unbuckling her seatbelt to get out, she boldly leaned across the console and planted a firm kiss directly on his cheek.

Then, she quickly hopped out of the car, flashing him a brilliant smile. "Bye, Darling! Drive safe!"

Alaric's expression shifted slightly as he turned to look at her.

Watching the girl turn and run toward the entrance, he raised a hand, his fingers lightly brushing the cheek she had just kissed.

He actually found he quite liked the feeling.