Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Anna’s POV

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A moment later, Roman returned carrying a very upset Lily. She was crying, big tears rolling down her chubby cheeks, her face red and scrunched up.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Roman soothed, but she was having none of it.

She wailed louder, arching her back in his arms, her little fists flailing.

“What’s wrong with her?” Roman looked panicked, his usual composure completely shattered.

I grabbed Elena’s schedule from the counter and scanned it quickly. “Oh. Oh no.”

“What?”

“It’s past her feeding time. She’s hungry.”

“But she ate apples!”

“That was a snack. Elena said she’d need a proper meal after her nap.”

Roman looked at Lily, then at me, genuine worry etched across his face. “Where’s the food?”

“In the bag. Elena packed containers.”

We moved quickly, and I found the small containers of mashed sweet potato and some pureed chicken.

Roman set Lily in her high chair, which we’d set up earlier, and she continued to cry, her wails echoing through the penthouse.

“It’s okay, princess,” Roman murmured, trying to calm her, his voice surprisingly tender. “Food’s coming.”

I heated the container in the microwave, then handed it to Roman along with a tiny spoon.

“You feed her,” I urged.

“What? No, you do it.”

“I gave her the snack, You feed her the meal.”

“That’s not how this works.”

“Roman, just feed her.”

He grumbled but took the container and spoon. Lily was still crying, her little fists banging on the tray, her face turning an alarming shade of red,

“Alright, alright,” Roman said, dipping the spoon into the sweet potato, “Open up, Lily.”

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Chapter 144

She stopped crying mid-wail, eyeing the spoon suspiciously.

Roman brought it to her mouth, and she opened obediently, her tears still wet on her cheeks.

The second the food hit her tongue, she stopped crying entirely.

“Oh, thank God,” Roman muttered, relief flooding his features.

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He fed her another spoonful, then another. Lily ate eagerly, making happy little sounds between bites, her previous distress completely forgotten.

I watched from across the kitchen, affection spreading through my chest like warm honey.

Roman was good at this, patient and gentle in a way I never would have expected. The way he spoke to her, the way he made sure each bite was the right size, the way he smiled when she opened her mouth for more, making little airplane noises to make her giggle.

He would make an incredible father.

The thought hurt more than I wanted to admit because Roman didn’t want children. He had made that abundantly clear. And whatever this thing was between us, it wasn’t going anywhere.

By the time the container was empty, Lily was smiling again, her chubby cheeks covered in sweet potato. Then she made a very specific face.

And then came the smell.

Roman’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” I said, trying not to laugh at his expression.

“Absolutely not. I’m not doing that.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Anna, I fed her. Now you have to change her diaper.”

“That’s not how teamwork works.”

“I don’t care. I’m not…”

“Roman Blackwood, you are changing that diaper.”

We stared at each other for a long moment, neither willing to back down. Then Roman sighed. “Rock, paper, scissors.”

“What?”

“Rock, paper, scissors. Best two out of three. The loser changes the diaper.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

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Chapter 144

“Do you want to argue, or do you want to play?”

“Fine.”

We played. I lost.

“Yes!” Roman pumped his fist in the air like he had just won a major business deal.

“You’re such a child.”

“A child who doesn’t have to change a dirty diaper.

I glared at him but picked up Lily and the diaper bag. “You owe me.”

Tll make it up to you, he smirked.

“You better.”

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Twenty minutes later, Lily was clean, changed, and running around the living room like she had endless energy. I’d given her a bath because somehow she had managed to get food in her hair.

The bath had been an adventure, water splashing everywhere, Lily laughing and slapping the surface with her tiny hands, completely soaking me in the process.

I changed my shirt afterward because I was drenched.

Roman had helped, holding towels and toys, making silly faces to keep her entertained. He even got down on his knees beside the tub to blow bubbles at her.

Now we were both exhausted, sprawled on the living room floor while Lily played with her blocks, stacking them only to knock them down with gleeful squeals.

“That was…” I started.

“Stressful? Roman finished.

I was going to say not an easy task, but worth it.”

Roman chuckled. “It’s certainly worth it, watching Lily all happy and playful after seeing her cry like that. But even more worth it knowing that Elena will be home soon.”

I reached over and hit his chest playfully. “Roman.”

Roman caught my hand, holding it against his chest for a moment before letting go. “I’m just being honest.”

I propped myself up on my elbow. “You swear you don’t want children, but I could swear you’re so good at it. You actually enjoyed feeding her, taking care of her.”

Roman’s walls went up instantly. “I did what I had to.”

“Did

you now?” I challenged, poking at his defenses. “The singing? The rocking? The soft words? Where did

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Chapter 144

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you learn all that?”

Roman was thoughtful for a moment. Then he turned to face me, still lying on his side, his head propped on his hand. His eyes were more vulnerable than I had ever seen them.

“I… don’t… know,” he admitted quietly.

I shifted, lying on my side to face him, mirroring his position.

We were close, so I tried to read him now.

“You swear you’d not make a great father when you’re such a natural,” I noted softly. “You’re amazing with her, Roman. Anyone can see that.”

Roman’s eyes searched mine. “Are you trying to change my mind, Anna?”

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