Second Vows Adored by the Billionaire novel Chapter 38

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Eloise just looked at him without saying a word, her eyes telling him to keep going.

"But you can't just lock me out of our room and make me sleep in Ms. Sterling's room. I mean, yeah, I took the bed, and she took the couch, but still. A guy and a girl alone like that? It just doesn't look right."

Eloise couldn't help the cold laugh that echoed in her head.
So now he suddenly cared about what looked right?

"A bed's a bed, Victor. Ms. Sterling's better at taking care of people than I am anyway." Eloise's tone was light and casual, like she couldn't care less.

Victor's face went blank, and his eyebrows pulled together into a hard line. "How is that appropriate? Eloise, you—"

Eloise smiled at him. "I'm not the one making a big deal out of you sleeping in another woman's room. Why are you?"

Victor didn't know what to say to that. The comment made it sound like he was the one overreacting.

He'd spent all morning rehearsing this whole speech in his head, and now Eloise had completely derailed him.

She'd been acting weird lately. More and more weird, actually.

Before, if he so much as glanced at another woman on the street, she'd get jealous.

And every single time he drank too much, she'd worry about his health and personally stand over the stove to make him hangover soup.

He looked around the kitchen and even sniffed the air, trying to catch a whiff of something cooking. But there was no soup. Hell, there wasn't even the faint smell of herbs brewing.

"My head's killing me, Eloise. Can you make me some of that hangover soup? I really need it."

But Eloise stood up from the table. "I've got things to do today, so I don't have time. The herb packets are in the fridge. Have Laurel make it, or ask Ms. Sterling."

Anita happened to be coming down the stairs right then and caught the end of that conversation. She stopped in her tracks, confused.

What is going on with Eloise?

She used to bend over backwards trying to please Victor and show him how devoted she was. Why would she pass up this kind of golden opportunity to play the caring wife and just hand it over to her?

"Oh, I can do it! If you're busy, Eloise, I'll make the soup. I'll go get it started right now, Mr. Clarkson. Just give me a few minutes." Anita immediately grabbed the herb packet and rushed into the kitchen, making a big show of getting everything ready.

But Victor barely seemed to notice her. His eyes stayed locked on Eloise's face the entire time, never looking away for a second.

What the hell has she been so busy with lately?

She cared less and less about him every day. She didn't even seem to give a damn about his health anymore.

Eloise was already putting on her shoes when Victor rushed to the door. He couldn't help himself. "Eloise, what are you in such a hurry to go do? Why have you been running out of the house so much lately?"

"To the hospital for a checkup." Eloise finished slipping on her shoes and looked up at him with a casual smile, her head tilted to one side. "This pregnancy is exhausting, you know? I can't sleep at night anymore. Victor, what if we just didn't go through with this? What if we gave up on the baby?"

Victor froze. He stared at her in disbelief. "You really don't want it anymore?"

Last night, he'd promised Anita he'd convince Eloise to terminate the pregnancy. But now that he was actually hearing those words come out of Eloise's mouth, something bitter and uncomfortable twisted in his chest.

Eloise looked him straight in the eye. "I'm asking what you think."

Victor's throat went dry. "Of course I..." But before he could finish, he heard footsteps rushing up behind him.

He whipped around and saw Anita standing there in her apron, staring at him with an intensity that couldn't be ignored. There was a clear warning in her eyes.

A chill ran down Victor's spine. He suddenly remembered what he'd promised her last night.

When he turned back to look at Eloise's calm, gentle face, he'd already made up his mind.

Anita had a temper, and she'd just had a miscarriage not long ago. If he said the wrong thing now and set her off, the carefully maintained "harmony" he'd spent years building would come crashing down in an instant.