Sham Marriage Quit Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223 A Quiet Clash

It didn’t take him long to figure it out.

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He called the server over, asked for a glass of warm water, had the braised short ribs taken away, and replaced it with something lighter.

Then he sat there, staring at the empty seat, his thoughts unreadable.

A while later, Elena returned.

She had thrown up almost everything she had eaten earlier, rinsed her mouth, and splashed some cold water on her face. The worst of it had passed, but she still felt a little drained.

“Here,” Gideon said, sliding the glass toward her. “Drink this.”

“Thanks.”

She took a few sips of the warm water, and the lingering discomfort in her stomach finally eased.

As she set the glass down, she noticed the dish was gone.

“I had them switch it out for grilled branzino,” Gideon said.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Elena said. “You could’ve kept it. I can just eat something else.”

Gideon didn’t respond to that. Instead, he looked straight at her.

“How far along are you?”

Elena paused briefly, then answered honestly, “A little over a month.”

“Does the Kingsley family know?”

She nodded.

Gideon’s expression darkened slightly. “You’ve only been married a short time, and you’re already pregnant. Was that your decision, or are they pushing for it?”

He had heard enough rumors about Alexander after the accident. The timing of this marriage, and the pregnancy, made it hard not to question their intentions.

Elena could hear the sharpness in his words.

She knew it came from concern, but it still felt a little too harsh.

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Chapter 323 A Quret Clash

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ed

“I—”

Before she could finish, a hand came to rest on the back of her chair.

“This is interesting,” a calm voice said. “But I have to ask, why are you so invested in my wife’s pregnancy?”

Elena turned her head.

Alexander was standing right behind her. There was a faint smile on his lips, but there was no warmth in it.

She instinctively reached for his wrist. “What are you doing here?”

He took the seat beside her with complete ease. “I had something nearby, so I stopped in.”

That excuse is so weak it’s almost insulting.

Elena chose not to call him out.

She was just about to introduce them when Alexander had already extended his hand. “Alexander.”

His tone was smooth and composed.

Gideon glanced at his hand for a brief moment before reaching out to shake it.

“Gideon.”

“Dr. Flores,” Alexander said with a polite smile, “I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

Elena shot him a quick look.

Since when do you even know what Gideon does?

“Not nearly as much as I’ve heard about you,” Gideon replied evenly.

Alexander’s smile didn’t waver. “Do you mind if I join you? I haven’t had dinner yet.”

Elena didn’t think it was a problem. In fact, she had been meaning to introduce them properly.

But Gideon had no intention of going along with that.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” he said calmly. “I have something personal to discuss with Elena. Maybe another time.”

16:38 Thu, May 14

Chapter 223 A Quiet Clash

The shift in atmosphere was immediate.

Elena felt it in an instant.

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rohed

She shot Gideon a quick look, trying to stop him, but he met her eyes briefly and then looked away as if nothing had happened.

What is wrong with him today?

“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Alexander said, his tone still calm but noticeably colder. “She’s pregnant. I’m taking her home.”

He made no move to leave, sitting there as if he had every right to be.

The tension between the two men was impossible to ignore, and even nearby diners had started to glance over.

Elena didn’t want things to escalate.

She also knew Gideon wouldn’t insist like this unless it mattered.

So she tried to ease the situation.

“Why don’t you wait outside for a bit?” she said gently. “I’ll be done soon, and we can head home together.”

She was also thinking about Evelyn. If Alexander showed up alone, it would only cause more trouble.

The smile on Alexander’s face disappeared completely.

He held her gaze for a long moment, his expression unreadable, giving nothing away. Then he pushed his chair back, got to his feet without saying a word, and walked out of the restaurant.

He didn’t go far. He stopped just outside the entrance, standing there in silence, his tall frame steady and imposing, the kind of presence that made people instinctively give him space as they passed by.

He’s definitely mad.

“Gideon,” Elena said, her voice carrying a hint of urgency she didn’t even realize was there, “what did you want to tell me?”

Gideon noticed it immediately.

The shift in her tone.

16:38 Thu, May 14

Chapter 223 A Quiet Clash

The way

her attention had already drifted elsewhere. The faint smile on his lips faded.

“How does he treat you?” he asked quietly.

Elena blinked, momentarily thrown off, but when she followed his line of sight toward the window and saw Alexander standing outside, it clicked almost immediately.

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